Fireboys (2021) Movie Script
- We have the 485.
Wait down here.
Wait till you guys pass
and we'll shoot up.
We'll
make that happen right now.
That's fine and we'll
have your equipment
deployed up in the area.
- You see
smoke, smoke, smoke.
You see big trees is all black.
They on fire.
- It
burns. Burns your nose.
Ooh, the smell.
- Heat,
is like overwhelming.
And like it's so intense.
Like my face is burning.
I couldn't breathe.
I want to go home.
I want to go home.
Like what did I get myself into?
I never thought
I was going to be
a firefighter at all.
- How many
people can say, you know
my house was saved by
somebody that's incarcerated.
- Brave?
I mean I'm just human.
Nothing to be brave about.
As long as you just do it.
It makes you feel good.
Make you feel like,
it makes me feel like
my life has a purpose.
You know what I mean?
Even if it is just
helping a few people.
It's the freedom part.
Oh yeah. It feels good.
You're not locked up but
it also makes you feel good
that you're not just
sitting there rotting away.
- Well, my
first couple of weeks
in the cell were like, oh
am I going to get out?
If I can get out.
After that I started
realizing, oh like
I'm here for what I did.
I'm not going to get
out any time soon.
So might as well
just get used to it.
Being in, being inside,
locked up in that room.
Not able to go see my
mom whenever I wanted to.
Just freedom.
- After adapting
for so many months
like, I'm used to it
but it's not something
I want to be used to.
I don't want to be in this
environment all my life.
- All right.
Good morning guys.
Morning. Good morning.
- I'm YCC.
I'm a counselor at Pine
Grove, Ms. Paminsan.
They call me Ms. Pam for short.
Ms. P.
You guys are in the
intake process obviously.
You guys have submitted
a camp application.
What we're doing here is kind
of just prepping you for camp
because the transition from
this type of environment
into camp is very different.
In this pre-camp program
my job is to get you
guys physically fit
and prepared for a wild
land firefighting, okay.
Real quick.
I like to get a
little introduction
of each and every one of you.
- Um, my name's Keon Sims.
I'm 19.
My committed offense
is attempted murder.
And I want to go to
fire camp because
you feel me, I feel
like it could help me
stay out of the
gang environment.
That's polluted throughout
the YA facilities.
You feel me?
So I can get home faster.
- Yeah. Sure.
Good job.
- My name's Joshua Dixon.
I'm 18.
I'm here for a shooting.
They gave me nine years
but I have an early parole two.
I want to go to fire
camp because I feel
like being a fireman
is an honorable job
and it's a good experience
to help other people out.
- My name's Alexander Bailon.
I'm 18 years old.
I'm here for multiple counts
of carjacking and
attempted murder.
So going to fire camp
is a major step for me
and I really hope I get it.
So I'm gonna try
my best to do it.
- Okay. Very good.
It's nice to meet
all of you guys.
One of the last counties
I was on a strike team
was Mendocino County.
Mendocino, that was the
largest in California history.
And then the Paradise one
was the most deadliest
in California history.
Any questions before
I make you guys sweat?
Go!
- How you doing that?
- No pain, no gain.
Let's go.
A hundred percent.
A hundred percent.
- Woo.
- Anybody tired yet?
- Yep.
- Hell yes.
- Already? We're
just getting started.
- Oh no.
- Who
hasn't ran in awhile.
Oh, okay.
Okay.
Something we need
to work on right.
Gotta get that breathing.
You guys will be
carrying equipment.
Lots of equipment.
Going up 90 degree hills.
You guys going to
be hurting tomorrow.
It's good though.
- Being
locked up helped me.
- Mhmm.
- If I didn't get
caught up back there
I would have been
caught up right now.
And look where I
would have been.
In the main jail.
- Mhmm.
What are your short term goals
while being here at DJJ?
- I would say like
better improving myself
educationally and mentally.
- Mhmm.
- And especially
going to fire camp
is my priority because-
- Okay.
I heard it ever since
I've been locked up.
They're like, oh yeah.
Fire camp this. Fire camp that.
I was like, they're all
like, oh, but it's hard.
I was like, I'm up
for the challenge.
I like proving people wrong.
It's what I like doing.
I like proving people wrong.
- Shit come on greens. Get down.
Down.
Up.
All right get up
and shake it out.
Shake it out.
Do what you gotta do.
Drink your water. Stretch.
- Oh. Oh.
- You all right man?
- Oh damn.
- That throw up situation.
Ooh. You okay?
Good job guys.
- Is it going to be
way worse with that?
- Okay.
- At fire camp.
- Some of them, yes.
Yeah.
- You okay brother?
- Yeah.
- Hiking is going to be
worse than this though.
- Very good job today.
I'm very proud of each
and every one of you
guys for not quitting.
- Ms. Pam you said
a little work out.
- Yeah. This was
a little work out.
- Nah. No way.
- You didn't think it
was a little work out?
- It was cool.
- Is this the easy stuff?
- It's cool.
- You memorize that just by
looking at the first letter.
- Yeah.
- Wow. I'm impressed.
That is crazy-
But you know, I'm
betting on going there.
I don't only want
to do good for me.
I also, like my mom's
my encouragement.
And I'm like if I could
get time knocked off
and while doing
something that I like.
That'd be like pretty cool.
- I'll see you next time okay.
Keep it up.
- And buckle your seat belt.
- All right.
- All right.
All right.
- Technique.
- Watch your step.
Okay.
Your going to go ahead
and walk in the office.
- Rules and regulations.
You know, I won't
go into every rule.
You know, some of the more
common rule infractions
on the dorm are like, you know
being out of bounds,
is kind of a big one.
Horseplay is another big one.
More serious like we
already mentioned.
Dirty drug test.
So substance use or
possessing contraband
like cell phones or
cell phone chargers.
Those things.
So being here at fire camp,
you guys are both employees.
So you'll be getting
a monthly paycheck.
You both owe restitution.
So half of that will
go towards restitution
and then you'll
keep the other half
until your restitution
is paid off.
And then you keep
all your money.
So when you get called to
an incident and fight a fire
you'd be eligible to earn a
couple extra time cuts
They can add up to an
initial eight days per month.
Which can, you know
overtime can add up to
a pretty significant amount.
Yup. All right.
Paperwork's done.
How are you feeling?
- I'm good.
- I'm good.
- Any of that confuse you?
- No.
- Little bit?
No. Okay, good.
- First thing you
probably noticed.
We don't have the fences.
We don't have the barbed wire.
We don't have the
security vans out here.
We don't have a whole
lot of staff here.
So this is a program
for guys that have shown
that they can maintain it.
They don't need that
kind of supervision
because if you did,
you couldn't be here.
Okay. So it's definitely,
it's a privileged program.
I'll show you the kitchen.
Want to see the kitchen?
You heard about the food?
- Yeah, I heard about the food.
- Yeah. What'd you
hear about the food?
- It's way better.
- Yeah?
- Yes, yes, yes.
Good timing.
- I'm Captain Respree.
What's your name?
- Alexander Bailon.
- Alexander Bailon.
Where are you from?
- San Jose, California.
- All right.
Okay. Captain Respree.
- Eric Major.
- Eric Major.
- Fresno, California.
- Fresno, California.
- That's right.
- Nice to meet you gentlemen.
- Nice to meet you too, sir.
- On behalf of Cal Fire,
thank you very much
for volunteering.
Coming out here.
- Thank you for very much.
- This is very hard work.
Very hard work.
But we can't meet the mission
of protecting Californians
from wildfire without
volunteers like you.
So thanks a lot.
- What clothes do we use?
- For parole, wear like a shirt
and button it all the way up.
Hey, how does that feel?
- Good.
- You sure?
You'd be able to work in
it and stuff like that.
Move around.
- Yeah.
- Okay.
- When I first got here.
I liked it because
I was more comfortable
being outdoors
and not having to be
in a cell all day.
I was sentenced as an adult
when I was 16 years old.
But because my earliest
possible release date was
before my 21st birthday.
I had a chance to stay in DJJ
but I had to work
at the fire camp.
So that's where I landed.
And thank God.
Lucky I was lucky enough
to go to DJJ fire camp.
At Pine Grove all
the staff like me.
All the captains like me.
That makes me feel
like I'm at home.
I got to transition back
to who my real family is
and where my real home is.
- Yep.
When we get out.
- What's our plans?
- Like college or whatnot?
Probably even end up doing
this when we get out.
- Yeah.
- Three? Four?
- Yeah, I think training crew.
- Some of the work is
too much for people
when they roll up out of here
like basically leave the camp.
- Yeah.
- Let them know man.
- It's the top chef right here.
- You know what I'm saying.
Act like you like it.
Act like you like it.
- I have to
say I've grown a lot.
Not only because I love to
firefight and work hard.
But it's helped me
become a better worker.
It's helped me become
a better person.
It's taught me a
lot of discipline.
It's been a long journey.
what's weird is a
couple months ago.
I talked to my grandpa and
he's a very strict person.
So when I first got arrested
he was kind of mad at me.
But after a while,
and he found out
how good I was doing at camp.
You know, started talking
to him more and more.
And you know, my
grandpa's getting older
and I really miss him.
There's a lot of
people that are waiting
for me to come home.
- I've done a lot of stupid
things during my life.
My first committing
offense was 15.
Possession of a stolen vehicle.
When I started
doing these things
I just started chasing the money
and I started getting that like
feeling like I'm my own man.
When I was still a child
still trying to grow up.
My mom was shocked
when the cops came in the house.
She just started
breaking down, crying.
And what'd you do?
What'd you do?
That hurt me a lot.
I just told her
I'm gonna be okay.
I'm gonna be okay.
I'm going to do good.
I'm going to run my program.
See what I can do to get out.
Don't worry about it.
I'll be out soon.
- Oh so frustrated bro.
- Oh, frustrated right now bro.
- You're frustrated?
- Mentally, spiritually
and emotionally bro.
Frustrated.
Like.
It's bad bro.
- Huh.
- Bro, no. I don't want
to pass with you bro.
- Why?
- I already passed bro.
This is like, I don't get it.
Cause she was on vacation.
But she told the other
captain it was all right.
So now she did some
backward stuff.
Now I'm back still
in training crew
and I'm supposed to be on the
actual fire crew right now.
- I don't know.
My name is Dominiq Porter.
I'm 20 years old.
My offense, a 245.
Shooting at a
occupied vehicle.
Criminal history.
I have two priors.
One for selling narcotics
on the school ground.
And one for
residential burglary.
I have three other siblings.
So it's four siblings in total.
Three of us are in jail.
Oldest brother got 18 years.
And the one that's
right under me, got 12.
I got seven.
My dad been in and
out of prison since
before I was born.
Three positive traits.
I'm hard working.
I'm a leader.
And I'm dedicated.
I came to Pine Grove
cause I feel like
this is an opportunity
to learn something.
I can take everything
I learned here
and apply it to my
life when I get out.
- Okay, go and have a seat.
So I'm Captain Hutchinson.
I'm almost 53 years old.
My offense.
I don't have one.
Criminal history.
None.
Do I have any kids?
Just you guys.
I know you're not kids
but just you guys.
No I don't have any kids.
So positive traits, I'm fair
firm and consistent.
Okay. I'm going to be
a hard on you guys.
But I'm gonna be hard
on you guys, for why?
Can you answer Mr. Porter?
Why do you think I'm going
to be hard on you guys?
- Cause she's not lowering
to our expectations.
She going to bring
us up to hers.
- Okay. The goal is to bring
you up and better you, right?
Cause I'm going to. I
believe in you guys.
And I want you to
believe in yourself
so that you guys can be
successful in this program.
Okay?
You guys actually came
in in a really good time.
When you guys leave
this training program
we're going to be pretty
much starting to go to fires
and you guys are gonna go
right out in the mix of it.
Okay? Any questions about that?
- No Cap.
- No Cap.
Small steps.
Come on.
Take smaller steps.
Keep going!
- Tool left-hand,
downhill side.
- We did this, Bailon.
- I feel like I'm going to
pass out.
Let's go guys!
- That's the easy part.
You heard it yesterday.
As soon as I say, hook it up.
Get hooked up.
Come on. Keep pushing.
So small steps to
get that airway open.
Upper body straight.
Push it out.
Solid finish.
You should get your gloves on.
I want you to pick up our tools
and we'll get these. We'll
get loaded back on the bus.
- Okay. So obviously by now
you guys know
something's going on.
Looks like our number
finally got called.
- We're going out?
All right.
You guys know I
don't talk over you.
Okay. Going direct
attack to the fire.
Fires 400 acres in a drainage.
There's very few resources
on it right now
because everything is
you guys probably know, are
tied up already down south.
Okay. They're desperate for
hand crews and we're it.
Okay.
Copy?
- Copy that.
- All right.
- It's in a drainage
so it's ugly.
Like fires in a drainage.
You got two mountains like
that and a fire most likely
has a chance of running up hill.
It's going to be crazy.
Hopefully, I'm hoping
for it to be crazy.
- Let's go!
- You feel more
appreciated
being out with Cal Fire.
Nobody's like, Hey, look at
those people that are in jail.
They're like, Hey look,
those firefighters, you know.
Seeing people, thank
you for your hard work.
Thank you for saving our
houses and our businesses.
When I get out, I do
want to be a firefighter.
I talked to my captain
all the time about it
and they're trying to help
me a lot with the, getting
into the fire service, whether
it's the U.S. forest service
or Cal Fire.
I'm a felon so, I
mean, I don't know
if I'll be able to
get that cleared or.
That's another thing
I'm going to work on
when I get out.
It's trying to expunge my record
or at least get my
felony dropped somehow.
- When I got
to crew, you know
I thought I was just going to
become like the second saw
or a puller or something.
Next thing I know my Captain
put me on as first man.
Well I think first man
represented a lot of leadership.
He knows everything about fires.
Helps supervise everybody while
you know, they're working.
My grandpa always taught me.
You can delegate your jobs
but you can't delegate
your responsibilities.
And to me, everything about
the crew is my responsibility.
- All right we're doing
a four foot scrape
from here to that tree.
Movin'
- Movin'
So cutting line is basically
a fuel break.
So the fire burns to your line,
hits the dirt and goes out.
You think of your family,
trying to get back to them.
It motivates you to push
harder and to keep safe.
So we can all go back
to where we came from.
You got to make that
wider back there.
Clean up that duff.
- And then your last McCloud
gotta clean up the berm.
- It really only
takes 10 seconds
and you can give your life away.
- I was ditching school a lot.
And I was hanging around
with the wrong people.
I didn't like going to school.
That was my number
one pet peeve.
I didn't like going there.
- I have strict parents.
- Single mother.
- I have a very
supportive family.
It was just the
decisions I was making.
- I was hiding a
lot from my mom.
And so like that would like
make her cry and stuff.
- Being part of the gang
it'd be like another family.
- I was lost.
I kind of felt like
everything was-
All the pressure was
on me to do things.
You know what I mean?
- I was like, yeah, I'm
gonna start going to school.
I'm gonna do better.
I'm gonna quit smoking,
quit doing drugs.
And then a week later.
On the same path.
- I wanted to be the
cool guy I guess.
- I always tell my mom that
I'll never get arrested.
- Dude it hurts.
Being away in jail, can't
explain it's like...
I feel like I'm
not a big brother
because a big brother's
supposed to be a role model.
- 16.
- I was 17 when I
committed my offense.
- I was incarcerated
when I was 13 years old.
- 16.
- I don't come
from a poor family.
- We barely made ends meet.
I hung out with a
lot of kids that come
from wealthy families and they
had everything they ever had.
Nike socks, dude.
They had chucks.
They had all the clothes.
All, everything I wanted.
So I started hanging
around with those kids
and come to find out
that their parents
were buying everything.
So I kind of fell into
learning how to rob people.
Go out on the weekend,
Friday night, you know
when people get paid
and see people coming
out of liquor stores
'cause liquor stores cash checks
and they turned the
corner in the dark alley.
You get hit upside the
head and money took.
And next thing you know
I got five cop cars
coming from this street
and I have nowhere to run.
With the gun in my hand.
Now that I look at it, dude.
What a disgusting
human being I was.
- I'll tell you that, you know
as knowing how hard people
work for their money.
How hard I worked
for my money now.
- People make mistakes.
I guess it's my fate.
- Bumping by, bumping by.
- Bumping by.
- Air tanker drop!
Air tanker drop.
- Twos to the left.
Twos to the left.
Okay. Clear.
Moving.
- Okay.
Step one foot in it
and then bring it around you.
Like a coat. Feet
to the heat, right?
Feet to the heat
and head to the red.
Why don't you come
here for a second.
Ah.
What's going on?
- Okay. Well they're
going to hurt.
Remember you signed up for
being a firefighter.
We'll be on our feet a lot.
Okay. But I'm kind of sensing
a little sense of urgency.
Like lack of sense of urgency.
Like you're just not really
caring right now. Okay.
That thing right there is
going to save your life
in a burn over.
Okay. Which means you
need to be moving.
And moving now.
Okay.
That fire turns on us.
It's coming at us.
Ready?
Okay.
Go.
Two points of contact.
Okay, come on up.
I'm in LA county.
He's from the bay.
- Different cultures.
- Different culture,
different teaching.
Everything.
- Different language.
- Yup.
- You know I haven't
had a peach since
I've been locked up
until I got here.
- A who?
- Peach.
- I don't like peaches.
- I like them.
- I like plums though.
- Plums.
- Uh.
- I like peeled grapes.
- What?
- Peeled grapes.
You never peeled a
grape and ate it?
- No.
I'd just eat the grape.
- You haven't lived life then.
- No, you're just fat.
- I'm fast.
- We're going to do some
hand line construction
and pretty much this is
our bread and butter.
This is what we do.
This is what we're paid for.
Okay. Remember we go
places that what can't-
- Nobody.
- No go.
Nobody else can go, right.
Especially like the dozers.
So we're going to
go four foot scrape.
Okay. You're going to set the?
- Line.
- The line.
Okay. So you're going to
come into the edge, right.
And what you're going to do
is you're going to take
the first foot.
And it needs to be down to?
Bare mineral dirt.
- So third person coming in
overlap the second guy.
The second foot.
Hm. What?
- Nothing.
- What do you think?
- I'm ready to do it.
- Pretty intelligent, huh?
Everybody gets
their piece of line.
Does their part.
How you're doing this.
You're doing this
and you're actually
kind of making your work
a little bit harder.
Get in there with the tool.
Put some pressure on it.
And it's great.
Okay.
You're letting it get
right here right now.
Yeah. It's getting in
your head right now.
I can see it.
I can hear it.
Don't let it get in your head.
Okay.
You signed up for this, right?
You volunteered for it.
Right?
Okay. So did I.
That's why I'm here.
Let's just say we volunteered
for this together.
Right?
Okay. Don't let it
get in your head.
We're going to be out
there on that fire line.
And we're going to do
thousands of feet of this.
Thousands and thousands of feet.
Okay. This is our job.
This is what we do.
Hey, don't pet it.
It's not a puppy
Get that tool in and use it.
When you look back at
the work that gets done.
It's impressive.
The work that they can do.
One of the cool things
about these guys
versus the adults.
Is as long as there's work to do
they typically will keep going.
I mean, that's
what I have found.
And they get that recognition
when we're out there.
We want the Pine
Grove crews out there
because these guys
will work until
they can't anymore.
The big key of it is
them working together.
- Okay. Division, Romeo, Whiskey
things are looking real good.
There's still some showing up.
Heat showing up on the IR.
- All right.
- There you go.
That's a lot of fire.
- Get it locked and
scattered way out there.
Firing 75 Golf, Go ahead.
- To go make a berm.
- Yea?
- We got to throw
everything back that way.
But not. Don't make piles.
Make a long wood row.
So when we light
this off. It takes.
- Going up.
- All this.
Going this way, yeah.
- It's not about being
physically prepared.
To do it. It's a lot of mental.
- This patch.
- All right.
- With Cal Fire they-
Things changed within seconds.
You just gotta be prepared
to adapt, to change.
- Yep. Like right now.
Hey!
Pull back!
Pull back now!
- Pull back!
- The fire that's
down below us though.
Looks very innocent
a mere 20 minutes ago
is now blown up.
And this area is going
to become untenable.
So.
We need to leave
right now.
We'll be in good shape.
They're kicking everybody out.
- I'm about to go
home and it feels like
it feels like I'm a young kid
at home and who's getting
kicked out by his parents.
I just can't stop.
There's something
that's telling me.
I can't stop.
I got to go home.
I got to get into an EMT class.
I got to go through academy
and I got to work for Cal Fire.
I can't stop.
There's nothing that's
going to stop me
when I get out.
- Come through.
- That's it.
Thank you sir.
Gentleman. At this
time, you need to be
behind the red line.
- Please?
- Thank you sir.
Thank you sir.
- No problem.
- Have a good day.
- You too.
- How you doing today?
- All right Cap
have a good day.
- See you guys later.
- Bye Cap.
- Here. We just went
to a bullshit fire roll today.
- If you could do
it over here, bro
Where I'm at, you
can do it easily.
I don't even put 'em out
now I be just chilling.
- Right here.
- I don't want to be-
- So how much do
y'all get paid a week?
- Every two weeks,
you get $3000.
- $3000!
Hell yes.
That's living.
- It's not like you get
paid different for it.
You get paid the same.
Whether you want to saw.
- Everybody gets paid the same?
- Everybody get paid the same.
They ain't no like,
Oh well I'm gonna saw, I
get fuckin' 3 more dollars.
No.
- And I got experience too.
- Correct.
- I'm a registered gang member.
- Yeah?
- Yeah.
- I'm good then.
- It don't matter.
They don't, they don't stop you
from fighting fire for no gang.
- Yeah. My name is
Antoinio Wellington.
I work for the U.S.
Forest Service.
I'm going on my second season
with the U.S. Forest Service.
I was incarcerated in
Pine Grove for two years
from 2015 to 2017.
I was the first man on crew two.
When I got outta here,
I was just chilling
working a couple of jobs.
And then I met a guy
who helped me apply
for a job with the
U.S. Forest Service.
And I waited for about
a year and they told me
that I needed to
report in 17 days
to the U.S. Forest Service.
So if any of you guys are
looking to get a career
or like establish yourselves
when you get out of here.
The work that you guys
are doing inside of here
could really factor
to when you get out.
And it's so simple
to get a job working
on an actual hand crew
and they don't care about
none of us being on parole.
They don't care about the
past life that we lived.
They don't care
about none of that.
All they want is for
you guys to come out
and show that you guys
got some work ethic.
Come out there and do what
you already know what to do.
Is any of you guys in here
interested in getting into fire?
Okay.
We've got some ones.
Okay. That's good.
Listen to everything your
captain is telling you
even though you might
not feel it's right.
I done been through
everything that y'all going
through in here with
the captains and feeling
like you're slaves and feeling
like y'all being overworked
because y'all ain't
making enough money.
I done been there but
I'm here to tell you
that it don't matter how
hard they work you right now.
When you get out and
you go to get a job.
You're already going
to be prepared.
Cause you can already work
under the worst conditions.
Sleeping outside.
Bugs crawling on you.
It wasn't easy.
But you know what I mean?
I made it. I'm here right now.
I'm here talking to y'all.
I care about every one of y'all.
I did sat in these hard backs.
I done watched this TV and
I'm played on that yard.
I'm just letting you know,
I'm living proof that
you could be successful
and do something
with yourselves.
Love comes from me being
in the same position
that they were, that
they're in right now.
I understand it. I can feel some
of their emotions
still to this day
of what they're going through.
The stress, the
anxiety, the fear.
The not knowing what
to do with their lives.
So the website is
usajobs.gov.
Get a print out.
- Thank you.
- You can call me.
I'll teach you how
to do all that.
- All right. Thank you.
- Sanders.
Four Ben and Jerry's.
- Yeah.
- There's only one of them left.
- All right. Yeah.
- Two blue, blue Doritos.
And, the rest of
them. Hot Cheetos.
Toilet paper, price $1.75.
Socks. $1.75.
The T-shirt, $5.40.
That other T-shirt is $7.
The sweats $20 and
the boxers $5 each.
And the shorts is $16.
Yeah.
- Dude, that was crazy though.
- Yeah, basically you just
you just putting
noodles together
with chips, rice,
anything that is
hot food wise
and you just mix it up.
But right now, today we're
going to make a burrito.
- Hell yeah. I'm
ready for this bite.
- Taste them. I
made it with love.
Aight!
Like a chipotle burrito.
- Ohh. Yeah.
- When I think of home,
I think of security.
Love.
A life that I want
to go back to.
- Hey.
- Com es stas?
- I'm good.
- Am buenos. Mole.
Eat up.
Ke caliento?
- People change.
- I'll probably see
you next Sunday.
- Some people take
longer than others.
- Probably.
- I mean do I want to change.
It's for the better.
Yeah.
Watch out this part right there.
- What are you doing man?
Slow down a little bit.
- He's dead.
- Okay.
Let's redo this.
- Oh yeah.
- Why?
- You killed him.
- Because I'm gonna
ask you to redo it.
- Ain't nothing wrong with it.
I did it right the first time.
- No you didn't.
- All right.
Anyway. Are you all right?
You all right?
- Okay.
- Did it right the
first time, bro.
- Are you okay?
- It's not hard.
- Got to lock your fingers.
- I got everything.
- I mean, he got an attitude.
He's like, I know how to do it.
And when I moved on
to the next person
and he was just like
I know how to do this.
I was a lifeguard.
You know, and he's kind
of got this total chip
on his shoulder.
And he's still mad about it.
He's being disruptive.
- What do you want to do?
Well I'm gonna have to
run it through the boss.
But-
- Because if that's the case,
he needs to just be rolled out
and he needs to go back
to the institution.
- Yeah. I mean, that
was uncalled for.
Because I'm not going
to reward somebody
even if they pass everything.
If they're going to get on
there and have a bad attitude.
And that's a concern for me.
Putting them on, out on a bus.
- Status.
8 Units. 14 engines. 8 crews.
- Maybe, I'll
get out in front.
- Right now?
Aqua.
- Water the night
before you hike, bro.
Hella that shit, bro.
- This ain't nothing, bro.
- You drink hella water.
You're going to be good.
- Drank five liters yesterday.
- I don't even
feel the humidity.
I just feel regular.
- I think this is
actually the one.
Hey 4489.
- Swinging.
Swinging.
- There
you go. Make sure that
that hand comes all the way
down to the other one.
- Swinging.
- Swinging.
Try to build a little bit
of, little bit of bend
in that right elbow.
- Swinging.
- There you go.
- Swinging.
- Leftmeyer.
- You don't want it
to be like gapped.
- Probation.
want to talk to me.
- That's odd.
- Yeah it is, but.
You'll see.
- You guys doing cutting now?
- Swinging.
Did you copy that
training crew is returning?
- Copy.
Moving.
- Moving.
- Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate.
No stress.
- I'm about to eat one tonight.
- Here it is.
No more bus.
- Hey!
- Hey!
- Chuy!
- Hey!
- Ready to
check this shit in?
Or stuff.
And that's, that's everything.
- Somewhere where you're wanted
and comforted by people.
Somewhere where you could go and
and somebody, no matter
what, somebody will
always welcome you.
That's home to me.
And it's weird
because I've been at
Pine Grove for so long
that sometimes I feel
like that's my home
because I don't
I don't remember where
home is on the outs.
- Yeah.
- We're good.
We're good.
- Good memories.
Never thought this
day would come.
Then here it is.
Kind of feels like
like for the last four years
I've tried to prepare
myself for it.
But, when it's here. Like
now that it's finally here
it feels like I'm so unprepared.
It's not even funny.
- How are you unprepared though?
You got everything
you could imagine.
You got a little bit of
money, starts you off.
You got a house over your head
and you got a better start
than probably a lot of more
people that's out there.
And you just got to realize
what's in front of you.
- It's only, what's
different though is.
Like, when you get out there.
It's like, I don't know
if there's anything
to look forward to.
Like here. Being
here after so long,
it's like, you have one
thing to look forward to.
And that's going home.
When you get out there.
So what's there to
look forward to?
A job. And then after what?
That is what? Vacation?
And then retirement?
I don't know.
It's a lot better though.
It's whatever.
- Money.
- Money.
- Way more money.
- Money.
- It's hard out there.
We got to realize, you know
no matter how good we got
it in here, no matter how
how "safe" it is in here.
We still got to go
back out there one day.
You got to remember about your
decision-making, you know?
And you gotta, you
gotta, you know,
make good decisions.
Don't get in the car.
If somebody has a gun.
You just gotta, you gotta
you gotta separate yourself
from the bad people
and surround yourself
around positive people.
- Nah, I just.
I got a problem with that.
Like I can't leave
everybody behind.
Like people you
came up with is is.
- Oh yeah, it ain't-
- And there's certain
times, like he said
don't get in the car
with somebody got a gun.
At the same time, sometimes.
Sometimes that's necessary.
And I don't, it's just hard
to say no, just say no.
Waking up on that day.
Just like, damn.
I made it to see 19.
And it's crazy.
Like, you know.
I can't believe like
I'm at where I'm at.
But glad I'm at where I'm at.
I'm still seeing
myself, three years ago.
Out there doing
what I was doing.
And then now adapting to.
All right now I'm getting
out every morning for a job.
Now I'm doing this.
Now I'm working.
Now I got to get in this.
Understanding now.
Life, was all going however
fast you want to go.
- It started with one school
and working outside of Stockton.
And then once I
have enough money.
Just get out of there.
That's what, that's
what I'm going to do.
And being able to-
- That's the scary part.
Cause you don't know,
what's waiting for you.
Who waiting for you?
What people remember
you? Who don't?
- All
right, breakfast in 20 minutes.
20 minutes 'til breakfast.
- Just go home, bro.
- Just take my boots.
All right bros, I'm gone
Oh I'm no good at
saying bye to people.
- Get out of here.
- Don't stay up.
All right. And I'll
see yous out there.
I'm free!
I'm ready to kick
it to the curb.
It's been too long.
You know I think
it's time for me
to start a new
chapter in my life.
- Yeah.
- You got his stuff?
- You got that letter. You
got my information, bro.
Hit me, ASAP.
- It'll be cool, bro.
You good, bro.
Stop trippin'.
Just do your time.
Keep working with Drummond.
And you'll be good, bro.
It'll be good.
My business card.
Yep. That's her.
That's my mum right there.
- What's up strangers?
- Hi there.
- Hello.
- Hi baby.
Oh my goodness.
- There you go.
- Oh man.
- All right buddy.
You take it easy.
- Yep.
- Call me. Let me know
if you need anything.
- Be good.
- Ready?
- Yeah.
- All right.
- Thank you guys.
- Chuy! My boy!
- All right, bro.
- Bailon.
- 95412.
- Sherman.
- 95172.
- Jones.
- 95337.
- 94738.
- Moving.
Straight line.
- Movin'
- Okay. You guys, do
your time test hike.
And your time will
stop when you hit
when you touch the bus.
When you come in.
Right. And I'm
confident that every one
of you guys can do this.
Okay.
Make sure you guys are using
proper breathing technique.
Any questions?
- No, Cap.
- Are we ready?
- Yes, Cap.
- It's just a hike.
Okay. It's just a hike.
- Ready Cap?
- Yep.
- All right. Moving.
- Moving.
- Moving.
- Moving.
- Tool left-hand, downhill side.
- Tool left-hand, downhill side.
- Keep that spacing again.
Don't stop.
Smaller steps.
- Don't stop.
- Come on. Don't stop.
Pushing, you can do it.
- Well, at first I
think about the pain.
I'll be like oh damn,
like this hurts.
Then again like,
oh I get that voice
in the back of my head.
Pains temporary.
You keep going, just keep going.
My mom always asked me.
Don't you know how like,
how bad you impacted them?
She just tries to
get in my head.
Well, I brought a lot of
pain to different people.
They lost their money.
They lost their car.
They couldn't get to their
job, to get their money.
I was like, what if
that like happened to me
and one of my family members.
Would I like that?
No, I wouldn't like that.
That's when I
started realizing, oh
this is not what I
want to do in my life.
- Hey! Steady pace.
Steady pace.
In your nose, out your
mouth. Stay upright.
Just keep stepping.
- Bumping by.
- Remember to keep that
upper body straight.
- I can't go right now.
- Don't give up.
- We're almost finished!
Don't give up!
- Push
it out. Attaboy.
Push it out.
Solid finish.
Solid finish.
Hurry up!
Burn it out guys!
- Have a seat for a few minutes.
Get cooled off.
-- - 17.
- Good job boys.
-- - 38.
-- - 29.
- And- - 37.
- Hey!
- Winner, winner,
chicken dinner.
- I'm putting it on.
- It's all right.
You're going to be
all right, all right.
It's okay that
you're going here.
It's going to be all right.
- Mr. Bailon.
Congratulations on
passing training crew.
You're going to
be on crew three.
Your green shirts and your hat.
And then I also need you
guys orange shirts back.
Okay?
So everyone turn your
orange shirts into me.
Put a green shirt on.
You guys are officially on crew.
- Whoo!
- What's up man!
What's up.
- He's coming in here.
Oh, here.
- Hey.
- What's up, Grandpa?
You big ol' sucker.
- How you doing?
- Good, good. How are you doing?
- I'm good.
- How do you feel?
- It's unbelievable.
- I know.
- It feels good.
- That's good.
- How are you doing?
I'm good. I'm good.
You're going to make it.
- Hi, my button!
How are you doing?
- I'm doing good.
- That's good.
- This house is so small.
- You're so big.
- Oh my God.
- Man, you got big.
- He's taller
than you grandpa.
- Yeah, he is.
Huh?
- Yeah. He's born
bigger than grandpa.
That's all.
Look at you.
He's grown up.
- So how you feel?
- Just happy to be home.
- Here.
You'll be all right.
- I got plans.
I got plans.
I plan on being fire captain.
That's my goal right there.
I want to go back and
go back to the camp
as a fire captain
and really help out
as much as possible.
- That's good.
- All right, go get the
lawnmower.
Let's go.
Well maybe we'll
do some yard work.
- Let's line it up. Let's go.
Line 'em up.
Let's go.
- All right now.
Ok. 3 and 4. Fire roll!
- Line up.
Come on now.
Get your gear. Ready to go.
- Let's go, baby!
- Fire roll.
- Another day.
- Baby I
just don't get it.
Do you enjoy, being hurt.
I know you smell the perfume.
The makeup on his shirt.
But you don't
believe in stories.
And know that they're all lies.
As bad as you are,
to stick around.
And that's why I don't know why
If I was your man, baby you
I'll be by your
side, what he'd do
I'll be running
home back to you.
Every night, doing you right.
- I can ensure
my possibility of
getting out next year
if I just keep doing what
I gotta do to get out.
Run my program
and work every day.
Fight fires.
It made me feel good.
I mean, it made me feel like
not necessarily that
I saved somebody.
But that I helped a person out.
- You can ask everybody I know.
What do I love?
Chainsaws and fire.
That's it.
Like dude, I will
never grow out of that.
I think I will never
grow out of it.
I'm a firefighter at heart.
The way I see it, the fire helps
all the bad go away.
So the new can regrow.
It's a bad thing,
but it's beautiful.
- Movin'!
- Movin'!
- Got it.
Wait down here.
Wait till you guys pass
and we'll shoot up.
We'll
make that happen right now.
That's fine and we'll
have your equipment
deployed up in the area.
- You see
smoke, smoke, smoke.
You see big trees is all black.
They on fire.
- It
burns. Burns your nose.
Ooh, the smell.
- Heat,
is like overwhelming.
And like it's so intense.
Like my face is burning.
I couldn't breathe.
I want to go home.
I want to go home.
Like what did I get myself into?
I never thought
I was going to be
a firefighter at all.
- How many
people can say, you know
my house was saved by
somebody that's incarcerated.
- Brave?
I mean I'm just human.
Nothing to be brave about.
As long as you just do it.
It makes you feel good.
Make you feel like,
it makes me feel like
my life has a purpose.
You know what I mean?
Even if it is just
helping a few people.
It's the freedom part.
Oh yeah. It feels good.
You're not locked up but
it also makes you feel good
that you're not just
sitting there rotting away.
- Well, my
first couple of weeks
in the cell were like, oh
am I going to get out?
If I can get out.
After that I started
realizing, oh like
I'm here for what I did.
I'm not going to get
out any time soon.
So might as well
just get used to it.
Being in, being inside,
locked up in that room.
Not able to go see my
mom whenever I wanted to.
Just freedom.
- After adapting
for so many months
like, I'm used to it
but it's not something
I want to be used to.
I don't want to be in this
environment all my life.
- All right.
Good morning guys.
Morning. Good morning.
- I'm YCC.
I'm a counselor at Pine
Grove, Ms. Paminsan.
They call me Ms. Pam for short.
Ms. P.
You guys are in the
intake process obviously.
You guys have submitted
a camp application.
What we're doing here is kind
of just prepping you for camp
because the transition from
this type of environment
into camp is very different.
In this pre-camp program
my job is to get you
guys physically fit
and prepared for a wild
land firefighting, okay.
Real quick.
I like to get a
little introduction
of each and every one of you.
- Um, my name's Keon Sims.
I'm 19.
My committed offense
is attempted murder.
And I want to go to
fire camp because
you feel me, I feel
like it could help me
stay out of the
gang environment.
That's polluted throughout
the YA facilities.
You feel me?
So I can get home faster.
- Yeah. Sure.
Good job.
- My name's Joshua Dixon.
I'm 18.
I'm here for a shooting.
They gave me nine years
but I have an early parole two.
I want to go to fire
camp because I feel
like being a fireman
is an honorable job
and it's a good experience
to help other people out.
- My name's Alexander Bailon.
I'm 18 years old.
I'm here for multiple counts
of carjacking and
attempted murder.
So going to fire camp
is a major step for me
and I really hope I get it.
So I'm gonna try
my best to do it.
- Okay. Very good.
It's nice to meet
all of you guys.
One of the last counties
I was on a strike team
was Mendocino County.
Mendocino, that was the
largest in California history.
And then the Paradise one
was the most deadliest
in California history.
Any questions before
I make you guys sweat?
Go!
- How you doing that?
- No pain, no gain.
Let's go.
A hundred percent.
A hundred percent.
- Woo.
- Anybody tired yet?
- Yep.
- Hell yes.
- Already? We're
just getting started.
- Oh no.
- Who
hasn't ran in awhile.
Oh, okay.
Okay.
Something we need
to work on right.
Gotta get that breathing.
You guys will be
carrying equipment.
Lots of equipment.
Going up 90 degree hills.
You guys going to
be hurting tomorrow.
It's good though.
- Being
locked up helped me.
- Mhmm.
- If I didn't get
caught up back there
I would have been
caught up right now.
And look where I
would have been.
In the main jail.
- Mhmm.
What are your short term goals
while being here at DJJ?
- I would say like
better improving myself
educationally and mentally.
- Mhmm.
- And especially
going to fire camp
is my priority because-
- Okay.
I heard it ever since
I've been locked up.
They're like, oh yeah.
Fire camp this. Fire camp that.
I was like, they're all
like, oh, but it's hard.
I was like, I'm up
for the challenge.
I like proving people wrong.
It's what I like doing.
I like proving people wrong.
- Shit come on greens. Get down.
Down.
Up.
All right get up
and shake it out.
Shake it out.
Do what you gotta do.
Drink your water. Stretch.
- Oh. Oh.
- You all right man?
- Oh damn.
- That throw up situation.
Ooh. You okay?
Good job guys.
- Is it going to be
way worse with that?
- Okay.
- At fire camp.
- Some of them, yes.
Yeah.
- You okay brother?
- Yeah.
- Hiking is going to be
worse than this though.
- Very good job today.
I'm very proud of each
and every one of you
guys for not quitting.
- Ms. Pam you said
a little work out.
- Yeah. This was
a little work out.
- Nah. No way.
- You didn't think it
was a little work out?
- It was cool.
- Is this the easy stuff?
- It's cool.
- You memorize that just by
looking at the first letter.
- Yeah.
- Wow. I'm impressed.
That is crazy-
But you know, I'm
betting on going there.
I don't only want
to do good for me.
I also, like my mom's
my encouragement.
And I'm like if I could
get time knocked off
and while doing
something that I like.
That'd be like pretty cool.
- I'll see you next time okay.
Keep it up.
- And buckle your seat belt.
- All right.
- All right.
All right.
- Technique.
- Watch your step.
Okay.
Your going to go ahead
and walk in the office.
- Rules and regulations.
You know, I won't
go into every rule.
You know, some of the more
common rule infractions
on the dorm are like, you know
being out of bounds,
is kind of a big one.
Horseplay is another big one.
More serious like we
already mentioned.
Dirty drug test.
So substance use or
possessing contraband
like cell phones or
cell phone chargers.
Those things.
So being here at fire camp,
you guys are both employees.
So you'll be getting
a monthly paycheck.
You both owe restitution.
So half of that will
go towards restitution
and then you'll
keep the other half
until your restitution
is paid off.
And then you keep
all your money.
So when you get called to
an incident and fight a fire
you'd be eligible to earn a
couple extra time cuts
They can add up to an
initial eight days per month.
Which can, you know
overtime can add up to
a pretty significant amount.
Yup. All right.
Paperwork's done.
How are you feeling?
- I'm good.
- I'm good.
- Any of that confuse you?
- No.
- Little bit?
No. Okay, good.
- First thing you
probably noticed.
We don't have the fences.
We don't have the barbed wire.
We don't have the
security vans out here.
We don't have a whole
lot of staff here.
So this is a program
for guys that have shown
that they can maintain it.
They don't need that
kind of supervision
because if you did,
you couldn't be here.
Okay. So it's definitely,
it's a privileged program.
I'll show you the kitchen.
Want to see the kitchen?
You heard about the food?
- Yeah, I heard about the food.
- Yeah. What'd you
hear about the food?
- It's way better.
- Yeah?
- Yes, yes, yes.
Good timing.
- I'm Captain Respree.
What's your name?
- Alexander Bailon.
- Alexander Bailon.
Where are you from?
- San Jose, California.
- All right.
Okay. Captain Respree.
- Eric Major.
- Eric Major.
- Fresno, California.
- Fresno, California.
- That's right.
- Nice to meet you gentlemen.
- Nice to meet you too, sir.
- On behalf of Cal Fire,
thank you very much
for volunteering.
Coming out here.
- Thank you for very much.
- This is very hard work.
Very hard work.
But we can't meet the mission
of protecting Californians
from wildfire without
volunteers like you.
So thanks a lot.
- What clothes do we use?
- For parole, wear like a shirt
and button it all the way up.
Hey, how does that feel?
- Good.
- You sure?
You'd be able to work in
it and stuff like that.
Move around.
- Yeah.
- Okay.
- When I first got here.
I liked it because
I was more comfortable
being outdoors
and not having to be
in a cell all day.
I was sentenced as an adult
when I was 16 years old.
But because my earliest
possible release date was
before my 21st birthday.
I had a chance to stay in DJJ
but I had to work
at the fire camp.
So that's where I landed.
And thank God.
Lucky I was lucky enough
to go to DJJ fire camp.
At Pine Grove all
the staff like me.
All the captains like me.
That makes me feel
like I'm at home.
I got to transition back
to who my real family is
and where my real home is.
- Yep.
When we get out.
- What's our plans?
- Like college or whatnot?
Probably even end up doing
this when we get out.
- Yeah.
- Three? Four?
- Yeah, I think training crew.
- Some of the work is
too much for people
when they roll up out of here
like basically leave the camp.
- Yeah.
- Let them know man.
- It's the top chef right here.
- You know what I'm saying.
Act like you like it.
Act like you like it.
- I have to
say I've grown a lot.
Not only because I love to
firefight and work hard.
But it's helped me
become a better worker.
It's helped me become
a better person.
It's taught me a
lot of discipline.
It's been a long journey.
what's weird is a
couple months ago.
I talked to my grandpa and
he's a very strict person.
So when I first got arrested
he was kind of mad at me.
But after a while,
and he found out
how good I was doing at camp.
You know, started talking
to him more and more.
And you know, my
grandpa's getting older
and I really miss him.
There's a lot of
people that are waiting
for me to come home.
- I've done a lot of stupid
things during my life.
My first committing
offense was 15.
Possession of a stolen vehicle.
When I started
doing these things
I just started chasing the money
and I started getting that like
feeling like I'm my own man.
When I was still a child
still trying to grow up.
My mom was shocked
when the cops came in the house.
She just started
breaking down, crying.
And what'd you do?
What'd you do?
That hurt me a lot.
I just told her
I'm gonna be okay.
I'm gonna be okay.
I'm going to do good.
I'm going to run my program.
See what I can do to get out.
Don't worry about it.
I'll be out soon.
- Oh so frustrated bro.
- Oh, frustrated right now bro.
- You're frustrated?
- Mentally, spiritually
and emotionally bro.
Frustrated.
Like.
It's bad bro.
- Huh.
- Bro, no. I don't want
to pass with you bro.
- Why?
- I already passed bro.
This is like, I don't get it.
Cause she was on vacation.
But she told the other
captain it was all right.
So now she did some
backward stuff.
Now I'm back still
in training crew
and I'm supposed to be on the
actual fire crew right now.
- I don't know.
My name is Dominiq Porter.
I'm 20 years old.
My offense, a 245.
Shooting at a
occupied vehicle.
Criminal history.
I have two priors.
One for selling narcotics
on the school ground.
And one for
residential burglary.
I have three other siblings.
So it's four siblings in total.
Three of us are in jail.
Oldest brother got 18 years.
And the one that's
right under me, got 12.
I got seven.
My dad been in and
out of prison since
before I was born.
Three positive traits.
I'm hard working.
I'm a leader.
And I'm dedicated.
I came to Pine Grove
cause I feel like
this is an opportunity
to learn something.
I can take everything
I learned here
and apply it to my
life when I get out.
- Okay, go and have a seat.
So I'm Captain Hutchinson.
I'm almost 53 years old.
My offense.
I don't have one.
Criminal history.
None.
Do I have any kids?
Just you guys.
I know you're not kids
but just you guys.
No I don't have any kids.
So positive traits, I'm fair
firm and consistent.
Okay. I'm going to be
a hard on you guys.
But I'm gonna be hard
on you guys, for why?
Can you answer Mr. Porter?
Why do you think I'm going
to be hard on you guys?
- Cause she's not lowering
to our expectations.
She going to bring
us up to hers.
- Okay. The goal is to bring
you up and better you, right?
Cause I'm going to. I
believe in you guys.
And I want you to
believe in yourself
so that you guys can be
successful in this program.
Okay?
You guys actually came
in in a really good time.
When you guys leave
this training program
we're going to be pretty
much starting to go to fires
and you guys are gonna go
right out in the mix of it.
Okay? Any questions about that?
- No Cap.
- No Cap.
Small steps.
Come on.
Take smaller steps.
Keep going!
- Tool left-hand,
downhill side.
- We did this, Bailon.
- I feel like I'm going to
pass out.
Let's go guys!
- That's the easy part.
You heard it yesterday.
As soon as I say, hook it up.
Get hooked up.
Come on. Keep pushing.
So small steps to
get that airway open.
Upper body straight.
Push it out.
Solid finish.
You should get your gloves on.
I want you to pick up our tools
and we'll get these. We'll
get loaded back on the bus.
- Okay. So obviously by now
you guys know
something's going on.
Looks like our number
finally got called.
- We're going out?
All right.
You guys know I
don't talk over you.
Okay. Going direct
attack to the fire.
Fires 400 acres in a drainage.
There's very few resources
on it right now
because everything is
you guys probably know, are
tied up already down south.
Okay. They're desperate for
hand crews and we're it.
Okay.
Copy?
- Copy that.
- All right.
- It's in a drainage
so it's ugly.
Like fires in a drainage.
You got two mountains like
that and a fire most likely
has a chance of running up hill.
It's going to be crazy.
Hopefully, I'm hoping
for it to be crazy.
- Let's go!
- You feel more
appreciated
being out with Cal Fire.
Nobody's like, Hey, look at
those people that are in jail.
They're like, Hey look,
those firefighters, you know.
Seeing people, thank
you for your hard work.
Thank you for saving our
houses and our businesses.
When I get out, I do
want to be a firefighter.
I talked to my captain
all the time about it
and they're trying to help
me a lot with the, getting
into the fire service, whether
it's the U.S. forest service
or Cal Fire.
I'm a felon so, I
mean, I don't know
if I'll be able to
get that cleared or.
That's another thing
I'm going to work on
when I get out.
It's trying to expunge my record
or at least get my
felony dropped somehow.
- When I got
to crew, you know
I thought I was just going to
become like the second saw
or a puller or something.
Next thing I know my Captain
put me on as first man.
Well I think first man
represented a lot of leadership.
He knows everything about fires.
Helps supervise everybody while
you know, they're working.
My grandpa always taught me.
You can delegate your jobs
but you can't delegate
your responsibilities.
And to me, everything about
the crew is my responsibility.
- All right we're doing
a four foot scrape
from here to that tree.
Movin'
- Movin'
So cutting line is basically
a fuel break.
So the fire burns to your line,
hits the dirt and goes out.
You think of your family,
trying to get back to them.
It motivates you to push
harder and to keep safe.
So we can all go back
to where we came from.
You got to make that
wider back there.
Clean up that duff.
- And then your last McCloud
gotta clean up the berm.
- It really only
takes 10 seconds
and you can give your life away.
- I was ditching school a lot.
And I was hanging around
with the wrong people.
I didn't like going to school.
That was my number
one pet peeve.
I didn't like going there.
- I have strict parents.
- Single mother.
- I have a very
supportive family.
It was just the
decisions I was making.
- I was hiding a
lot from my mom.
And so like that would like
make her cry and stuff.
- Being part of the gang
it'd be like another family.
- I was lost.
I kind of felt like
everything was-
All the pressure was
on me to do things.
You know what I mean?
- I was like, yeah, I'm
gonna start going to school.
I'm gonna do better.
I'm gonna quit smoking,
quit doing drugs.
And then a week later.
On the same path.
- I wanted to be the
cool guy I guess.
- I always tell my mom that
I'll never get arrested.
- Dude it hurts.
Being away in jail, can't
explain it's like...
I feel like I'm
not a big brother
because a big brother's
supposed to be a role model.
- 16.
- I was 17 when I
committed my offense.
- I was incarcerated
when I was 13 years old.
- 16.
- I don't come
from a poor family.
- We barely made ends meet.
I hung out with a
lot of kids that come
from wealthy families and they
had everything they ever had.
Nike socks, dude.
They had chucks.
They had all the clothes.
All, everything I wanted.
So I started hanging
around with those kids
and come to find out
that their parents
were buying everything.
So I kind of fell into
learning how to rob people.
Go out on the weekend,
Friday night, you know
when people get paid
and see people coming
out of liquor stores
'cause liquor stores cash checks
and they turned the
corner in the dark alley.
You get hit upside the
head and money took.
And next thing you know
I got five cop cars
coming from this street
and I have nowhere to run.
With the gun in my hand.
Now that I look at it, dude.
What a disgusting
human being I was.
- I'll tell you that, you know
as knowing how hard people
work for their money.
How hard I worked
for my money now.
- People make mistakes.
I guess it's my fate.
- Bumping by, bumping by.
- Bumping by.
- Air tanker drop!
Air tanker drop.
- Twos to the left.
Twos to the left.
Okay. Clear.
Moving.
- Okay.
Step one foot in it
and then bring it around you.
Like a coat. Feet
to the heat, right?
Feet to the heat
and head to the red.
Why don't you come
here for a second.
Ah.
What's going on?
- Okay. Well they're
going to hurt.
Remember you signed up for
being a firefighter.
We'll be on our feet a lot.
Okay. But I'm kind of sensing
a little sense of urgency.
Like lack of sense of urgency.
Like you're just not really
caring right now. Okay.
That thing right there is
going to save your life
in a burn over.
Okay. Which means you
need to be moving.
And moving now.
Okay.
That fire turns on us.
It's coming at us.
Ready?
Okay.
Go.
Two points of contact.
Okay, come on up.
I'm in LA county.
He's from the bay.
- Different cultures.
- Different culture,
different teaching.
Everything.
- Different language.
- Yup.
- You know I haven't
had a peach since
I've been locked up
until I got here.
- A who?
- Peach.
- I don't like peaches.
- I like them.
- I like plums though.
- Plums.
- Uh.
- I like peeled grapes.
- What?
- Peeled grapes.
You never peeled a
grape and ate it?
- No.
I'd just eat the grape.
- You haven't lived life then.
- No, you're just fat.
- I'm fast.
- We're going to do some
hand line construction
and pretty much this is
our bread and butter.
This is what we do.
This is what we're paid for.
Okay. Remember we go
places that what can't-
- Nobody.
- No go.
Nobody else can go, right.
Especially like the dozers.
So we're going to
go four foot scrape.
Okay. You're going to set the?
- Line.
- The line.
Okay. So you're going to
come into the edge, right.
And what you're going to do
is you're going to take
the first foot.
And it needs to be down to?
Bare mineral dirt.
- So third person coming in
overlap the second guy.
The second foot.
Hm. What?
- Nothing.
- What do you think?
- I'm ready to do it.
- Pretty intelligent, huh?
Everybody gets
their piece of line.
Does their part.
How you're doing this.
You're doing this
and you're actually
kind of making your work
a little bit harder.
Get in there with the tool.
Put some pressure on it.
And it's great.
Okay.
You're letting it get
right here right now.
Yeah. It's getting in
your head right now.
I can see it.
I can hear it.
Don't let it get in your head.
Okay.
You signed up for this, right?
You volunteered for it.
Right?
Okay. So did I.
That's why I'm here.
Let's just say we volunteered
for this together.
Right?
Okay. Don't let it
get in your head.
We're going to be out
there on that fire line.
And we're going to do
thousands of feet of this.
Thousands and thousands of feet.
Okay. This is our job.
This is what we do.
Hey, don't pet it.
It's not a puppy
Get that tool in and use it.
When you look back at
the work that gets done.
It's impressive.
The work that they can do.
One of the cool things
about these guys
versus the adults.
Is as long as there's work to do
they typically will keep going.
I mean, that's
what I have found.
And they get that recognition
when we're out there.
We want the Pine
Grove crews out there
because these guys
will work until
they can't anymore.
The big key of it is
them working together.
- Okay. Division, Romeo, Whiskey
things are looking real good.
There's still some showing up.
Heat showing up on the IR.
- All right.
- There you go.
That's a lot of fire.
- Get it locked and
scattered way out there.
Firing 75 Golf, Go ahead.
- To go make a berm.
- Yea?
- We got to throw
everything back that way.
But not. Don't make piles.
Make a long wood row.
So when we light
this off. It takes.
- Going up.
- All this.
Going this way, yeah.
- It's not about being
physically prepared.
To do it. It's a lot of mental.
- This patch.
- All right.
- With Cal Fire they-
Things changed within seconds.
You just gotta be prepared
to adapt, to change.
- Yep. Like right now.
Hey!
Pull back!
Pull back now!
- Pull back!
- The fire that's
down below us though.
Looks very innocent
a mere 20 minutes ago
is now blown up.
And this area is going
to become untenable.
So.
We need to leave
right now.
We'll be in good shape.
They're kicking everybody out.
- I'm about to go
home and it feels like
it feels like I'm a young kid
at home and who's getting
kicked out by his parents.
I just can't stop.
There's something
that's telling me.
I can't stop.
I got to go home.
I got to get into an EMT class.
I got to go through academy
and I got to work for Cal Fire.
I can't stop.
There's nothing that's
going to stop me
when I get out.
- Come through.
- That's it.
Thank you sir.
Gentleman. At this
time, you need to be
behind the red line.
- Please?
- Thank you sir.
Thank you sir.
- No problem.
- Have a good day.
- You too.
- How you doing today?
- All right Cap
have a good day.
- See you guys later.
- Bye Cap.
- Here. We just went
to a bullshit fire roll today.
- If you could do
it over here, bro
Where I'm at, you
can do it easily.
I don't even put 'em out
now I be just chilling.
- Right here.
- I don't want to be-
- So how much do
y'all get paid a week?
- Every two weeks,
you get $3000.
- $3000!
Hell yes.
That's living.
- It's not like you get
paid different for it.
You get paid the same.
Whether you want to saw.
- Everybody gets paid the same?
- Everybody get paid the same.
They ain't no like,
Oh well I'm gonna saw, I
get fuckin' 3 more dollars.
No.
- And I got experience too.
- Correct.
- I'm a registered gang member.
- Yeah?
- Yeah.
- I'm good then.
- It don't matter.
They don't, they don't stop you
from fighting fire for no gang.
- Yeah. My name is
Antoinio Wellington.
I work for the U.S.
Forest Service.
I'm going on my second season
with the U.S. Forest Service.
I was incarcerated in
Pine Grove for two years
from 2015 to 2017.
I was the first man on crew two.
When I got outta here,
I was just chilling
working a couple of jobs.
And then I met a guy
who helped me apply
for a job with the
U.S. Forest Service.
And I waited for about
a year and they told me
that I needed to
report in 17 days
to the U.S. Forest Service.
So if any of you guys are
looking to get a career
or like establish yourselves
when you get out of here.
The work that you guys
are doing inside of here
could really factor
to when you get out.
And it's so simple
to get a job working
on an actual hand crew
and they don't care about
none of us being on parole.
They don't care about the
past life that we lived.
They don't care
about none of that.
All they want is for
you guys to come out
and show that you guys
got some work ethic.
Come out there and do what
you already know what to do.
Is any of you guys in here
interested in getting into fire?
Okay.
We've got some ones.
Okay. That's good.
Listen to everything your
captain is telling you
even though you might
not feel it's right.
I done been through
everything that y'all going
through in here with
the captains and feeling
like you're slaves and feeling
like y'all being overworked
because y'all ain't
making enough money.
I done been there but
I'm here to tell you
that it don't matter how
hard they work you right now.
When you get out and
you go to get a job.
You're already going
to be prepared.
Cause you can already work
under the worst conditions.
Sleeping outside.
Bugs crawling on you.
It wasn't easy.
But you know what I mean?
I made it. I'm here right now.
I'm here talking to y'all.
I care about every one of y'all.
I did sat in these hard backs.
I done watched this TV and
I'm played on that yard.
I'm just letting you know,
I'm living proof that
you could be successful
and do something
with yourselves.
Love comes from me being
in the same position
that they were, that
they're in right now.
I understand it. I can feel some
of their emotions
still to this day
of what they're going through.
The stress, the
anxiety, the fear.
The not knowing what
to do with their lives.
So the website is
usajobs.gov.
Get a print out.
- Thank you.
- You can call me.
I'll teach you how
to do all that.
- All right. Thank you.
- Sanders.
Four Ben and Jerry's.
- Yeah.
- There's only one of them left.
- All right. Yeah.
- Two blue, blue Doritos.
And, the rest of
them. Hot Cheetos.
Toilet paper, price $1.75.
Socks. $1.75.
The T-shirt, $5.40.
That other T-shirt is $7.
The sweats $20 and
the boxers $5 each.
And the shorts is $16.
Yeah.
- Dude, that was crazy though.
- Yeah, basically you just
you just putting
noodles together
with chips, rice,
anything that is
hot food wise
and you just mix it up.
But right now, today we're
going to make a burrito.
- Hell yeah. I'm
ready for this bite.
- Taste them. I
made it with love.
Aight!
Like a chipotle burrito.
- Ohh. Yeah.
- When I think of home,
I think of security.
Love.
A life that I want
to go back to.
- Hey.
- Com es stas?
- I'm good.
- Am buenos. Mole.
Eat up.
Ke caliento?
- People change.
- I'll probably see
you next Sunday.
- Some people take
longer than others.
- Probably.
- I mean do I want to change.
It's for the better.
Yeah.
Watch out this part right there.
- What are you doing man?
Slow down a little bit.
- He's dead.
- Okay.
Let's redo this.
- Oh yeah.
- Why?
- You killed him.
- Because I'm gonna
ask you to redo it.
- Ain't nothing wrong with it.
I did it right the first time.
- No you didn't.
- All right.
Anyway. Are you all right?
You all right?
- Okay.
- Did it right the
first time, bro.
- Are you okay?
- It's not hard.
- Got to lock your fingers.
- I got everything.
- I mean, he got an attitude.
He's like, I know how to do it.
And when I moved on
to the next person
and he was just like
I know how to do this.
I was a lifeguard.
You know, and he's kind
of got this total chip
on his shoulder.
And he's still mad about it.
He's being disruptive.
- What do you want to do?
Well I'm gonna have to
run it through the boss.
But-
- Because if that's the case,
he needs to just be rolled out
and he needs to go back
to the institution.
- Yeah. I mean, that
was uncalled for.
Because I'm not going
to reward somebody
even if they pass everything.
If they're going to get on
there and have a bad attitude.
And that's a concern for me.
Putting them on, out on a bus.
- Status.
8 Units. 14 engines. 8 crews.
- Maybe, I'll
get out in front.
- Right now?
Aqua.
- Water the night
before you hike, bro.
Hella that shit, bro.
- This ain't nothing, bro.
- You drink hella water.
You're going to be good.
- Drank five liters yesterday.
- I don't even
feel the humidity.
I just feel regular.
- I think this is
actually the one.
Hey 4489.
- Swinging.
Swinging.
- There
you go. Make sure that
that hand comes all the way
down to the other one.
- Swinging.
- Swinging.
Try to build a little bit
of, little bit of bend
in that right elbow.
- Swinging.
- There you go.
- Swinging.
- Leftmeyer.
- You don't want it
to be like gapped.
- Probation.
want to talk to me.
- That's odd.
- Yeah it is, but.
You'll see.
- You guys doing cutting now?
- Swinging.
Did you copy that
training crew is returning?
- Copy.
Moving.
- Moving.
- Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate.
No stress.
- I'm about to eat one tonight.
- Here it is.
No more bus.
- Hey!
- Hey!
- Chuy!
- Hey!
- Ready to
check this shit in?
Or stuff.
And that's, that's everything.
- Somewhere where you're wanted
and comforted by people.
Somewhere where you could go and
and somebody, no matter
what, somebody will
always welcome you.
That's home to me.
And it's weird
because I've been at
Pine Grove for so long
that sometimes I feel
like that's my home
because I don't
I don't remember where
home is on the outs.
- Yeah.
- We're good.
We're good.
- Good memories.
Never thought this
day would come.
Then here it is.
Kind of feels like
like for the last four years
I've tried to prepare
myself for it.
But, when it's here. Like
now that it's finally here
it feels like I'm so unprepared.
It's not even funny.
- How are you unprepared though?
You got everything
you could imagine.
You got a little bit of
money, starts you off.
You got a house over your head
and you got a better start
than probably a lot of more
people that's out there.
And you just got to realize
what's in front of you.
- It's only, what's
different though is.
Like, when you get out there.
It's like, I don't know
if there's anything
to look forward to.
Like here. Being
here after so long,
it's like, you have one
thing to look forward to.
And that's going home.
When you get out there.
So what's there to
look forward to?
A job. And then after what?
That is what? Vacation?
And then retirement?
I don't know.
It's a lot better though.
It's whatever.
- Money.
- Money.
- Way more money.
- Money.
- It's hard out there.
We got to realize, you know
no matter how good we got
it in here, no matter how
how "safe" it is in here.
We still got to go
back out there one day.
You got to remember about your
decision-making, you know?
And you gotta, you
gotta, you know,
make good decisions.
Don't get in the car.
If somebody has a gun.
You just gotta, you gotta
you gotta separate yourself
from the bad people
and surround yourself
around positive people.
- Nah, I just.
I got a problem with that.
Like I can't leave
everybody behind.
Like people you
came up with is is.
- Oh yeah, it ain't-
- And there's certain
times, like he said
don't get in the car
with somebody got a gun.
At the same time, sometimes.
Sometimes that's necessary.
And I don't, it's just hard
to say no, just say no.
Waking up on that day.
Just like, damn.
I made it to see 19.
And it's crazy.
Like, you know.
I can't believe like
I'm at where I'm at.
But glad I'm at where I'm at.
I'm still seeing
myself, three years ago.
Out there doing
what I was doing.
And then now adapting to.
All right now I'm getting
out every morning for a job.
Now I'm doing this.
Now I'm working.
Now I got to get in this.
Understanding now.
Life, was all going however
fast you want to go.
- It started with one school
and working outside of Stockton.
And then once I
have enough money.
Just get out of there.
That's what, that's
what I'm going to do.
And being able to-
- That's the scary part.
Cause you don't know,
what's waiting for you.
Who waiting for you?
What people remember
you? Who don't?
- All
right, breakfast in 20 minutes.
20 minutes 'til breakfast.
- Just go home, bro.
- Just take my boots.
All right bros, I'm gone
Oh I'm no good at
saying bye to people.
- Get out of here.
- Don't stay up.
All right. And I'll
see yous out there.
I'm free!
I'm ready to kick
it to the curb.
It's been too long.
You know I think
it's time for me
to start a new
chapter in my life.
- Yeah.
- You got his stuff?
- You got that letter. You
got my information, bro.
Hit me, ASAP.
- It'll be cool, bro.
You good, bro.
Stop trippin'.
Just do your time.
Keep working with Drummond.
And you'll be good, bro.
It'll be good.
My business card.
Yep. That's her.
That's my mum right there.
- What's up strangers?
- Hi there.
- Hello.
- Hi baby.
Oh my goodness.
- There you go.
- Oh man.
- All right buddy.
You take it easy.
- Yep.
- Call me. Let me know
if you need anything.
- Be good.
- Ready?
- Yeah.
- All right.
- Thank you guys.
- Chuy! My boy!
- All right, bro.
- Bailon.
- 95412.
- Sherman.
- 95172.
- Jones.
- 95337.
- 94738.
- Moving.
Straight line.
- Movin'
- Okay. You guys, do
your time test hike.
And your time will
stop when you hit
when you touch the bus.
When you come in.
Right. And I'm
confident that every one
of you guys can do this.
Okay.
Make sure you guys are using
proper breathing technique.
Any questions?
- No, Cap.
- Are we ready?
- Yes, Cap.
- It's just a hike.
Okay. It's just a hike.
- Ready Cap?
- Yep.
- All right. Moving.
- Moving.
- Moving.
- Moving.
- Tool left-hand, downhill side.
- Tool left-hand, downhill side.
- Keep that spacing again.
Don't stop.
Smaller steps.
- Don't stop.
- Come on. Don't stop.
Pushing, you can do it.
- Well, at first I
think about the pain.
I'll be like oh damn,
like this hurts.
Then again like,
oh I get that voice
in the back of my head.
Pains temporary.
You keep going, just keep going.
My mom always asked me.
Don't you know how like,
how bad you impacted them?
She just tries to
get in my head.
Well, I brought a lot of
pain to different people.
They lost their money.
They lost their car.
They couldn't get to their
job, to get their money.
I was like, what if
that like happened to me
and one of my family members.
Would I like that?
No, I wouldn't like that.
That's when I
started realizing, oh
this is not what I
want to do in my life.
- Hey! Steady pace.
Steady pace.
In your nose, out your
mouth. Stay upright.
Just keep stepping.
- Bumping by.
- Remember to keep that
upper body straight.
- I can't go right now.
- Don't give up.
- We're almost finished!
Don't give up!
- Push
it out. Attaboy.
Push it out.
Solid finish.
Solid finish.
Hurry up!
Burn it out guys!
- Have a seat for a few minutes.
Get cooled off.
-- - 17.
- Good job boys.
-- - 38.
-- - 29.
- And- - 37.
- Hey!
- Winner, winner,
chicken dinner.
- I'm putting it on.
- It's all right.
You're going to be
all right, all right.
It's okay that
you're going here.
It's going to be all right.
- Mr. Bailon.
Congratulations on
passing training crew.
You're going to
be on crew three.
Your green shirts and your hat.
And then I also need you
guys orange shirts back.
Okay?
So everyone turn your
orange shirts into me.
Put a green shirt on.
You guys are officially on crew.
- Whoo!
- What's up man!
What's up.
- He's coming in here.
Oh, here.
- Hey.
- What's up, Grandpa?
You big ol' sucker.
- How you doing?
- Good, good. How are you doing?
- I'm good.
- How do you feel?
- It's unbelievable.
- I know.
- It feels good.
- That's good.
- How are you doing?
I'm good. I'm good.
You're going to make it.
- Hi, my button!
How are you doing?
- I'm doing good.
- That's good.
- This house is so small.
- You're so big.
- Oh my God.
- Man, you got big.
- He's taller
than you grandpa.
- Yeah, he is.
Huh?
- Yeah. He's born
bigger than grandpa.
That's all.
Look at you.
He's grown up.
- So how you feel?
- Just happy to be home.
- Here.
You'll be all right.
- I got plans.
I got plans.
I plan on being fire captain.
That's my goal right there.
I want to go back and
go back to the camp
as a fire captain
and really help out
as much as possible.
- That's good.
- All right, go get the
lawnmower.
Let's go.
Well maybe we'll
do some yard work.
- Let's line it up. Let's go.
Line 'em up.
Let's go.
- All right now.
Ok. 3 and 4. Fire roll!
- Line up.
Come on now.
Get your gear. Ready to go.
- Let's go, baby!
- Fire roll.
- Another day.
- Baby I
just don't get it.
Do you enjoy, being hurt.
I know you smell the perfume.
The makeup on his shirt.
But you don't
believe in stories.
And know that they're all lies.
As bad as you are,
to stick around.
And that's why I don't know why
If I was your man, baby you
I'll be by your
side, what he'd do
I'll be running
home back to you.
Every night, doing you right.
- I can ensure
my possibility of
getting out next year
if I just keep doing what
I gotta do to get out.
Run my program
and work every day.
Fight fires.
It made me feel good.
I mean, it made me feel like
not necessarily that
I saved somebody.
But that I helped a person out.
- You can ask everybody I know.
What do I love?
Chainsaws and fire.
That's it.
Like dude, I will
never grow out of that.
I think I will never
grow out of it.
I'm a firefighter at heart.
The way I see it, the fire helps
all the bad go away.
So the new can regrow.
It's a bad thing,
but it's beautiful.
- Movin'!
- Movin'!
- Got it.