Welfare and Institutions Code section 883

The wards committed to ranches, camps, or forestry camps may be required to labor on the buildings and grounds thereof, on the making of forest roads for fire prevention or firefighting, on forestation or reforestation of public lands, or on the making of firetrails or firebreaks, or to perform any other work or engage in any studies or activities on or off of the grounds of those ranches, camps, or forestry camps prescribed by the probation department, subject to such approval as the county board of supervisors by ordinance requires.

Wards may not be required to labor in fire suppression when under the age of 16 years.

Wards between the ages of 16 years and 18 years may be required to labor in fire suppression if all of the following conditions are met:

(a)

The parent or guardian of the ward has given permission for that labor by the ward.

(b)

The ward has completed 80 hours of training in forest firefighting and fire safety, including, but not limited to, the handling of equipment and chemicals, survival techniques, and first aid.

Whenever any ward committed to a camp is engaged in fire prevention work or the suppression of existing fires, he or she shall be subject to worker’s compensation benefits to the same extent as a county employee, and the board of supervisors shall provide and cover any ward committed to a camp while performing that service, with accident, death and compensation insurance as is otherwise regularly provided for employees of the county.