The Antelope Valley Times

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Fund established for inmate firefighter killed in brush fire

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Shawna Lynn Jones [contributed]
Shawna Lynn Jones [contributed]
LOS ANGELES – A nonprofit organization has established a fund to help support the family of a 22-year-old inmate firefighter killed last week while battling a brush fire north of Malibu.

The Fire Family Foundation, founded in 2008 by the Firefighters First Credit Union, has created the Shawna Lynn Jones fund to support her family in this time of grief, according to a news release.

Born and raised in Lancaster, Jones was allowed to join the firefighting program at the all-female Fire Camp 13 in Malibu in August 2015 because of good behavior during her incarceration. Part of her duties included cutting containment lines to stop the spread of wildfires and dousing hotspots during cleanup.

A brush fire was reported around 2:56 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 25, along Mulholland Highway, on an isolated and twisting section of the road four miles uphill from Pacific Coast Highway.

About 200 firefighters were sent to the extremely steep slope, and worked with shovels, awls and axes — in the dark, in heavy smoke, on loose rocks and in strong, erratic winds.

Pilots using night-vision goggles, from Los Angeles and Ventura counties, were able to douse flareups, and the camp crews and staff firefighters on the ground had stopped its forward progress, and contained the blaze to less than 10 acres.

Crews were still working on burning stumps and branches at about 7:15 that morning, when a boulder fell about 100 feet from a rocky outcrop that had been singed by flames. It hit Jones in the head, and she was airlifted to the UCLA Medical Center.  Her mother made the call to donate her organs to transplant patients and remove her from life support.

Jones’ father died last year of cancer; she is survived by her mother Diana,younger brother Daniel and younger sister Ashley.

To make a donation to the Shawna Lynn Jones Fund, visit www.FireFamilyFoundation.org.

All donations to Fire Family Foundation are tax-deductible.

[Information via news release from Fire Family Foundation and City News Service.]

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Previous related story: Inmate firefighter killed in wildfire was from Lancaster

 

 

Filed Under: Lancaster

63 comments for "Fund established for inmate firefighter killed in brush fire"

  1. You cop lovin’ clowns never give it a rest. This, in the same week that little Paul Tanaka, the LASD Undersheriff, goes on trial for corruption. Nice try, but, FAIL again ya baton polishers.

  2. Cops, and people who sympathize with cops, or are related to cops, do much talking about how easy it is to stay out of trouble and walk the straight and narrow. Look closer and you’ll find these same people have done plenty of hiding behind the badge and getting out of sticky situations because of their connections(sticky situations for Joe revenue machine, that is). You know, they pull the “I’m married to officer so-and so” routine when they get pulled over after pounding 5 Jäger shots at Schooners. I, myself, have watched one LASD do plenty of drinking and driving because he knew he’d just “badge” them if pulled over and they’d let him drive away with a high-five and an attaboy. F!!K cops, period. Zero sympathy, and even less respect is what they get from me.

    • You’re a real ray of sunshine!

      Keep telling yourself everybody is engaged in criminal activity like you are, but some don’t get punished for whatever reason. Yes, you and your bad choices are not to blame, it’s “them” that are to blame.

      Nope. Not everybody chooses to commit crimes. Criminals do. And eventually they have to suffer consequences for those choices. A lot of the time those consequences involve law enforcement officers. So, instead of blaming their predicament on the bad choices they made, the criminal blames the law enforcement officer.

      The criminal demonizes the law enforcement officer as someone out to get him. The criminal mind is incapable of making the connection between his criminal activity and the consequences of that activity.

      Nobody would expect a criminal to respect law enforcement offficers.

      • The guy points out that cops commit crimes, so you assume he is a criminal? Then you go off on your standard keyboard warrior rant against him. Guess what, the one nobody is expected to respect is you Mike.

        • He doesn’t have to say he’s a criminal, it’s implicit in his basic thought processes. He assumes everybody commits crimes like he does – he’s just mad because he thinks cops are getting away with it. He can’t even conceive that some people choose not to commit crimes.

          Because he’s a criminal. He hates all cops. Because he’s a criminal.

          He says he saw a cop’s wife use that fact to not get a DUI. How did that happen? Was he in the car with her? He’s obviously lying (something criminals and their liberal enablers like Tim love to do).

      • He didn’t say he was a criminal, he pointed out that he has seen cops commit crimes. Why do you not say anything about their crimes going unpunished Mike? You choking on a baton?

    • Your statement is based on the premise that those not getting in trouble have a connection with law enforcement that is close enough to be considered family.
      More likely it is because they do not act dumb and do dumb things. It is easy to stay out of trouble by not doing things that will get you in trouble. Or at least not doing them in a place where you will get caught.

    • It’s funny that in my 35 years of living in the A.V. I haven’t managed to get a single infraction, other than one speeding ticket, on my record. I’m not related to any cops or anyone in law enforcement. I have raised 5 kids in the A.V. and have 11 grandkids now, all of whom live here. My only connection to the so-called “system” is a nephew who is a firefighter in Palmdale.

      I haven’t driven drunk, haven’t held anyone up at gunpoint, haven’t committed a home-invasion robbery, have shoplifted, haven’t raped or beaten anyone, haven’t been on welfare or abused any programs, haven’t kidnapped any children, haven’t scammed anyone out of their money ….and yet….according to you, I must be connected to an officer of the law or married to one, etc., etc.

      Did I mention that I’m Latino and of dark-complexion?

      It’s really about the people you choose to associate with and the places you choose to go. Some people would say that I live a “boring” life, but that’s fine with me. I’ll take “boring” over trouble-making any day!

      • What Rafael? Say it ain’t so! No white privilege to get you off the hook? No cop relatives to get you off the hook? Are you saying it’s possible to simplify be a good law abiding person? Are you trying to make us believe that its one’s own personal choices that land them in jail? Are you actually implying that the cops are not picking on Mr. Taxpayer? Next you’re going to try to get us to believe that meth abuse is a personal choice, and not just “a mistake that happens to people in this Valley.” There’s going to make a few people here unhappy. Great post Rafael!

      • ” ….and yet….according to you, I must be connected to an officer of the law or married to one, etc., etc.”

        Please point out where anyone said this was a must.

        I know lots of people who live happy law abiding lives and have no trouble with cops. I also know people who have lived law abiding lives and still ended up on the wrong end of the cops. I also have directly seen people who do NOT live law abiding lives, but have no problems because they are either cops or related to cops. There is no “must” in any of that.

        Unfortunately, there are some blindly loyal cop supporters who follow that “if you don’t like cops you MUST be a criminal.” They refuse to believe a cop EVER does anything wrong, despite the seemingly endless outpouring of law suit money to compensate for their wrongdoing. They call every investigation of our cops a “witch hunt” despite the fact that these investigations always seem to end in a laundry list of gross infractions.

    • Let me get this right…you’re saying you watched a deputy “plenty of times” get out of driving while intoxicated by showing his badge to the cop who popped him. That means the only way to have seen this is that’s you would have had to have been with him, multiple times, and been a passenger while he was drunk. Surely, he want pulled over every time so on the multiple occasions you witnessed this, you must have ridden with him drunk many more times he didn’t get pulled over.
      So now you’re righteously indignant that this guy, who you let drive you around drunk, wasn’t pulled over and arrested for the good of the community because he could have killed somebody….somebody except you, because you were cool with it. Is that about right?

      • LOL…there’s a leap. Cop leaping to a conclusion and being self righteous, check. Make that CHRISTIAN cop leaping to a conclusion and then getting self righteous about it.

        So, let’s make a list of people who know about cop behavior. They drink in a bar, and set off to drive home. The staff of the bar knows that if they were to treat them like any other customer and suggest they not drive they will be rebuffed by arrogance and a badge…and they know it because it has happened to them.

        I had a neighbor who was a cop. Our wives were friends. We bowled together in a league. I had the pleasure of walking into a 7/11 with him and watching him badge himself some cigarettes. He expected me to think this was “pretty cool.”

        Cops don’t make any secret out of their behavior.

        • Yeah, I’m not a cop. I’m a firefighter. The perk of the job is working 10-12 days a month, nice pay and pension and retiring to take California dollars to another state.

          It’s funny how Tim always just happens to have stories about how he just happens to see these cops breaking the law in front of obvious cop haters. The only thing my badge does its gets me out of the occasional speeding ticket and free meals now and then at restaurants that pop for us.

          • Man up, I have not used my badge as a position of authority to gain benefit. It is entirely up to the cops discretion whether not to issue a ticket. In fact, as many of you may not know, police officers are told give a verbal warning when they think it will suffice and write a ticket when they believe it’s needed.

            The officer at the time asked me if I knew why he pulled me over. I told him that I was probably driving a little too fast. He asked me if I was a firefighter, I told him that yes I was and he took my drivers license, my proof of registration as well as my insurance card and took them back to his patrol vehicle. I have confidentiality on my plates as well as my license, so it’s pretty easy for law enforcement to see who I work for. He came back to my vehicle and handed me my license and registration and proof of insurance and told me to slow down a little bit and to have a nice day. Tell me again, where was I using my position to gain advantage?

          • Shane…with cops in your family even though you aren’t one yourself…

            Do you think I lied when I said my former neighbor cop badged himself some cigarettes at the 7/11?

            Do you think if there is a traffic accident involving a civilian and an off duty cop the ensuing police report will be written with or without a slant that favors brother officer?

            Do you think that if someone is pulled over who “seemed to be weaving a bit” says “sorry, I was adjusting the radio” and shows a badge that they will get a field sobriety test like I would?

          • Tim, I started out as a deputy in the jails in the early 90’s for a few years until I did like the culture and left for the fire department. I can say that in the 1970s and 1980s “professional courtesy” was practically given without asking. Even with civilians, if somebody was just a little bit over the limit the police would often followed a guy home and make sure he was OK. Not today.

            I don’t know how an officer can walk again, on camera at a convenience store and show his badge and walk out with merchandise. I don’t see that happening. I’m with a lot of highway patrol, LASD , and even the occasional LAPD and I’ve never seen them get as much as maybe a cup of coffee comped, or a fountain drink on a hot day. Restaurants or cafés sometimes will not charge for a drink with a meal, or will give cops half off of their order but I seen many cops refuse a freebie when the cashier told the officer that was no charge.

            In today’s litigious society, cops will definitely write another cop a ticket. I’ve seen it. There is often an ongoing battle between departments because they actively seem to look to ticket each other. Professional courtesy is going away and in many areas had already gone away. Just look at the OIR report and you will see how departments deputies.

          • I maybe shouldn’t have used the word “badged.” He was in civvies and the guy just handed him the cigs and he walked out. He was “known,” so he actually never did show the badge.

            The same guy was also allowed to resign from the Sheriff’s Department rather than face an investigation, and got a good recommendation that landed him a job in another department immediately…where he took in the illegal alien inmate that had gotten him into trouble as a deputy and basically held her as a slave. Of course all his brothers in blue saw nothing particularly out of line with this, or at least not bad enough to do anything about.

            I assume that’s the kind of “culture” you refer to, and I credit you for leaving…but did it occur to you that maybe you needed to do something about it?

      • So Tim, you don’t know if this deputy was possibly running a tab with the shopkeeper and possibly paying on payday…?

        You’re also saying that this guy resigned in lieu of termination and took a job in another department and still did bad things? Color me shocked. I hate to tel you this but this is common in almost all public employee union jobs. Teachers have molested kids and transferred schools, I’ve seen firefighters do it, social workers, state/county and local municipality employees too.

        I hope you direct the same outrage at teachers with underperforming classes/schools who transfer as well.

        • I’m no fan of any public employees, in general, though when you look at “law enforcement” and find mostly scofflaws it is particularly egregious. I doubt that teachers are allowed to keep slaves with full knowledge of their coworkers, or commit extortion for that matter.

          As to the cop who was sort of my friend at the time; no, he wasn’t running a tab. He was quite proud about telling me that it was “just a perk of the job” as Doppleganger put it.

  3. @Shane Falco… Sup 16 and Q to us former inmate firefighters who fought the lines with them. Who caused their deaths on the Station Fire, but none other than the Department of Forestry. As to your regards of us being “inmates”, yes we made a mistake and paid our debt to society and EARNED the RIGHT to work in a Conservation Camp. Inmate or not, Shawna was still a firefighter and a human life lost in a tragic accident.

    I’m sure you’ve made mistakes in your life that you should have been locked up for.

    • Michelle, my father is a police officer as are almost all of my siblings. We went to church and none of us got into drinking, drugs or any trouble. We easily passed our background checks to become police officers, deputy’s and firefighters.

      I’ve often seen you and others talk about being “one bad choice away” from being criminals like yourself but for myself and my friends and family, we don’t make those choices, let alone surround ourselves with people like that. I am in my late 40’s and can say that it’s really not that hard to NOT get arrested.

      • @Shane
        I agree 100% with you. It’s not hard to obey our laws and not get arrested. I’m now 63 years old never had any trouble with law enforcement. My family were hard working church going people who taught us to respect everyone. Michelle has a negative outlook on life with to many excuses for bad behavior.

        • Hey, there’s a surprise. Shane, if your family ever needs their badges licked clean, Joey’s your man.

          • I’m not sure where people who aren’t out committing crime and advocate arresting those that ruin families, neighborhoods, schools and communities are somehow “licking a badge”.

            It’s also entertaining to read about all the hate for Rex Parris. I don’t agree with everything he says but at least he’s pushing back against the swell of people out here driving up the crime rate and lowering the property values.

            I’ll leave you fine folks to rip on him while protecting the virtue and heroism of the multi-conviction inmate.

          • Try him on when one of your brothers in blue shoots some unarmed guy and needs the blindly faithful to rally around him. Joey will be right there with all the “good cops” saying “move along, nothing to see here, no need for judges, we can just conduct executions in the street.”

      • @Shane Falco… you bring up attending church. Maybe you should read the bible on second chances. Who did Christ die for being nailed to the cross. Obivously you ignored bible study.

        • Michelle, people often talk about the Bible and second chances but completely overlook the repentance part of the process. The Bible condemns stealing, lying, and has many things written about deceitful people, fools and those so caught up in doing the wrong thing that you are to leave and “shake the dust off your feet” and leave them to live in their evil ways.

          You’re not the first person to take one small part of the Bible and try to apply it, while disregarding all the other huge parts, especially the ones that would keep you from all the “one bad choice” lifestyle.

          • Yeah…”LEAVE THEM TO LIVE IN THEIR EVIL WAYS.”

            In other words, it is not your sanctimoniously self appointed job to beat them into submission. So dust off your feet and buzz the heck off.

            And by the way, I faithfully attend church myself. Probably not your “first assembly of forcing our beliefs down the throats of others” church, but a good Christian fellowship.

      • Shane and that’s the sad state of things that there are officers so ignorant and close minded as yourself. Get off your high horse. You are sworn to protect and serve and value life but you spew out all this ignorance??? Was the young lady in jail for murder? No she was not!!! How can you be so disrespectful!!! I do not know this young lady from Eve but at 22 years old perhaps she made a mistake but besides your PERFECT FAMILY who hasn’t… You are an @$$

        • Ignorant and close minded? We are sworn to protect life and property and since when has lying, stealing, cheating become a “mistake”?

          When I was a kid my father took me to the station a few times to see the drunks and dopers in the drunk tank who were throwing up and messing themselves. He would tell us all about the dangers of being a drunk and using drugs. He would also tell us about teens dead in traffic collisions and would often say “being stupid, and doing stupid stuff, comes with a short life expectancy”. I’ve done the same with my kids.

          When people used to ask my parents how they had some many kids (7) and none of us got into trouble, my parents told them that they never made excuses for bad behavior, held us accountable for what we did, and we’re just as positive in praise for doing well as they were as hard on us when we got in trouble.
          Somehow society has gone away from that and we excuse bad behavior and try to minimize the consequences.

        • Still not following how being taught, and teaching/believing that being honest, not abusing drugs or alcohol, taking pride in not embarrassing ones self or family name and being accountable for your actions is “ignorant and narrow minded”. Since when is being moral

          Being a firefighter or police officer requires a thorough background check. Would you be okay with felons becoming police officers and firefighters? Would you prefer your neighbors to be an upstanding police officers and firefighters or parolees, probationers and felons?

          • Shane, I hate to tell you this, but the person in this article was a convicted criminal, so your little diatribe is silly.

            That said, however, the fact that she had chosen to start putting her efforts towards helping the community through this program is admirable and worthy of respect.

          • Ahahaha unlike the drug abusing criminal mayor? Don’t want felons as cops and firefighters but mayor is fine? Nothing like rolling around Herb Nero’s living room floor with hookers and cocaine! How did that dude get his records expunged?

            Yet Shane is just another “might makes right” kinda anti crime guy.

          • Don’t forget the dealer vice mayor. Why do you think he lost his clearance at Plant 42. Between the mayor and vice mayor Lancaster is “Up in Smoke”. Apologies to Cheech and Chong.

    • Shane Falco is one of those bros that covers for his cop buddies when they’re pounding drinks at Schooners before driving home with their police issue gun in the car. That is, when he’s not hanging with them doing it himself too.

  4. Parties at the bar .. t-shirts for sell.. Drugs fraud.. inmate serving and paying debt. No hero no life saved by shawna. Who needs a lawyer to sue who made her a Hero wich she was not. If she didn’t live like a life of the party she would not have been fighting a fire.

    • Actually, in the end, she did save lives. Her organs were donated so other people could keep living. She may not have gotten a second chance to right her wrongs or live a different life, or make better choices, but she gave other people a second chance to do so. She may not have made good choices before she went to prison, but she obviously made some while she was there. You cannot be an inmate fire fighter without good behavior, she chose to be a good inmate and she chose to become a fire fighter. She was clearly on the road to making better choices for herself. She could have chosen to sit in prison and get involved in the politics and gangs, but she didn’t. If you don’t respect that, then respect the fact that she was someones daughter. She wasn’t born a criminal and I’m sure her mother is suffering one of the biggest losses of her life no matter what the choices were that her daughter made. No, she wasn’t a cop, she may not have spent her years growing up in a church, she may not have went to college, but who’s to say that that was a choice she was given to begin with. Maybe she didn’t have a father who was a cop to take her to the station and show her the ropes, maybe she didn’t have a family with money, or a family who attended church every Sunday. It all doesn’t matter now. She is gone, and her donated organs will provide life to those who received them. She may not have lived doing something she was proud of, but she sure as hell died that way. Fighting fires is a dangerous and brave job and just because she was an inmate doesn’t make it any less dangerous or make her any less brave.
      Rest in Peace Sweet Girl, your struggles are over.

  5. From all of us at Puert La Cruz Camp 14 inmate crews we mourn your death but know you enjoyed being a Firefighter. We send our condolences to your family. You’ll always be remembered.

  6. Camp Rainbow sends are condolences to your family and friends. You gave second chances to others with the donation of your organs. You will live on through them. Enjoy heaven as you are an angel.

  7. @Shane and AV citizen with friends… You are nothing but cold and calous individuals who deserve nothing but misery in your lives for making such comments. Come out here with us inmate firefighters and we will make sure you’re not protected by the flames of hell.

    • You guys are inmates first and foremost. You are also inmates for a reason and that’s after several arrests and convictions, you finally earned a state bid. It is also a privilege to work on a fire crew instead of sitting inside a prison so let’s not pretend it is because of some heroic calling.

      I also know far more about firefighting than you think. I’ve been on the front of many of California’s worst fires. Inmate crews work hard and make up a large portion of the firefighters working brush/forest fires but before and often after they get out, most return back to the criminal life.

      Ted and Arnie were heroes, they died trying to protect inmates.

  8. Ok let’s put it this way she was a fire fighter not a prison fire fighter would you give her the hero status than cause that is what she was a fire fighter you guys that have such a hardend heart I will pray for to her family I’m am so sorry for your loss and don’t pay attention to the few that are so judgemental they will ond day have to stand before our God and be held accountable your daughter was a HERO

  9. Stay off these comments a life had been lost period so if your not God get over YOURSELFS she has left this world and left behind her family that loves and misses her. My goodness stop the comments. You or one of the people you love could end up in the exact situation. Ate you that cold hearted. Prayers to her family and know that she had a mom a dad a sister and brother that loved her unconditional. The staff at the fire camp made her a hero so who are you to question that. They knew she was. If she wasn’t a prisoner you would be OK with her heriotics regardless she put her life on the line to save others so check YOURSELFS please

  10. Shane you need to check yourself if you don’t have nothing good to say say nothing at all who are you to judge another person’s loss shame on you

  11. Shane,

    While I understand your point I think it is inappropriate to make it at this time. A life was lost and the family deserves to grieve in peace. May she Rest in Peace.

    Condolences to the family and friends of Shawna

  13. It is very sad story. I knew Shawna and she was the life of tbe party the care free spirit and a beautiful person inside out your very missed and girl you died a hero not just another inmate. We love you and your life goes on through all of us that love you

  14. What a complete and total shame. I cant even think of words to describe how utterly sad this entire story is. May she rest in peace and the family heal from all of these horrible events.

  15. RIP Shawna jones you will always be in my heart as one of my best friends I will see you again one day I miss your face so much

  17. What are the chances of this happening to a person? One in a billion maybe. What a sad story here that happened to a woman paying her debt to society. Prayers to the family and may she rest in peace.

    • They are actually pretty slim. The chances are even slimmer if you aren’t making bad choices in life and end up in jail. Inmate firefighters work pretty hard and at the same time they are afforded more freedom, better food, and better pay but there are risks involved and they sign waivers and releases in order to get these coveted spots.

      I was saddened, but not shocked to see that the family had already tried to file a lawsuit before she even died. They are bottom feeders and are just looking to capitalize on some quick money to suit their entitlement lifestyle.

      It’s sad that this “life of the party” lost her life, but it’s even sadder that she chose to go down a path that lead her into crime and prison and to become yet another cautionary tale.

      • That’s how I felt about it. She really is no hero. Not in the act of someone’s life in her hands. She should have made better choices in life than being life of the part fraud and drugs. A Hero is a life that is trained to save a life.. she was paying for her own bad she created. Yes a lawsuit does not surprise me and neither do the parties they keep having at the bar for her daughters death.

      • You are a bad person your opion is not needed. So glad that you have been blessed without having lived ones going through this. Drop to your knees and ask God for the strength to see things with a softer heart.