Prisoner Paramedics

[HotelCo]

"The inmates in the prison's fire department are trained paramedics who were not convicted of violent or sexual offenses..."

The short of it: The inmate staffed fire department pulled two people from the water, one of whom later died.

http://www.cnn.com/2011/US/04/20/california.inmates.rescue/index.html?hpt=T2


Anyone know of any other prisons that have this? What do you think of it?

 

[HotelCo]

Looking on the internet, it appears they're trained firefighters, and have, in the past, gone outside prison grounds to assist the San Rafael Fire Department.

They also have a fire truck:

http://www.corrections.com/news/article/13608 (Unrelated story, but they have pictures)

 

[Sasha]

Scary, law breakers being responsible for someone's life!

 

[bigbaldguy]

Scary, law breakers being responsible for someone's life!

You've never broken a law I haven't broken any...........lately

 

[JPINFV]

Scary, law breakers being responsible for someone's life!

Yep... they should have left him in the water.

Oh, and while we're at it, let's disband all of the inmate wild land fire hand crews while we're at it. Florida can pick up the tab, though. After all, I'd hate to have someone in jail for petty theft trying to help cut a fire line and protect homes and lives.

 

[Aidey]

Well, I'm doubtful they are actually paramedics, but I'm going to assume that is just a layperson mistake.

I hadn't heard of an in house FD before, but I'm honestly not surprised to learn they exist. After all, there are inmate wildland fire crews. Prisons are basically small cities, and the inmates are already responsible for running a number of the day to day functions (cooking, cleaning, laundry, etc). Why not have some sort of emergency service?

At the prison in my area there are civilian medical staff on site 24/7, and they have their own gurney and jump kits and respond to the scene and if at all feasible they move the patient to the infirmary

Thinking about it though, I've never heard the FD that covers that area called to the prison for so much as an AFA. I will have to ask and see if they have some sort of in house fire related response team. I do remember seeing those built in hose reels that you see in some hotels and such, but I don't know if they are all over, or just in the less secure areas.

 

[bstone]

http://www.amazon.com/Three-Felonies-Day-Target-Innocent/dp/1594032556

Three Felonies a Day. We're all criminals.

I read about the prison FD with great interest. I think it's a great thing.

 

[bigbaldguy]

It's certainly better then having them make paint brushes or auto plates.

 

[DesertMedic66]

It saves actual firefighters from risking to go in there. A sheriff friend told me that some if not all correction officers that work in a jail are trained on the SCBAs. Don't know if that's true or not.

 

[HotelCo]

It saves actual firefighters from risking to go in there. A sheriff friend told me that some if not all correction officers that work in a jail are trained on the SCBAs. Don't know if that's true or not.

They aren't actual firefighters?

 

[DesertMedic66]

They aren't actual firefighters?

I don't know the full extent of the correction officers training. According to my friend "correction officers are training in the SCBA because firefighters will not go inside of the jail when there are prisoners". I can either confirm nor deny what he said.

 

[HotelCo]

I don't know the full extent of the correction officers training. According to my friend "correction officers are training in the SCBA because firefighters will not go inside of the jail when there are prisoners". I can either confirm nor deny what he said.

I was talking about the prisoners/FFs

You said: "It saves actual firefighters from risking to go in there."


This whole thing has gotten me really curious, I'm going to give the prison a call in the morning, and see if I can get more information on the program.

 

[DesertMedic66]

I was talking about the prisoners/FFs

You said: "It saves actual firefighters from risking to go in there."


This whole thing has gotten me really curious, I'm going to give the prison a call in the morning, and see if I can get more information on the program.

In my opinion I think it's a good idea. In California the state fire agency CalFire uses "Con crews" to cut handlines and do mop up for wildland fires, and they also do alot of cleaning up areas of the city (and paint the fire stations). I highly doubt they are certified firefighters thru the state. But you never know.

 

[Sandog]

In my opinion I think it's a good idea. In California the state fire agency CalFire uses "Con crews" to cut handlines and do mop up for wildland fires, and they also do alot of cleaning up areas of the city (and paint the fire stations). I highly doubt they are certified firefighters thru the state. But you never know.

Inmate FF's are trained in wildland fire and they hold red cards. It would be foolhardy and cost lives to put untrained personnel on the fireline, prisoner or otherwise.

 

[jwk]

Scary, law breakers being responsible for someone's life!

Lee Co, GA has had a prisoner-operated VFD for several decades - they respond to calls outside the correctional institution as well as inside. Depending on the severity of their original crimes, some are able to put those skills to good use as paid firefighters once they are released.

 

[mycrofft]

Yeah Sandog

The key is "untrained" people versus trained inmates. And I "got" Firefite's comment, the risk they are saving non-prison firefighters is not the fire, but the security and inmate situation. If anything, prison or jail officials will strive to avoid putting inmates at risk because of their responsibilities to protect inmates...yeah, sounds wrong and is often muffed, but it's true. (To see a system not dedicated to portecting inates at all, go to any large Third World establishment.)

Remember that, for the vast majority of people entering the incarceration system, there will be a day they get out, and until then, they are living day to day as best as they can. Thousands of man-hours are spent annually by inmates battling wildland fires without serious incidents, either involving firefighting, or security, partly because they are vetted and overseen by security personnel, and partly because these guys don't want to screw things up.

 

[Aerin-Sol]

Scary, law breakers being responsible for someone's life!

When people go to prison for smoking drugs the government has decided are bad, "law breaker" loses a lot of stigma, at least to me.

 

[HotelCo]

This whole thing has gotten me really curious, I'm going to give the prison a call in the morning, and see if I can get more information on the program.

The woman who answered the phone seemed hesitant to give much info, and told me to call back on Friday. She's going to check with her supervisor to see what they can say about it.

I don't understand how information on the Fire Department would breach security... :unsure:

 

[JPINFV]

I'm pretty sure any information about the internal running of the prison is something that they like to keep somewhat under wraps.

 

[HotelCo]

I'm pretty sure any information about the internal running of the prison is something that they like to keep somewhat under wraps.

Oh, yeah. I understand that part. But the Fire Department? How is telling me what level they're actually trained to, if they're licensed, and what their scope of practice is going to help someone aid in an escape?