Royal Ramey

Public servant, Social entrepreneur

Royal Ramey is a seasoned professional with a robust background in firefighting and re-entry support for formerly incarcerated individuals. Serving as the Chief Program Officer of The Forestry and Fire Recruitment Program (FFRP), Royal, alongside partner Brandon Smith, has played a pivotal role in training and guiding over 3,000 currently and previously incarcerated individuals towards successful careers. Drawing from personal experiences post-incarceration, Royal is dedicated to dismantling barriers to entry in the firefighting sector, particularly for marginalized communities. With extensive experience as a wildland firefighter with the US Forest Service and CAL FIRE, Royal brings a unique perspective to the field, complemented by firefighting certifications and an Associate of Science in Fire Technology. Royal's mission is to reshape societal perceptions of individuals with records, emphasizing the potential for a brighter future through meaningful careers in critical sectors like wildland firefighting and forestry, essential in addressing the escalating climate crisis.

helping the thousands of individuals that are incarcerated in California’s fire camps and prisons, as well as other justice-impacted, BIPOC, or other underrepresented individuals pursue a meaningful wildland firefighting or forestry career that is life-changing for their families and communities. Along with my co-Founder, Brandon Smith, we established the Forestry & Fire Recruitment Program as a 501 c(3) nonprofit organization in 2018 to support this work. Our community-based Career Training Program has now graduated more than 200 individuals. They are working on the fire lines, engaging in fuels management or urban forestry activities, and making a difference in their communities. We are pleased to build on this experience as a training partner for LACTC, and we look forward to working with the young men and women who will be part of this program. At a time when the severity and frequency of wildfires in our communities is at an all time high, we need these firefighters out in the workforce and we know what a positive impact this experience will be for them and their communities.

helping people understand the world is on fire, and we all can do something about it. Climate change is causing the severity and frequency of wildfires to grow throughout California and the world. At the same time, we have a growing demand for more forestry and wildfire personnel willing to take on these physically demanding careers that often take you away from your communities and families for two weeks or more at a time. There are thousands of people who are incarcerated in California's fire camps, and even more who are in California’s prisons or otherwise justice-impacted that are ready and willing to take on a challenging and life-changing wildland firefighting or forestry career…if only more employers and people in our community would give them that opportunity. This is where the organization that I co-founded comes in. The Forestry & Fire Recruitment Program (FFRP) provides a community-based career training program that helps plant the seed for people while they are incarcerated that these meaningful careers with family-sustaining wages are something they can access upon release. And when they come home, we meet them where they’re at - providing case management support and direct assistance in navigating the job application and interview process. We also offer a paid community-based training program in Southern California and the Bay Area that is led by staff who have lived experience as wildland firefighters who have been formerly incarcerated - people who personally understand the experience of the very people we serve. Our staff serve as role models and mentors for our trainees, providing them with the skills, knowledge, and access to training and certifications that they know will be needed to get them started with their forestry or wildland fire career. I know this works because I was one of the thousands of people who was incarcerated in Fire Camp. I never imagined being a wildland firefighter or even a public servant for that matter. But the physical demands of the work, the sense of being part of a crew that was making a difference in my community and the people waving “Thank You, Firefighters” signs when we were coming home from a hard day’s work on the fire line - that changed everything for me. After I was released from Bautista Fire Camp in August 2014, I knew that firefighting is what I wanted to with my life. But the pathway to fire service was much harder than I expected because of my record. With the support of my family, friends, and case managers, I took every training opportunity and made every effort to show that I had been rehabilitated. Eventually, I had an opportunity to become a forestry technician with the US Forest Service in 2015 and Firefighter 1 with CAL FIRE in 2018. During this time, my co-founder and I started working with others who wanted to follow our footsteps and also pursue a pathway to fire service. We founded the Forestry & Fire Recruitment Program in 2018 as a 501c3 nonprofit and brought on more people to support our work, and have now served more than 200 people through our Career Training Program. In 2022, I received a pardon from Governor Gavin Newsom. There is still a lot more to do to close the workforce gap and engage more individuals who were formerly incarcerated or justice-impacted in this work. FFRP is hoping to plant the seed earlier with young people in Alternative Education programs in San Bernardino and earlier this year, we started our first-ever residential program for young adults ages 18-26 in partnership with LA County’s Justice Care & Opportunities Department (JCOD). We know that not everyone is going to be ready to commit to the physical requirements, lifestyle, and para-militaristic culture of the fire service - but for those who are ready, we know that getting them onto a forestry or wildland fire career pathway can be life-changing and help all of our communities have the workforce we need to help reduce the risk of wildfire around us. We need to put an end to defining people by their past choices and invite them in.

Career Mentorship, Climate Action, Criminal Justice Reform, Environmental Justice, Job Skills Training, Nonprofit Leadership, Program Development, Second Chance Hiring, Underrepresented communities, Vegetation Management, Wildland Firefighting, Workforce Development

Bowling. I love that when I am bowling, it’s just you and the pins. Depending on the bowling alley, there are different conditions that require you to adjust your strategy. It’s a time to just relax and have fun. Also, I love the fact that all different ages and types of people can participate bowling which makes it an exclusive experience.