Fire Camps: Second Chances for First Responders
Our Approach
Youth offenders — or “Young Lions,” as we call them — are at the heart of our work to build pathways to employment, housing, and other habilitative services for justice-involved youth. One of the most impactful and accessible routes to employment after release is through California’s firefighter training programs.
In partnership with the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR), Amity connects young men with fire camps like Pine Grove Youth Conservation Camp and Growlersburg Conservation Camp #33. There, they receive rigorous, hands-on training in wildfire suppression and emergency response.
These young people aren’t just preparing — they’re often called to the front lines. During California’s intense wildfire seasons, they work alongside professional firefighters to protect lives, homes, and communities. After release, many graduates go on to build stable, meaningful careers with CalFire, using their training to serve the same communities they once left behind.
Building on CDCR’s successful model, the LA County Justice, Care and Opportunities Department (JCOD) launched its first youth fire camp program in 2024. Amity is proud to help connect young men and women to this life-changing opportunity — expanding access to a pathway that builds confidence, purpose, and real opportunity.
I’m here and I’ve got to do things right and make amends for my family, myself, and the people and community that I’ve hurt.” He recalls his days of studying through fights, hiking on blistered feet, sleeping on the sides of brutally cold mountains, the feeling of flames flickering at his cheeks, his father’s death. Never again will he go back to being locked up, he tells himself. “Now,” Fausto says, “I’m trying to be who I am.”