Newsom signs bill making it easier for former inmates to become professional firefighters

Governor Gavin Newsom signed a bill into law on Friday that would allow inmate firefighters to have records cleared allowing them to become professional firefighters once they finish their sentence. Currently, California has dozens of inmate fire crews working every year to battle fires across the state. Historically, those firefighters could not get normal firefighting jobs after their release due to their criminal record. The bill, AB 2147, would speed up the process for these firefighters to get their records expunged and would make it easier for them to earn an emergency medical technician certificate.