Verizon Climate Resilience Prize awards $500,000 to 3 teams for innovative solutions

Article by Holly Secon. GreenBiz – February 17, 2022.

Brandon Smith never thought that he would become a firefighter — growing up, he had a healthy fear of fire, and when he was incarcerated and asked to join a fire camp to help California battle growing wildfires, he initially declined. But the higher pay and ability to be closer to his family in Los Angeles drew him to the role, which he grew to love.

When Smith returned home from prison, he sought a job as a firefighter, but it took him more than two years to get hired, despite the dire need for firefighters as climate change accelerates and exacerbates the risk of wildfire. In response, he started the Forestry and Fire Recruitment Program, which formally recruits and trains formerly incarcerated firefighters. […]

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