Last updated November 7, 2024 – 8:53 AM
Fire Escape depicts the challenges of Amika Mota, who was sentenced to nearly 10 years in prison and her work to change her identity as an incarcerated first responder.
This limited series tells the story of Amika, an incarcerated female firefighter, former midwife, and daughter of a feminist icon whose journey challenges the stigma surrounding women in prison.
Risner rides with the Amika to respond to emergency calls and save the lives of people in the prison town, including guards and their families.
While in prison, she had to learn how to be a mother to her three growing children, a role that society told her she was no longer qualified to play.
Throughout the series, Amika confronts and transforms the stigma imposed on women in prison through human-to-human actions in emergency situations. She rebels against a system that wants to bury her under the weight of her worst moments.
Her story as an incarcerated first responder shifts the narrative around women in prison and emphasizes their right to live full and worthwhile lives.
Fire Escape from Wondery and KQED's Snap Studios is hosted by award-winning Anna Sussman, who has reported on California's women's prisons for nearly 20 years.
Anna said: “When I first started talking to Amika, she understood the layers of expectations placed on women in prison, and when she shared her experience on the firetruck, When I did that, all those expectations disappeared. It was a whole new way of telling the story.”
This limited series will be released exclusively on Wondery+ on November 13th, followed by Amazon Music and everywhere you get podcasts starting December 9th.
