A budget reduction of $5 million within the Alabama Forestry Commission is expected to require that the number of wildland firefighters be reduced by one-third. One hundred firefighters may lose their jobs, reducing the total number from about 300 to 200. The layoffs are expected to begin this summer.
UPDATE, February 23, 2011:
We found an article at Times Daily, dated September 13, 2010, that said 75 Alabama Forestry Commission employees were laid off in 2010.
wildfire,s affecting state !perfect timing
As aformer AFC wildland fire fighter, I can say that this layout can only lead to more acres burned in wildfires, less prescribed burning and more lives and property loss. The sad truth is that some fire fighter will have to lose his/her life in order for people to wake up and realize the need to fund wildland fire agencies. It will only take one “politician” to lose their home or property before funds will be made “Available”. How sad that the dedicated wildland fire fighters community both paid and volunteer have to make the ultimate sacrifice in order to provide the resources needed to protect homes, property and lives.
AMEN Daryl, as a firefighter the the fact that you are right is very sad. But we all know that until we have a major wildfire like the one in Georgia 2 years ago or like the ones that they have in California where hundreds on homes burn we will not see the funding that is desperately needed. I pray that no one is hurt or killed when it happens and it is not a matter of if but when with the fuels that we have and the “WUI” (wildland urban interface)increasing it will be bad when it happens. I just hope that everyone wakes up and relizes that most of this can be prevented before some one gets hurt or killed or hundreds of homes are lost.
First off, i didn’t mean for my first comment to sound as derogatoy as it does after reading it again.i’m not sure what the answer should be. if the AFC had more firefighters, and their response was still as slow. would their be any benefit. i have some friends that are looking at being laid off by AFC. they have all said their hands are tied at fires because of too few hands to operate per their SOP. So perhaps the answer is more firefighters.
as a long time alabama firefighter, i can honestly say that the loss of these firefighters won’t be missed. AL forestry is spread so thin now their responses are slow and usually ineffective. most of the fires they are called to are handled by the local departments. it is a shame that these men and women are losing their jobs
Mike,
How can the Alabama Forestry Commission Fire Program be more effective and supportive of your needed support?
Would it actually be more cost effective and efficient to double their numbers and capability, rather than cutting their numbers by a third?
I’ve only been on three fires in Alabama, and I’ve always been a mutual aider outsider (Twice from NC, once from CA), so I’d like to hear your thoughts.