Offenders Find Something Positive with McNeil Island Fire department

July 18 , 2008

 

When Greg Miller took over as Fire Chief seven years ago at McNeil Island Corrections Center he inherited a rough-looking bunch.

“They had hair past their shoulders, frayed pants, worn-out shoes,” said Miller, who had been a firefighter in Yelm. “I wanted to instill a sense of professionalism.”

Besides looking sharper with pressed uniforms and clean haircuts, McNeil Island firefighters have earned a reputation for being positive influences in the prison. Members can’t have recently commited a major infraction or have a sentence for a violent or sex crime. They are rewarded with additional freedoms and responsibilities including leaving the island to fight fires.

The department has responded to between 700 and 1,000 calls since 2006, ranging from structural fires, first aid, hazardous materials, car accidents, wildlife and more.

Offenders say that the trust they are given motivates them to carry themselves to a higher standard.

“Other corrections officers around the prison know that we belong to the crew and if we step out of line the captains are going to know about it. We’ve got to remember that we may be responsible for someone’s life someday,” offender Dion Coleman said.

Miller says he trusts these firefighters as much as he did any crew he worked with outside the prison.

“I trust the crew with my life,” Miller said. “I have to know that every one of them is going to pull me out of a fire if that situation arises.”

Miller manages a crew of 10 offenders who say that they’ve found something positive in a bad place. Offender Scott Oswald says he specifically came from Stafford Creek Corrections Center so that he could get a chance to be a part of the crew.

“It’s very physically demanding, and we train for the most extreme conditions. There are some guys who try out and can’t even pass the physical exam,” Oswald said. “I don’t want someone fighting fires next to me who’s going to quit on me right in the middle of a blaze.”

Serving on McNeil Island’s Fire Department might only pay 43 cents an hour, an even higher hourly wage than inmates who work in other facilities, but the offenders say that they’re getting a lot more out of serving than just being paid better than most other offenders in the prison.

“We all come from different environments, we all have different motivations and sometimes we have differences but we have to learn to work them out and trust each other,” Coleman said. “You have to be able to trust that the guy next to you is going to pull you out of a sticky situation. That is what builds camaraderie and brotherhood.”

They’ve also learned the art and science involved with fighting fires. They can now spot Hollywood myths.

“In the movies, firefighters can always see everything around them, and they can talk to each other just like they were walking down a hall,” offender Terry Munsell said. “But in a real fire, you can’t see anything and you can’t hear anything.”

And being a firefighter doesn’t mean being a cowboy, either.

“You don’t just go in gung-ho, kicking in doors, seeing how much you can destroy, Munsell said with a laugh. “Before you kick a door down, see if it’s unlocked.”

Offender Todd Carlson says that even if his experience at McNeil Island doesn’t lead to a firefighting career after he’s released he doesn’t see it as a waste at all.

“What’s the worst that could happen? I save somebody’s life?” Carlson said. “What’s so bad about that?”

The offenders also receive training that isn’t offered to other offenders at McNeil Island. Some of the 19 required training courses for the department include basic first aid, CPR, hazardous materials operations, building construction, ropes and knots training, and firefighter orientation and safety.

“This is such a privilege for us” Carlson said. “It’s a good learning experience and we learn real world skills through this program. I mean, there are all the firefighting skills and then there are the general life skills we get from working here.”

Offenders on the crew are satisfied knowing that they are starting over with something positive before they even leave the facility.

“My family was disappointed when I went to prison, but they like this,” Oswald said. “My daughter tells people that her daddy is a firefighter now, not just a prisoner.”

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