An Inmate Firefighter Finds His Proudest Moment
August 24, 2012
Severe drought has parched huge swaths of the United States this year, the first time since the mid 1950s that drought has affected so much of the nation.
With so much scorched land, the center of the country could be described as a tinderbox; in recent months, severe wildfires have raged across several states. And in at least 10 Western states, including Wyoming, many fires are fought by teams of prison inmates.
The pay rate for the work varies by state; in Wyoming, inmates are paid $1.50 per hour initially, and may be paid as much as $4 per hour, depending on how many fires they fight.
Daniel Ross, 40, works with one of those teams. He's a former crystal-meth addict, currently serving a 17- to 50-year sentence for aggravated assault against a Wyoming police officer.
Last year was Ross' first experience with firefighting. "That first night, we were just dripping sweat," Ross recalls. "Can't see nothing. Coughing. Eyes are all watering. And these trees just exploding in front of me. I was horrified."
Ross says fighting fires is one of the hardest things he's ever done — but that the risks are well worth it.
"When we go on the fires, people treat you different," says Ross. "Even if they do know you're an inmate, alls they see is a hard-working person that's helping them. And it feels great."
His work on the team has had a deep emotional impact on Ross. He recalls another time, when his crew was dispatched to help the southern Wyoming town of Saratoga.
"At the end of our stay, townspeople wanted to donate us a prime rib dinner," he says.
"Now, we don't get prime rib very much here in prison. And I'd noticed that these people that were waiting on us, in this really fancy, beautiful restaurant, were in plain-Jane clothes."
Before the team was served their main course, Ross says, "the owners came up, and they said, 'I want to introduce you guys to the people that volunteered to help wait on you tonight.'
"And all these townspeople got up and gave their testimonies. And they said that we helped save their lives, you know. And I was just overwhelmed to see it in their eyes and to hear it in their voices.
"It was so moving that I had to get up and go compose myself," Ross says. "That was my proudest moment, hands down."
comments
John House (jjjjooohhn) wrote:
No one's worth is based on the worst thing that person has done. I hope law enforcement and corrections officials are considering the reformative and redemptive power of respect. I wish Daniel Ross a full, rewarding, and reformed life.
Dave Baldwin (DaveB_Jax) wrote:
@Red - I suspect Mr. Ross only needed help with his addiction, and perhaps some other social services, in the first place.
Red Beard (semolina) wrote:
Those townspeople did more to "rehabilitate" Mr. Ross in half an hour than 50 years in prison could ever hope to
john tod (johntod) wrote:
What a
great story! I would like to read more stories like this one, stories that show
the good in people.
All people have good in them. Some good people have a day that turns tragically
bad and it stays with them for many years or decades, that is a shame, but that
is in deed, life as we no it.
Lemmings All (IgnoranceIsBliss) wrote:
Thanks Daniel. 17 years for assaulting an officer sure is heavy handed. Sounds like you're trying to get on with life inspite of such a heavy handed sentence. Wow. Oh, you say it happened in Wyoming? Oh, now I understand. Wyoming rates up there with the rest of our red neck states -Lousiana, Alabama, Texas, Oklahoma, and Missisippi. They are also the most evangelical christian - if you can call evangelicals representative of christianity. Unfortunately they don't get the forgiveness part unless it happens to their own kind.
Claudia Harrison (claudzilla5) wrote:
Carol C asked a good question - how was this guy identified and how did he get to share his story? Morning Edition, can you tell us how it went down?
Peter Rabbit (peterabbit) wrote:
Great
story about a human being caught in a for-profit "justice" system.
Hopefully we can hear more about them, and all of us taxpayers and citizens as
victims of a politicians' medieval sense of science, and fairness in revenge.
I just find it brutal and patently obnoxious that our so-called "justice
system" would condemn a person to spend the rest of their life in prison
for drugs and one assault.
Ever heard of rehabilitation? I guess not, and retribution is all your tiny
little blackened heart can imagine.
We are a sad bunch. Why?
Clearly there are people and corporations profiting heavily from the taxpayer's
potential payment for 50years of incarceration for someone who did not kill
anyone and was in an altered mental state at the time.
Doris Sudduth (DorisS) wrote:
This story is very inspiring; thank you for sharing it.
Kevin Mystery (KevinKJT) wrote:
Serving up to 50 years for drugs and assaulting a police officer. Meanwhile, back in Norway, a guy is sentenced to 21 years for killing 77 people. In America, 1 out of every 100 people is incarcerated. OURS is the FREE country. I am glad that these fires gave the town an opportunity to realize that these are human beings in prison and the opportunity for the prisoners to know what it feels like to help.
NORWAY:
The five-judge panel in the Oslo district court unanimously convicted Breivik,
33, of terrorism and premeditated murder and ordered him imprisoned for a
period between 10 and 21 years, the maximum allowed under Norwegian law. Such
sentences can be extended as long as an inmate is considered too dangerous to
be released, and legal experts say Breivik will almost certainly spend the rest
of his life in prison.
Robert Weeks (GuyFromSeattle) wrote:
Well, Daniel, I had to compose myself before walking into the office. Thanks for giving back and for sharing this story. Bob.
http://www.npr.org/2012/08/24/159932788/an-inmate-firefighter-finds-his-proudest-moment