Eh, yeah sometimes but often they're working on critical firebreaks. That shit is backbreaking, climb out onto a hillside and dig a fucking trench kinda shit. They're not spraying garden hoses on McMansions.
source: i know some folks
I don’t think they were? The original point was that it was wrong to make slaves fight fires, especially in order to protect the wealthy. It wasn’t shitting on the slaves for being lazy.
No they're being directed by the same firefighters who bulldozed a bunch of BMWs to clear a path for the trucks
They take this shit seriously and even if the law doesn't respect these prisoners the firefighters know better than to waste limited labor on stupid bullshit
The first firefighting services were manned entirely by slaves.
Putting aside the carceral state and how many shouldn't be in prison in the first place.
They should be paid the same as other firefighters (or at least minimum wage) and slot into a job immediately on release.
Like that's how to build the firefighting levels that are going to be needed in the future.
It's like how volunteer levels here in Australia are dropping every year, but the government won't entertain paying even though the seasons are longer, more unpredictable and dangerous.
Well, I'm sure they'll be able to translate that experience into legitimate, decent paying fire fighting jobs once their incarceration ends.....
That's actually real. Firefighters are actually like that. There is a reason the dalmatian was their mascot. They didn't pick a smart dog they picked an energetic one. Dunno about conscript firefighters but the professionals almost always love getting into it.
A prisoner who puts his/her life on the line like this should have their sentences reduced, and also need to have that in consideration when released so they suffer less discrimination.
Worth noting every fireman is paid less because this keeps wages low. So while it is theoretically cool prisoners get to have a cool adventure doing a rad job this actually sucks ass for everyone
I'll make no defense of slavery.
