The Forestry and Fire Recruitment Program (FFRP) is a nonprofit organization that provides career support to formerly incarcerated firefighters and marginalized communities who are interested in careers in the Wildland and Forestry sector. FFRP was developed in direct response to the growing need for wildfire-related personnel. Their mission is to increase wildfire personnel from non-traditional and underrepresented communities, providing them the training, skills, resources, and experiences needed to secure gainful employment.

The Just Wildfire Workforce project conducts a qualitative impact assessment to better understand the value and effectiveness of FFRP’s programming. Through interviews with current and former trainees and staff, the project highlights the social, economic, and career-building impacts of the program. By centering the voices of those directly involved, the research aims to capture what makes FFRP a uniquely transformative model for workforce development, climate resilience, and reentry support. The findings will be synthesized into a report to inform FFRP’s continued growth.