CalFire to take over Rainbow Conservation Camp staffing

The California Department of Corrections has closed the Rainbow Conservation Camp, but the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection will take over that facility.

“As they depopulate and we move the remaining inmates to another camp we are refurbishing the camp to have our firefighters based,” Cal Fire Capt. Frank LoCoco said.

Lynne Malinowski is a member of the Rainbow Community Planning Group and lives in Rainbow Heights approximately half a mile from the former inmate camp.

“We don’t want to see that property vacant,” she said.

“That Cal Fire said it would stay there is actually encouraging for us,” Malinowski said. “We’re in a state responsibility area, so that is encouraging to us to have that facility nearby.”

Four inmate firefighting camps had operated in San Diego County: Rainbow, Puerta La Cruz in Warner Springs, La Cima in Julian and McCain Valley in Boulevard. McCain Valley was also slated to close.

“Puerta La Cruz will remain as an inmate camp,” LoCoco said.

La Cima is a male inmate camp.

“That is going to stay in service,” LoCoco said.

The female inmates at the Rainbow Conservation Camp have been transferred elsewhere.

“They’ve been planning the transition for a while,” Malinowski said. “All the inmates have been moved out.”

Firefighting equipment remains at the Rainbow Conservation Camp, but the transition will allow for building improvements.

“Now we have a chance to really go through the system to make sure everything is functioning as it should,” LoCoco said.

“They’ve been doing a lot of cleanup there,” Malinowski said.

The building where firefighters are housed was constructed in 1946.

“It definitely needs some upgrading,” LoCoco said. “It’s a 1946 structure so the maintenance is ongoing. The facility itself is in fantastic shape.”

The initial work will be performed on the residential building.

“Our goal is to have the first phase complete by early spring,” LoCoco said. “There are quite a few individual structures we'll be able to retrofit as we have the opportunity to do so. It’s a rather large property, so it will be an ongoing project.”

The residential building has 16 beds.

“The idea is to have the ability to house as many firefighting hand crews as necessary,” LoCoco said. “The ultimate goal is to have as many hand crews as we can.”

Firefighters typically have three days on and four days off, although emergencies can extend their time on duty.

“We have the ability to hold them on,” LoCoco said.

The hand crews clear brush as well as respond to small fires.

“They’re an integral part of our operation,” LoCoco said.

“They’re continuing doing training up there as well,” Malinowski said.

“We’re still going to have hand crews,” LoCoco said. “That’s really the reason we wanted to continue finding a way when they depopulated, to have hand crews available.”

The facility normally has two hand crews and currently can accommodate a maximum of five hand crews.

“The hand crews will actually be staffed by our actual firefighters,” LoCoco said. “The only main difference is the actual firefighters utilized are non-inmate firefighters.”

The apparatus will stay at the facility.

“They operate out of a crew bus,” LoCoco said.

That large red apparatus has two seats in front, and the hand crews sit in back. A squad or pickup vehicle follows the crew bus.

“They will respond together for project work, for fire work,” LoCoco said.

“They will still maintain their fire presence,” Malinowski said.

The transition from inmates to professional firefighters also will not affect the bulldozer used for clearance or other access when needed.

“The pickup trucks and the bulldozer are going to stay,” Malinowski said.

“They all play a significant part,” LoCoco said.

“The dozer’s been housed there for quite some time and will remain,” LoCoco said. “They typically function out of the same equipment.”

Cal Fire’s San Diego Unit has four dozers; the other three are at the Las Cruces and McCain Valley facilities and at the Monte Vista station in Rancho San Diego, which is the headquarters for the San Diego Unit.

Cal Fire is the primary agency responsible for fire protection in Rainbow Heights. Rainbow is also within the boundaries of the North County Fire Protection District, which provides emergency medical service response.

“If they need additional resources or additional help, they can request that through us,” LoCoco said.

Malinowski said that one past 911 call for an ambulance in the neighborhood produced a response from the fire district in less than 10 minutes.

“The Rainbow Conservation Camp was an asset to the community,” Malinowski said. “We valued the service that they did for our neighborhood.”

Malinowski has owned property in Rainbow Heights since 2002 and has lived there since 2016.

We're sorry to see them go because they’ve provided a big asset for us, Malinowski said of the firefighting inmates. “It was good for us to see them on their rehabilitation program and they all looked truly happy.”

Because the conservation camp had been a prison, the public was not allowed beyond the fence at the front of the property.

“I have a feeling that they won’t have that kind of security up there,” Malinowski said.

“Once it transitions to a non-inmate facility, there will be public access,” LoCoco said. “The gate’s there. It’s really a check-in procedure. Public access will be granted.”

LoCoco anticipated the ability for tours of the facility once the renovation work is completed.