Ladale Hayes

During the early stages of Ladale Hayes’s life, he was arrested for armed robbery and sentenced to thirteen (13) years in a California State Prison. While serving his time he had no vocational trade or training to prepare him for re-entry into society. In January 2007, he was then transferred to an inmate training facility that trains inmates to fight wildfires in California’s National Forests and State Parks. Wildland firefighting gave Ladale an opportunity and a chance to embark on a new career path. Due to the fact that he wanted more out of life to enhance his fire knowledge and experience, he voluntarily enrolled in a college credit basic wildland fire academy hosted by the captains of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection in which he successfully earned several certificates of completion.

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Immediately following his release from prison in 2011, he pursued a quest for knowledge in the area of fire technology by enrolling in courses at local community colleges to enhance and allow him marketability as he actively sought employment with both state and federal fire departments. The hiring process was not easy, however, but he never gave up. Ladale continued to apply himself by visiting several fire stations and networking his name, his experience, and his availability to increase his chances of employment. After two years of persistently seeking employment, the United States Forest Service hired Ladale in of May 2013 to fight wild fires in burn regions throughout the United States. He had the opportunity to travel state to state doing what he is trained to do while earning an honest and respectable living as a Wildland Firefighter.

Ladale’s goal as a firefighter is to teach and inspire minorities and at risk youth about the basic fundamentals of wildland firefighting and career opportunities. Ultimately, he plans to own and operate a private wildland firefighting facility for the purposes of educating and giving minorities and at risk youth the same and equal opportunities that were afforded to him. As a volunteer, Ladale has taught wildland firefighting to students at Manual Arts High School, Duke Ellington, California Department of

Probation, Labor of Love, and New Truth Faith Missionary Baptist Church. Today’s youth can become involved in wildland firefighting at the age of eighteen. Wildland firefighting is in demand as millions of acres burn throughout the United States per year. Operation Flame feel today’s youth can use a mentor that they can relate to them concerning challenges of life’s experience and how it is never too late to chase your dreams and career goals. Ladale is a living testimony of once being an inmate firefighter to now being a Wildland Firefighter employed by the Federal Government.