Brandon N. Smith is the Co-Founder and Senior Advisor of the Forestry and Fire Recruitment Program (FFRP), a nonprofit dedicated to supporting individuals with experience as incarcerated firefighters entering the career professionally after release.
Raised in Altadena, California, Brandon earned a Bachelor of Arts in African American and Liberal Studies from the University of California, Berkeley. His journey took a transformative turn while incarcerated later in life, Brandon was approached to join a Conservation (“Fire”) Camp. Motivated by a desire to reconnect with family and contribute positively to society, Brandon embraced firefighting as a calling and was determined to continue the work once home.
Brandon navigated numerous challenges transitioning into the career professionally after his release, and eventually graduated top of his class from a fire academy in Victorville, CA. Brandon would go on to gain over six seasons of experience in wildfire suppression, prevention, fuels reduction, intermediate tree faller, and member of the Fire Behavior Assessment Team with the US Forest Service.
Driven by his firsthand experience and a commitment to social impact, Brandon co-founded FFRP with Royal Ramey to ensure others could similarly transition from Fire Camps to professional firefighting roles, and ensure that California’s land stewards have access to affordable land management options. Through FFRP and the work, Brandon has supported over 200 successful job placements in the sector, and has served over 100 land stewards serviced.
Brandon’s achievements have been recognized with numerous awards and fellowships, including the Workers Lab Innovation Award and the prestigious Echoing Green Fellowship. His leadership and impact have been celebrated in media outlets such as VICE News and Causeartist.
Brandon works as a builder and advocate, contributing to panels and conferences such as the California Forestry Association Conference and the Yale School of the Environment, where he addressed intersections of incarceration, labor, and climate resilience. His advocacy extends to policy arenas, where he champions structural support for marginalized communities, the work directly helped to implement the widespread implementation of SB AB2147; gaining record expungements for over 60 people.
