California prison inmates are an integral part of the firefighting system. Around 900 inmates make up the inmate firefighter crews, as part of a program with the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.
However, the program only works well if the inmates do more good than harm.
Fire Break
While fighting a vegetation fire just outside Sacramento, California, an inmate took one of the firetrucks. The 31-year-old went on a joyride, crashing the truck.
He injured himself and caused irreparable damage to the fire engine itself. The truck was rammed through a fence and into Shingle Springs business Rack-It Truck Racks.
According to California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection spokeswoman Alisha Herring, Shingle Springs is 40 miles east of Sacramento. The inmate was a part of Cal FIRE's Amador- El Dorado unit.
The inmate stole the engine at 12:40 a.m., just two hours after he and the rest of the crew had begun working on the vegetation fire, said Herring.
Under Investigation
The inmate was injured in the crash. He was treated for those injuries at a nearby hospital, and will recover. Spokeswomen for the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation Terry Thornton said, that no one else was hurt in the incident.
Thornton also said the crash was under investigation and the department will be withholding the inmates name. They did say that the inmate has been a member of the program since 2015 and was from Orange County.
Each crew of inmate firefighters has 62 inmates and they are deployed throughout the state. The 900 inmate strong crew is going to be reduced in size, since state Gov. Gavin Newsom is shutting down one of the largest training facilities.
Thornton stated, “During the incident, significant damage was done to the engine as well as private and public property.” According to Herring the replacement cost of the fire engine is around $280,000.
The investigation is being completed by California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, as well as CDCR and local law enforcement.
Nothing will ever surprise me coming out of California. Land of fruits and nuts.
Hahahahaha I agree with you. Wackos
What's new?
What's new ?What a horrible state ..full.of disgrace?
Big breakdown in law and order, especially on The Whole Left Coastal States! You'd think these convicted criminals would be happy to be out fighting fires, rather than be locked up all day long. Evidently some people can't be rehabilitated, just need to do their time for the crime/s committed.
I'm sure he won't get any extra jail time either
In a dem run state
Leave it to the lib's to give those convicted of felony a good chance to escape.
Trump is doing a good job with that and you blame the Left pay attention.wake up, open those eyes. say nothing especially it is a remark Trump is up their with the worst Presidents of all time, as a president, human, smart person, he is rich that dose not make him smart, capable in the end still rich and incapable as a politician. We need someone who is really for we the people not the rich for those of us that are surving through who we are and how we sacrifice and not rich. We can make a meal with hamburg, pasta, vegies,rice and more all week if we had to without a chef.
Just cut that state off give it back to Mexico and call it good. States good for nothing anyway. Bunch of liberal whining babies.
you should know your doing that right now a liberal
It was a black man that destroyed the fire truck
color should not be the issue yet a lot of you use it and I am white and not racist