The Brief

A Los Angeles County program that trains formerly incarcerated people for firefighting careers recently launched its first all-female cohort.

Seventeen women are participating in the job training program, which will certify them to work in fire service jobs while providing on-site room and board, as well as support services.

The group held an open house Monday at the Los Angeles County Training Center in Calabasas, where these cadets will live and train for the next eight months.

Laquisha Johnson, who began her training last month, said she’s grateful for the camaraderie.

“It is a male-dominated field, so it's good that it is an all-female cohort because then there's other women who are like-minded,” she told LAist.

County leaders praised the women for taking on a dangerous role.

“These 17 trailblazing Angelenos are not only breaking barriers — they’re setting a new standard for what leadership, grit and public service look like,” L.A. County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath said in a statement.

Incarcerated women from Malibu's Conservation Camp No. 13 were invited to celebrate the launch of an all-female cohort of the county's firefighter training program.

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David Franco

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Los Angeles County

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What is the firefighter training program?

L.A County launched the program last year with two goals in mind: to bolster the county’s fire defenses and to give formerly incarcerated people with firefighting experience more opportunity to work in fire departments.

People held in state prison have been part of California’s firefighting force for more than a century. Over 1,800 incarcerated firefighters currently live in minimum-security conservation camps known as “fire camps” across California, according to the state Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.

Members of those fire camps help fight wildland fires by clearing brush and cutting fire lines.

“Historically, it's not unusual for individuals to be incarcerated and to essentially fight fires, but there weren't many paths for them to careers after that,” said Songhai Armstead, director of the county’s Justice Care and Opportunities Department.

The training program allows people who have been incarcerated to take their firefighting careers to the next level, county officials said, training and certifying them to fight wildland fires, battle structure fires and perform emergency medical care.

The county helps those who complete the training apply for full-time jobs.

About a dozen cadets graduated from its inaugural, all-male cohort last fall, about half of those who began the training program. All but a few of those graduates are now working for Cal Fire, Armstead said.

The department transformed Camp David Gonzalez, a former juvenile detention facility in Calabasas, into a residential firefighter training center.

Four members of L.A. County's Justice Care and Opportunities Department's first all-female firefighter training cohort.

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David Franco

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Los Angeles County

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Who are the cadets?

The cohort of 17 cadets moved into the training site in March. Most fought fires in fire camps while in custody as adults or juveniles.

In addition to formerly incarcerated people, the program also prioritizes applicants who left foster care or the military. Applicants must be over 18, have no convictions for sex crimes or arson, and pass a physical test and drug test.

Johnson, who said she's in her early 30s, worked as a firefighter more than an decade ago when she was incarcerated as a young adult.

For more than two years, she worked alongside nine other incarcerated women at a fire station in Madera County. More recently, she’s volunteered for Sister Warriors, doing policy advocacy work for incarcerated firefighters.

“I would love to train with men, but I think it's only 9% women actually in the fire service,” said Johnson. “So to have a program like this, we get to show like, ‘Hey, we're interested too, and we want to be a part of it.”

Johnson said her goal is to work on an L.A. County fire engine crew.

Elizabeth Melendez, 45, also has experience fighting fires while incarcerated nearly a decade ago. She saw one of her fellow crew members die during a Malibu brushfire in 2016.

“It's a very dangerous job,” said Melendez. “But still, the life that I was living was dangerous. So me doing this to help and save people, I realized that I still want to do this even if it's risking my life.”

Melendez said she heard about an all-women fire center training cohort and jumped at the opportunity. Her goal is to work for Cal Fire.

“ I wanted something where I could give back to the community as opposed to in my past taking,” she said.

Get involved

The county is accepting applications for next year’s cohort, both men and women. You can find more information online.

Learn more about other resources offered by L.A. County’s Justice Care and Opportunities Department on its website.

This story first appeared on The LA Local.

Since 1977, Richard Santillan has been to every Opening Day game at Dodger Stadium. 

“The tradition goes from my father, to me, to my children and grandchildren. Some of my best memories are with my father and children here at Dodger Stadium,” Santillan told The LA Local, smiling under the shade of palm trees near the entrance to the ballpark Wednesday morning. He was there to protest the team less than 24 hours before Opening Day.

Santillan, like countless other loyal Dodgers fans, is grappling with his fan identity over the team’s decision to accept an invitation to the White House and owner Mark Walter’s ties to ICE detention facilities.

More than 30 people joined Santillan on Wednesday morning for a press conference held near 1000 Vin Scully Drive to convey a message directly to the team. 

“We are demanding the Dodgers stop participating in funding of inhumane treatment of families and do not go to the White House to celebrate with the criminal in chief,” Evelyn Escatiola told the crowd. “Together, we have the power to make a change.”

Escatiola, a former dean of East Los Angeles College and longtime community organizer, urged fans to flex their economic power by “letting the Dodgers know that we do not support repression.”

Jorge “Coqui” Rodriguez, a lifelong Dodgers fan, spoke to the crowd and called on Dodgers ownership to divest from immigration detention centers owned and operated by GEO Group and CoreCivic.

Jorge Coqui H Rodriguez speaks at a press conference outside Dodger Stadium on March 25, 2026, to demand the Dodgers not to visit the White House following their 2025 World Series win.

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J.W. Hendricks

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The LA Local

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In a phone interview a day before the protest, Rodriguez told The LA Local he did not want the Dodgers using his “cheve” or beer money to fund detention centers. 

“They can’t take our parking money, our cacahuate money, our cheve money, our Dodger Dog money and invest those funds into corporations that are imprisoning people. It’s wrong,” Rodriguez said. 

Rodriguez considers the Dodgers one of the most racially diverse teams and said the players need to support fans at a time when heightened immigration enforcement has become more common across L.A.

The team’s 2025’s visit to the White House drew ire from the largely Latino fan base, citing the Trump administration’s ongoing attacks on immigrants. 

In June, the team came under further scrutiny when rumors swirled online that federal immigration agents were using the stadium’s parking, which immigration authorities later denied in statements posted on social media accounts.

The team again came under fire after not releasing a statement on the impacts of ICE raids on its mostly Latino fan base at the height of immigration enforcement last summer. The team later agreed to invest $1 million to support families affected by immigration enforcement.

When he learned the Dodgers were pledging only $1 million to families in need, Rodriguez called the amount a  “slap in the face.” 

“These guys just bought the Lakers for billions of dollars and they give a million dollars to fight for legal services? That’s a joke,” Rodriguez said. “They need to have a moral backbone and not be investing in those companies.”

According to reporting from the Los Angeles Times, former Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershawsaid last week that he is looking forward to the trip.

“I went when President [Joe] Biden was in office. I’m going to go when President [Donald] Trump is in office,” Kershaw said. “To me, it’s just about getting to go to the White House. You don’t get that opportunity every day, so I’m excited to go.”

The Dodgers have yet to announce when their planned visit will take place. 

Santillan sometimes laments his decision to give up his season tickets in protest of the team. His connection to the stadium and the memories he has made there with family and friends will last a lifetime, he said. On Thursday, he will uphold his tradition and be there for the first pitch of the season, but with a heavy heart.

“It’s a family tradition, but the Dodgers have a lot of work to do,” he said.

A local favorite mom-and-pop bookshop in Eagle Rock is facing displacement due to a steep rent hike. The owners say theirs is just one of several small businesses along Eagle Rock Boulevard struggling to keep up with lease increases.

Over the past 19 years, many in the neighborhood have come to love READ Books for its eclectic collection of used titles and shop dog Florence.

Co-owner Jeremy Kaplan said it’s been a delight to grow with the community over the years.

“Like seeing kids come back in, who were in grade school and now they’re in college,” Kaplan said.

But the building where Kaplan and wife Debbie rent was recently sold, and the rent increased by more than 130% to $2,805 a month, Kaplan said. He told LAist it was an increase his small business simply could not absorb.

Kaplan said he originally was given 30 days notice of the rent increase. After some research, assistance from Councilmember Ysabel Jurado’s office and some pro-bono legal help, Kaplan said he pushed back and got the 90-day notice he’s afforded by state law.

California Senate Bill 1103 requires landlords to give businesses with five or less employees 90 days’ notice for rent increases exceeding 10%, among other protections.

Systems Real Estate, the property management company, did not immediately respond to LAist’s request for comment.

What can small businesses do? 

Nadia Segura, directing attorney of the Small Business Program at pro bono legal aid non-profit Bet Tzedek said California law does not currently allow for rent control for commercial tenancies.

Outside of the protections under SB 1103, Segura said small businesses like READ Books don’t have much other recourse. And even then, commercial landlords are not required to inform their tenants of their protections under the law.

“There’s still a lot of people that don’t know about SB 1103. And then it’s very sad that they tell them they have these rent increases and within a month they have to leave,” Segura said.

She said her group is seeing steep rent hikes like this for commercial tenants across the city.

“We are seeing this even more with the World Cup coming up, the Olympics coming up. And I will say it was very sad to see that also after the wildfires,” Segura said.

Part of Bet Tzedek’s ongoing work is to advocate for small businesses, working with landlords who are increasing rents to see if they are willing to give business owners longer leases that lock in rents.

What’s next 

After READ Books posted about their situation on social media, commenters chimed in to express their outrage and love for the little shop.

While he looks for a new spot, Kaplan says he’s forming a coalition of local businesses and activist groups to see what can be done to help other small businesses facing similar displacement. He wants to address the displacement issue for businesses like his, which have made Eagle Rock the distinctive neighborhood that it is today.

Owl Talk, a longtime Eagle Rock staple selling clothing and accessories in a unit in the same building as READ Books, is facing a “more than double” rent increase, according to a post on their Instagram account.

Kaplan said he’s been in touch with the office of state Assemblywoman Jessica Caloza and wants to explore the possibility of introducing legislation to set up protections for small businesses like his, including rent-control measures or a vacancy tax for landlords. Kaplan said he also reached out to the office of state Sen. Maria Durazo.

By his count, Kaplan said there are about a dozen businesses within surrounding blocks that are at risk of closing their doors or have shuttered due to rent increases or other struggles.

When READ Books was founded during the Great Recession, Kaplan said he knew it was a longshot to open a bookstore at the same time so many were struggling to stay in business.

“It was kind of interesting to be doing something that neighborhoods needed. That was important to me growing up, that was important to my children, that was important to my wife growing up,” Kaplan said.

“And then somebody comes in and says, ‘We’re gonna over double your rent.”

Topline:

Frozen budget: Most of the city’s Bureau of Street Lighting budget comes from an assessment that people who own property illuminated by lights pay on their county property tax bill. The amount people pay depends on the kind of property they own and how much they benefit from lighting. A typical single-family home currently pays $53 annually, and in total, the assessments bring in about $45 million annually for the city to repair and maintain streetlights. Changing the amount the Bureau of Street Lighting gets from the assessment requires a vote among property owners who benefit from the lights.

Ballots: L.A. City Council’s vote gives city staff the green light to prepare and send out those ballots. Miguel Sangalang, who oversees the bureau, said at a committee meeting earlier this month that he expects to send out ballots by April 17. Notices about the ballots will be sent out prior to the ballots themselves.

Near unanimous vote: L.A. City Councilmember Monica Rodriguez was the only “No” vote Tuesday, saying she wanted to see a more current strategic plan for the bureau. Sangalang said the bureau developed a plan in 2022 that lays out how money will be spent. Councilmember Imelda Padilla was absent for the vote.

Vote count: Votes will be weighted according to the assessment amount. Basically, the more you’re asked to pay yearly to maintain streetlights, the more your vote will count. Ballots received before June 2 will be tabulated by the L.A. City Clerk.

How much more money: According to a report, the amount needed in assessments from property owners to meet the repair and maintenance needs of the city’s streetlighting in the next fiscal year is nearly $112 million.

Use of the money: Sangalang said at a March 11 committee meeting that the extra funds would be used to double the number of staff to handle repairs and procure solar streetlights, which don’t face the threat of copper wire theft. That would all potentially reduce the time it takes to repair simple fixes down to a week. Currently, city residents wait for months to see broken streetlights repaired. The assessment would come with a three-year auditing mechanism.