By Jonathon Golden
“It’s like having gasoline out there,” said Brian Steinhardt, forest fire zone manager for Prescott and Coconino national forests in Arizona, in a recent AP story about the increasingly fire-prone West.
Now something else is happening — and at the worst possible time.
Federal firefighters are leaving the workforce and taking their training and experience with them. The inability of federal agencies to offer competitive pay and benefits is creating hundreds of wildland firefighting vacancies.
Vacancies, of course, limit how much federal firefighters can do. If Western communities want to be protected, they need to ensure that their firefighters receive better pay and benefits.
In my 11 years of work as a wildland firefighter, I’ve managed aircraft, trained people and run fires myself, but I also did outreach and recruitment for the Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management. I know how hard it is for hiring managers to make 2,000 hours of grueling work, crammed into six exhausting months, sound appealing when the pay is $13.45/hour. The pay doesn’t come close to matching the true demands or everyday dangers of the job.
Federal wildland firefighters, by necessity, are transient workers. During the fire season — now nearly year-round — they must be available to travel anywhere in the United States at any time. And to advance in their career, they have to move to other federal duty stations to gain more qualifications.
Finding affordable housing has always been a problem for career firefighters on a federal salary. To make matters worse, federal agencies revoked the “Transfer of Station” stipend for career employees, which helped offset the cost of moving. Just recently, a national forest supervisor also revoked a “boot stipend.” It might sound minor, but it isn’t: When you’re in the firefighting business, boots tough enough to save your life can easily cost you $500.
Some states aren’t relying on the government to act quickly. “We aren’t just waiting for the next crisis to hit,”said California Gov. Gavin Newsom, in establishing an $80.74 million Emergency Fund that delivers an additional 1,256 seasonal firefighters to boost CALFIRE’s ranks. This Emergency Fund is in addition to the governor’s $1 billion budget request for California’s Wildfire and Forest Resilience Action Plan.
In Washington, state legislators unanimously passed a $125 million package that will enable the state’s Natural Resources Department to hire 100 more firefighters. The legislation furthers the state’s efforts to restore forest health and creates a $25 million fund to ensure community preparedness around the state.
Utah’s House Bill 65, recently signed into law, appropriates money to help Utah’s communities offset the cost of wildfire suppression. Most importantly, it commissions a study to evaluate the current pay plan for firefighters within Utah’s Natural Resources Department.
The bill’s sponsor, Rep. Casey Snider, was amazed to learn that frontline wildland firefighters make more money at McDonald’s: “These positions are critical,” he said. “They are the first ones on fires.” This year, Utah has already had five times the number of wildfires it normally experiences in a year.
And firefighters are organizing and speaking up. The Grassroots Wildland Firefighters is working to halt the exodus of firefighters from federal agencies by advocating for pay parity with state and local fire protection agencies. The group also supports initiatives to assist the physical and mental health of firefighters and their families. The statistics they highlight are shocking: Wildland firefighters have a suicide rate 30 times higher than the average. They also experience high incidences of cardiovascular disease and lung cancer.
There is talk on the federal level of creating a permanent, year-round firefighting workforce. I think this is a necessary step, but it won’t fix the workforce capacity issue unless increased pay and benefits are used to encourage the recruitment and retention of federal firefighters.
We all know that today’s wildfires are longer, more damaging and more frequent than ever before. We also know that men and women are putting their lives on the line for less than they’d earn at a McDonald’s.
Our firefighters do all this to protect our lives, our forests and our communities. We owe them at least a living wage and a chance for a healthy life. I hope more states and legislators will start paying attention. This is a debt that needs to be paid.
Jonathon Golden is a writer for Writers on the Range, a nonprofit dedicated to spurring lively conversation about the West. He lives in Park City and has 12 seasons as a wildland firefighter. He resigned in 2019 to prioritize his family and find a sustainable career. In 2020 Jonathon started Golden Group, LLC, a consulting company that focuses on domestic and international conservation initiatives as well as national security.
It’s not about just the money,it’s about the principle, we are away from home for 16, 18, 20, 21 days, jumping from large fire to large fire. Yes we sign up for it, but when you fall in love with a great crew, a great career, we need to be taken care of, people don’t care about us, how we feel how our loves one miss us,.. as long the big dogs aka.. (government) have there way, its all good. The fight for benefits and better pay has been going on for 20+ plus years. If they cared about us we be paid and get benefited at least close to a citi department,… we are high quality athletes.. sponsor will never happen, federal government will still tax our hard work, people will still NOT care… wildland technicians have died, and still no changes, BLOOD is on there hands.
BOOTS ON the ground will still hit hard, for years to come but my brother’s and sisters will see the truth and leave. Keep working hard, and keep up the fight.
Thank you to all that have the voice to talk for the boots on the ground..
Don’t count on any help from Vicki or Vilsack!
STRIKE or call you legislature if you want change!
As more vacancies continue, the Federal Agencies will simply hire more contracted firefighters. One hard thing I’ve learned in 19 years of public service is that nobody is irreplaceable (whether they actually are or not) in the eyes of the Agency. As long as the Federal Gov exists, it will continue on, with or without you.
If certain folks have just absolutely had enough with Federal Fire but are still passionate about the work, why not form your own private Forestry Business? Build up a type 6 engine mod or form a contract handcrew of hard hitters you know are done with the Fed’s
I’m sure Some would succeed, I’m also sure some would gain a lot of perspective. Especially in regards to things like: Hazard Pay, unlimited quality equipment and fuel, holiday pay, unemployment, quality hiring pool, bunkhouses, boot stipend, project work during a slow season, mandatory R/R, annual leave, sick pay…. what else?
Timber Beast, you bring up a good point. It easy to say, yeah, build up a Type 6, hire the personnel, take on the liability insurance, and then make sure that that you flawlessly fill out the 400-page application process to apply for federal contracting. That application alone would make even the most experienced federal hand blush. My hat goes off to those that have the acumen, resources, and aptitude to pull all of that off.
Having been in the federal agencies over the last 19 years, I am sure that you are acutely aware of the issues surrounding even those private fire companies who are looking to contract with the federal government. As a result of this, and for right or for wrong, there is even a shortage of nationally available contract crews. Just last night it was reported on the local news here in Salt Lake City, UT on KUTV News.
We are all dealing with an imperfect system and we are trying our best to navigate within it and outside of it. But at the end of the day, it is the communities that do not have a say as to who responds when they call for help.
Best to you sir.
I’m sorry but “unlimited quality equipment”?? “Quality hiring pool”??? Which Fed agency are you referring to exactly?
Can we stop comparing firefighter pay to wages at a fast food chain? It’s denigrating to the 1000’s of employees at these chains and it’s counterproductive to building a workers rights movement. State the facts, that forestry techs make $13.45, without belittling another workforce. Improved material conditions for workers in one industry can and should be achieved collectively without creating a hierarchy of those who deserve better pay and those who don’t.
Of course wildland firefighters deserve significantly better pay, but it’s naive to pretend that this issue only affects workers in federal agencies. This is a national problem so let’s treat it as such. That means treating other low wage workers as our equals, and encouraging everyone to demand better conditions and demand respect from their employers – whether the USFS or McDonalds.
I think you are missing the point of the comparison. One is entry level work with little risk or sacrifice and one profession is demanding, had considerable risk and is extremely dangerous. Wages are typically based on work worth to society and our forestry techs deserve better. Keep the comparisons going, it paints the picture and that’s our competition now!
Apples and oranges. Saving lives and forests vs fast food ? No comparison what so ever!
This is not a problem that only recently reared its ugly head. This is a failure of leadership at the highest levels in the Federal government. More so in the USFS, which historically (at least since 1971 when I began) has hired the largest number of wildland firefighters with the “catch-all” classification of Forestry Technician. Minimal advancement, minimal recognition by those that sit in air conditioned Washington/Regional offices. The Forestry Tech’s should have hardhats that say “Break Glass in Case of Fire.” Otherwise, be quiet and out of the way.
The Pooh Bahs have watched this train roll down the tracks for years, and done nothing.
Now, the brakes are burned off and the train is out of control heading south to greener pastures.
To be fair, if the Gubmint has done one thing right in the Wildland Fire arena, it is to have trained some top notch men and women to fill the ranks of Departments across America. End of rant.jw
It may be easy for a Forest Supervisor to stop paying for boots that are a necessity for firefighters, but it demonstrates to me their lack of fire line experience and how important such “mundane items as boots” are to the safety and care of someone “on the line.” This action by a Line Officer is pure negligence.