October 27, 2020 | 6 a.m. MDT
Vice News produced an excellent introduction to the world of hotshot crews. In 12 minutes they interview the Superintendent of the Eldorado Hotshots, Ben Strahan, and others on the crew, as well as a few of their family members. And importantly, they ask a former hotshot why he felt he had to move on to another job, discussing the inadequate pay federal firefighters earn, and the effects on family life by constantly having to work overtime in order to make enough money to get by.
The camera crew spent some time on the fireline with the crew, capturing video that the public rarely sees.
Vice News also produced a 30-minute podcast with the crew.
5 years hotshot and jumper. Had to leave the Feds in order to keep momma at home. My fire dept pays me 20k per year more than the Gov. Wish it wasn’t this way. Lots of knowledge lost in the Feds.
I would concur with Nate on this. Reorganization, and or “stove-piping,” did not help law enforcement improve their performance, nor has reorganizing USFS units through consolidation helped their overall mission, economics, or community relations. It’s a bit like “repositioning the deck chairs on the Titanic.”
What’s needed, and so many firefighters have expressed, is equity in their pay compared to their counterparts; i.e. equal pay for equal risks.
USA needs a National Wildland Firefighter Agency (Like I have said before) Give them the support they need- in an organization that appreciates – and knows what they do! USA – it’s way overdue!
I’m not convinced the answer is moving everyone into a fire only focused organization. As it is we are often completely divorced from any management or conservation activities that happen on district and it doesn’t need to happen that way. The places I’ve worked that are the most successful have different project areas working together closely. What really needs to happen is a radical increase in fuels management activities of every type and seperating everyone involved in that to different agencies would be anything but helpful.
The only time we are classified as firefighters is when one of us gets hurt or dies then that title is thrown out there. I’ve worked on hotshots for 10+plus years and I’ve had to work my tail off all summer and winter just to get by. During the winter all the money I worked hard to make and save up goes away when you get paid less than a fast food chain. It’s sad the recondition we get is just not enough to stick around.
J, a bunch of us “older retirees” with a great deal of fire experience at every level, are working to support the concern of all federal firefighters for respectful pay; a pay level that recognizes the risks as well as their commitment.
I personally doubt that these needed changes will come about through OPM, but if enough Legislators can get involved, as is just beginning to happen, we can get the embarassing unequal pay problem moved in the right direction. At some point down the road with this issue, Legislators will “make the ask” on equity pay levels and what they need to be. Hang in there!
Ted, copy that! Yea I know the ball is starting to roll it’s great news just gotta pay attention to see what comes from it. Love the Eldo did this. I’ve worked with Mondo, and Hump a bunch of times always get a good laugh and they’ve always been a solid crew.
Dude, you just advocated for unequal pay. How can you look yourself in the mirror? These are the most arrogant and unprofessional posts I have ever seen on this site. Good thing you’re retired. If attitudes are contagious yours may be terminal.
How do you figure? We get paid at or less than minimum wage for R5 for an extremely dangerous hazardous job that takes you away from your family. Trying to survive off of it is almost impossible. Don’t get me wrong I love my job and love why I do for a living but somethings need to change to keep great “forestry technicians “ in the agency. We are the best at what we do for a reason, you ask any hotshot why they do it and it’s for damn sure not the money. It’s the reward at the end of the day. But when your account is is low and your body and family are hurting to make it through the winter…… yea time for things to change.
You know trpe 2 a have to do same job just to get the type 1 status and most type 1 are type 2 in the beginning of the season tell they become fully operational give them all the respect the deserve
Sorry to differ with you but Type II crews are not assigned to the same risks as Type I.
If you had worked in a Type I Command position, you would know what I’m talking about.
This does not mean you, as a Type II crewman, did not work in difficult situations and even prehaps with a blowup incident, but generally this would not be your assignment. Sometimes Type II crews are the “nearest resource” and are assigned to hot burns immediately. That may be what you’re referring to, JP.
Wow. This is very disappointing to hear that our fire leadership believes that type 2 IA crews are mere placeholders for the shots and can’t do sh*t other than mop up and that we haven’t earned the right to be firefighters.
Do hotshots that leave their crews for a district job get to keep on being referred to as firefighters?
I’m out.
Having fought fires “back in the day” at $1.81 per hour, and seeking overtime every damn chance I got to help pay for college, I can relate to firefighters needing better pay. OPM will never do it, so pushing there would be like “pushing a wet noodle;” nothing will happen.
Getting serious Congressional involvement will demand that it happens, or a class action lawsuit by 100-200 hotshots with pro bono law firm assistance.
My suggestion would be a two tier approach.
Type I Crews (true Hot Shots; not a group that calls themselves hot shots but do not meet the standards) should be paid equivalent to their counterparts in State & County agencies, or better. I say “better” because Type I Hot Shots are the spear of fighting fires and have the highest risk to their lives. They are not with an engine on a road or operating remotely with in-direct fine line construction.
Type II Crews (largely used in less dangerous parts of the fire; often mop-up work or line improvement) might continue to be in the Forestry Tech series, but with elevated pay any time they are assigned fire duty away from their other type work.
I say the above based on my own firefighting experience and as a former Type I Command Team member who assigned Type I and II crews on fires based on risk. Food for thought.
If you classify type 2 IA crews and other firefighters as anything less than what you classify shots, that will be nothing less than a slap in the face. I’ve been on really great type 2 IA crews and been around lousy shot crews. We dig the same dirt, and take the same risks.
I respect your experience and the time you’ve put in, but I suggest you look into the Twisp River and Esparanza fires before claiming engine crews have less risk to their life because they’re “on a road”. Especially considering that engines are the primary initial attack force throughout the country and as such are more likely to arrive on a fire when the least intelligence has been gathered, the situation is at its most dynamic, and the least safeguards are in place.
Ya can’t say this loud enough
Thumbs up on that .
Our most skilled wildland firefighters are leaving the job right and left. Folks with twenty plus years who are arguably at the journeyman level of fire knowledge. The government has probably spent close to half a million dollars for training someone in that position, from S 130 to advanced classes and academies. It’s a shame we lose them for literally pennies on the dollar compared to our defense budget. When folks recognize wildfires are a national security issue as well as an environmental issue, hopefully we’ll see change. Clearly the USFS, NPS, BLM, and USFWS are not up to the task in the 21st century. We need classification change, salary caps lifted, incentives for fire qualifications and remote duty stations, retention bonuses and actual pay for duty officer on-call status. Check out the incentives for state employees in Victoria AUS. Once this election is over, demand your congress reps and senators pay attention.
https://www.grassrootswildlandfirefighters.com/