LOS ANGELES — On Thursday, LA County’s  Justice Care and Opportunities Department launched a first of its kind program for the region, the County Training Center Fire Camp, also known as LACTC Fire Camp.

LACTC is on the site of a former probation department camp in the Santa Monica Mountains. The participants live on site for six months and train in skills needed to become firefighters.

The majority of participants are formerly incarcerated individuals or have had experience in the foster care system.