The White House released a statement today in which several improvements are outlined to improve wildfire preparedness and pay for federal wildland firefighters.
Some are short-term, such as retention pay which may only be in effect this year, but the time frame is not clear. Permanent firefighters working on the front lines up to a GS-9 level will receive up to a 10 percent retention incentive and temporary workers who commit to continue this season would receive a $1,000 Spot/Star Award this year.
The statement also commits the Administration to work with Congress on longer-term improvements in pay, benefits, and work-life reforms.
Many of the initiatives outlined in the statement could, if followed up on, result in significant improvements for Federal firefighters. This is a great step in the right direction. Most of it, the long-term issues anyway, can’t happen unless Congress can be persuaded to assist in this effort to enhance our homeland security.
The document also says, “Increase aviation capacity to support immediate response”. Unfortunately it uses the often repeated number of “up to 36” when describing the air tanker fleet. That is misleading, at best. It implies that they are sitting on a ramp ready to attack wildfires. And “up to” could mean anywhere from zero to 36. Give us an actual, accurate number.
There are 18 large air tankers on exclusive use contracts. This year, temporarily, there will be an additional 8 hired on a shorter term “surge” basis. Others may or may not be available on a more expensive Call When Needed basis, but without any guarantee that they are airworthy and have mechanics and flight crews ready to respond to a fire.
On March 23 Fire Aviation called for a large increase in the numbers of aviation resources:
Congress needs to appropriate enough funding to have 40 large air tankers on exclusive use contracts.
Several years ago the number of the largest helicopters on Exclusive Use contracts, Type 1, were cut from 34 to 28. This number needs to be increased to 50.
Below is the entire statement from the White House.
In addition to the statement, the White House released the video below about wildfire preparedness. It begins at 35:00. He mentioned the speech he delivered in 2013 at the memorial service for the 19 Granite Mountain Hotshots who were killed on a fire. This is extraordinary — the President hosting a 40-minute public event devoted to wildland fire.
The National Interagency Fire Center forecast predicts above normal fire potential for much of the West, in large part driven by severe drought conditions that are impacting nearly ninety percent of the region. Since 2015, the United States has experienced, on average, roughly 100 more large wildfires every year than the year before – and this wildfire season is already outpacing last season in terms of the number of large fires to date. Climate change is driving the devastating intersection of extreme heat, drought, and wildland fire danger across the United States. Decades of shifting development patterns, land and fire management decisions, and climate change have resulted in wildfires that move with a speed and intensity previously unseen. This has created conditions in which wildfires overwhelm response capabilities, resulting in billions of dollars in economic losses, damage to natural resources, devastation to communities, and the tragic loss of human life.
In preparation for this wildfire season, the Biden Administration has convened a series of meetings on wildfire preparedness and prevention efforts to determine what more can be done to prepare for and prevent wildfires. President Biden met last week with FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell and his White House Homeland preparedness team to discuss ongoing efforts to prevent, prepare for and respond to extreme weather events and to underscore the importance of prompt delivery of support to communities in need.
Today, President Biden and Vice President Harris will meet with Governors from Western states, Cabinet officials and private sector partners to discuss specific actions the public and private sector are each taking to strengthen prevention, preparedness, mitigation, and response efforts – and to protect communities across our country from wildfires and their devastating impacts. During today’s meeting, the President will direct a number of actions, in close coordination with State and local governments and the private sector, to ensure the Federal Government can most effectively protect public safety and deliver assistance to our people in times of urgent need.
The President will also highlight the need to invest in wildfire prevention and risk mitigation efforts, including the nearly $50 billion in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Framework.
The Biden-Harris Administration Is Taking Action to Respond to Wildfires this Year:
Building a More Responsive and Resilient Wildland Firefighting Workforce
Bolster firefighter pay. Firefighters must be fairly paid for the grueling work they are willing to take on. From supporting COVID-19 efforts to fighting wildfires, our Federal wildland firefighters have been on nearly nonstop deployments since January 2020. That is why today we are announcing that we are fulfilling the President’s commitment that firefighters will not make less than $15 an hour this year. In addition, permanent firefighters working on the front lines paid at up to a GS-9 level will receive up to a 10 percent retention incentive and temporary workers who commit to continue this season would receive a $1000 Spot/Star Award this year. These are short-term solutions to support our Federal wildland firefighters, especially due to the multiple impacts of COVID and climate change this year. The Administration will work with Congress on longer-term much needed compensation, benefit, and work-life balance reforms for Federal wildland firefighters.
Extend hiring of temporary firefighters to ensure effective response throughout this year’s fire season. To mitigate concerns about Federal firefighter capacity this year, today we are announcing that the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has approved an exemption to extend seasonal Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Department of Interior (DOI) wildland fire employees to work additional hours beyond their term. Because of climate change, wildland firefighting is no longer a seasonal endeavor. Fires are burning later into the season and temporary employees often reach their limited hours earlier in the year. This week, OPM also approved an extension of the Forest Service’s (USFS) direct hire authority for wildland firefighters and support personnel. These proactive personnel management actions will help sustain the Nation’s vital Federal wildland firefighting capacity. We also recognize the need for a sustainable long-term staffing approach into the future that offers more permanent, stable employment.
Continue transition to a more permanent firefighting workforce. With fire seasons turning into fire years, it is imperative to have a year-round workforce that is available to respond at any time, that is supported and equitably compensated, and is available to undertake preventive actions like hazardous fuels management treatments during periods of low fire activity. DOI has committed to hiring 210 new employees and converting 575 employees from career seasonal to full-time employees during this fiscal year. Additionally, DOI is providing funding for 42 new tribal positions and the conversion of 153 tribal positions from career seasonal to full-time employees to support wildfire response. USFS will continue to prioritize expanding its permanent wildland firefighting workforce.
Improving Wildfire Response Capabilities
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