Working 12-14 hours a day while still doing his regular job as Engine Captain
Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack on video call with Division Supervisor Jeff Hammond and Forest Service Chief Vicki Christianson. Image from FS video.
The U.S. Forest Service has published a 13-minute video of a conversation with Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, Division Supervisor Jeff Hammond, and Forest Service Chief Vicki Christianson.
Mr. Hammond is a FS Engine Captain from Prescott, Arizona. In the video uploaded April 12 he said he was in charge of coordinating personnel administering COVID-19 vaccinations at three sites, working 12 to 14 hours a day while also doing his regular job. He is a Type 2 Operations Section Chief on one of the Southwest Geographic Area Incident Managements Teams and is also qualified as a Division Supervisor.
Secretary Vilsack asked detailed questions about Mr. Hammond’s duties in the vaccination programs, coming across as being interested in other people, asking Mr. Hammond about his family and where he was born and raised.
Brock Blevins, the Training Coordinator for the NASA Applied Remote Sensing Training Program (ARSET) asked that we pass along an online training opportunity.
The six-part training in English and Spanish will cover how remote sensing and Earth observations can be used to monitor conditions before, during and after fires. Topics covered will include weather and climate conditions, fuel characterization, fire risk, smoke detection, monitoring, forecasting, fire behavior, and post-fire landscapes. This intermediate-level training will provide lectures and case studies focused on the use of Earth observations for operational fire monitoring.
Audience: This training is primarily intended for local, regional, state, federal, and international organizations involved in resource and ecosystem management, health and air quality, disaster risk management, disaster response, and those with an interest in applying remote sensing to fire science.
Firefighters on the Eclipse Complex of fires, Klamath NF, 2017. Photo by B. Patton. InciWeb.
From Bill: I have been communicating for a few weeks with a U.S. Forest Service Forestry Technician about an article they wanted to submit about helping employees who are struggling with mental health issues. The text arrived by email yesterday:
Sorry for the delay. I’ve actually been really busy at work, and then I had an employee resign for mental health reasons today. For that reason I don’t want to put this off anymore.
Here is the article. The author wished to remain anonymous.
It has now been over a year since the start of the 2020 fire season. It has also been just over a year since the COVID-19 pandemic truly began affecting my life, and the lives of the people I work with. A year ago I was onboarding my crew in full COVID PPE, issuing gear and sending them home to telework while we figured out how to fight fire during a pandemic. I was legitimately thrilled to start the 2021 season, thinking the pandemic and the stress was behind us and that finally we could get back to ‘normal’.
But today I had a talk with one of my employees about their incredibly difficult off-season and the mental health struggles they’ve been dealing with. The details of their struggle aren’t critical here. It could be about money, family, a relationship, personal health, or simply happiness and life satisfaction. What is important is that since the end of the 2020 fire season, almost half of the employees I supervise have approached me with mental health concerns just like these. Yes, you read that right. Nearly half of my employees are struggling to cope to the extent that they approached me needing help and advice. And while I was aware, as I’m sure you are, that the pandemic has caused trauma, stress, depression, and self harm at unprecedented levels potentially not seen before, it hadn’t personally affected me until now. And now it’s here, and not in a small way. This is not an anomaly. This is a trend.
At first I had a serious bout of self reflection and introspection. “What have I done to these people that they’re hurting so badly?” “What happened last season to push them in this direction?” “Did I drive them too hard?” “Why didn’t I see this coming?” I consulted with some of my mentors and realized that no, it isn’t necessarily me. It’s us. It’s our culture. We think we can handle just about anything. We regularly and voluntarily place ourselves into environments that define the word stress, and we do so with big dirty grins on our faces. And as the season grinds on we find a few ways to cope, and they’re usually extremely unhealthy. It should not surprise us that this approach is bound to break down. But one thing we don’t do is talk about how we’re feeling. We grind it out because we know winter is coming. And we think that will help. But what if it doesn’t? I’m writing today to say that it doesn’t. Winter unemployment wasn’t a holiday. Fire season was a holiday from reality. And when work ends, the harsh reality of “real life” is waiting there staring you in the face. And now we are returning to work not refreshed and fit and ready to go, but drained from a stressful winter. And if this problem exists where I work, I truly believe it must be happening where you work, whether it’s being talked about or not.
So here’s my advice. I’m not a mental health professional so take it for what it’s worth. I’m just a guy who’s done this for a little while.
Firefighters – know that you are not alone. Literally everyone experiences the same anxiety and struggles just like you do, in different ways and at different times. The past 12 months have been brutal. Everyone on my crew broke their career overtime records in 2020, and did so while it felt like the world was imploding around us, and while we were isolated from friends and family. Stress on top of stress for 6-8 months followed by being set adrift and alone into the world once the snow flies is mentally taxing in a normal year. Doing all of that during a pandemic was bound to push people over the edge. I only ask that you realize that we are here for you. Your supervisors. Your coworkers. Even the random people you meet for one shift on a fire and never see again. We’re here for you because we are you. We experience it too. And while we may not have all the answers, we’re all better off seeking them together. Speak up. Your voice will empower the voices of others. And there are free and anonymous resources to connect you with professionals regardless of which agency you work for. Talking about it will help.
Supervisors – Make yourself available and approachable. I am as guilty as the rest of you. In our line of work, I am a stereotypical fireline supervisor. I am loud and outspoken, and I portray a confidence that I’m sure tells my subordinates that I am more or less bulletproof and immune from these issues personally. That is not helpful. That does not give your people the confidence to speak up. Show humility. Lose the ego. Let them see your weaknesses. Empower your employees with the knowledge they need to get help. Give them contact information for the Employee Assistance Program (EAP). While I am at times a major skeptic when it comes to believing “the agency” has our back, I can say for certain that my agency’s EAP has done incredible work for the people I’ve put in touch with it. And even if no one has approached you for help, you can still foster an environment that encourages open communication and the ability to come to you with issues. The egomaniacal “shut up and dig” approach may work in some cases, but this is not one of them.
Thanks for indulging me in my brief but passionate soapbox rant. I don’t claim to have the answers. I have no formal training in mental health or therapy. But I’ve done this job for a long time, and I’m seeing looks on faces I’ve never seen before. We’ve been getting better recently about talking. Opening up. Discussing as opposed to directing. But I believe we still have work to do if we’re going to create a culture and a family that feels comfortable speaking up and opening up about mental health. Life is stressful enough these days. Doing what we do on top of all of that is bound to be just a little too much sometimes. Drop the ego and be a human. A little empathy goes a long way. Have a safe season.
Code Green Campaign, a first responder oriented mental health advocacy organization.
Would you rather communicate with a counselor by text? If you are feeling really depressed or suicidal, a crisis counselor will TEXT with you. The Crisis Text Line runs a free service. Just text: 741-741
The Deputy Regional Forester for the Pacific Northwest Region of the U.S. Forest Service (R6), Debbie Hollen, confirmed the boot stipend policy in an email that circulated on April 21, 2021:
I can confirm that ALL R6 employees who are eligible for a boot stipend will receive one. This article is an example of an unfortunate misunderstanding, that we hope is limited to one National Forest. I know we have tried to ensure understanding of the change in policy related to both the stipend, and the new budget structure across the entire RLT. Boots are covered in FY21.
It remains to be seen if this ALL employees statement applies to all FS regions. On April 20 I asked Debra Schweizer, Acting Public Affairs Specialist in the FS Washington Office that question by email, “Will the boot stipend be available to every employee who qualifies this year?” If I receive a reply it will be posted here. Earlier she had written that the Washington Office “has been working with regions directly to ensure there are enough funds nationally available to cover all fire employees that participate in the program.”
Originally published at 1:38 p.m. PDT April 20, 2021
USFS photo by Jordan Gulley, Redmond Hotshots
Some field-going personnel on the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest in Oregon, including those with fire duties, are being told they may have to purchase some of their own required personal protective equipment this year.
In the Forest Service, certain field-going personnel and all Forestry Technicians who fight fires are required to have boots that meet the agency’s specifications — at least 8 inches high, lace-type work boots, with lug melt-resistant soles. Prices for most models range from $340 to $560. If worn by firefighters who put a lot of miles on them, the boots have to be rebuilt, repaired, or replaced regularly.
Since 2015 the Forest Service has been giving personnel who are required to have these boots a stipend up to $300 every three years to help defray the cost. On October 1 of last year it was increased to $500. The three-year schedule was then reset for everyone, which meant they all could apply for the stipend again.
Two employees on the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest told Wildfire Today that this year they were informed that not everyone who qualifies will receive a full stipend because there is not enough money available.
An explanatory email sent March 29 from the Administrative Officer on the Rogue River -Siskiyou NF laid out the new policy according to Merv George, the Forest Supervisor. Eligible employees were told to submit their stipend requests by April 19 “for final review and determination of reimbursement amount.” And…
Please note: based on the number of Forest-wide requests, the full reimbursement of $500 will not be honored if total cost exceeds our allocation; instead, Merv’s decision is to split the number of requests received by the amount allocated – this includes fire and non-fire employees, for consistency…Permanent employees remain priority and if funding remains available after covering permanent staff, we may look to support temporary employee requests. Requests shall be submitted for employees who truly need/needed replacement boots and only employees with a position description identifying boots as a requirement will be considered.
The boot policy obtained from the USFS website seems fairly clear:
On April 19 I asked Forest Supervisor Merv George if everyone on the Rogue River-Siskiyou NF who is required to have boots that meet the agency’s specifications will receive the $500 stipend. He replied by email that afternoon:
The answer to your question all depends on how many employees submit a reimbursement request. I have sat aside $10k for this purpose as of now. Unfortunately the forest does not receive any extra funding for these reimbursements. Instead it is expected that they will be absorbed by our existing salary and expense line item.
If more than 20 people submit reimbursement requests that will use up the $10k I will try and find more money….meaning hiring less [temporary employees] for this season. Or we can divide up the $10k by the number and give everyone an equal share. No decisions have been made because we are still waiting to see how many folks are requesting it this year.
Sorry if it sounds complicated but until the authors of the boot policy can find a way to help the field pay for them….units are navigating this dynamic tension.
Bottom line…the leadership team and I will do our best to make the $500 reimbursement happen for all our staff who request it.
Later that afternoon I heard from Mr. George again, saying:
I just learned that I have 130 boot reimbursement requests as of now. This puts me well over the $10k I had budgeted for. I just spoke with our new R6 Fire Director about this issue too. Looks like we may see some economic help from the region on this. As I mentioned before, I will do everything I can to honor this policy.
I reached out to the Forest Service Washington Office and explained the situation in Oregon.
Debra Schweizer, Acting Public Affairs Specialist responded by email:
The Washington Office, Fire and Aviation Management, has been working with regions directly to ensure there are enough funds nationally available to cover all fire employees that participate in the program.
One of the Forestry Technicians that reached out to us last week had strong feelings. They wanted their name withheld.
These types of leaders treat the budget like it’s taking food off their own dinner plate and it’s disheartening. I’m also really irritated at the Forest and the Agency for specifically targeting the boot stipend as a way to screw people. EVERY OTHER PROFESSION I’ve seen has provided employees PPE, so why would the Agency ask people to buy these extremely expensive boots out of pocket on the ‘chance’ that they get reimbursed? Can you imagine the outcry if the public heard that the Seattle Fire Department expected their employees to buy their own bunker gear or SCBAs?
Back in the old days, before 2015, Forestry Technicians had to pay for their own boots. During my second year with the Forest Service, my initial year on the El Cariso Hot Shots, our first large fire that year in 1970 was the Safety Harbor Fire at Lake Chelan, Washington. After flying from Southern California in a Forest Service DC-3 we were hauled on a bus to a boat launch on the west side of the lake. From there we got on a sightseeing boat usually used for tourists, which took us across to the other side, where we were the initial attack on the fire. (Yeah, I KNOW. From Southern California, we were the first Forestry Technicians on the fire. Needless to say, there were a bunch of fires burning in the area and the locals were a little busy.)
El Cariso Hotshots and other firefighters on a boat being ferried across Lake Chelan to the Safety Harbor Fire in 1970. Photo by Bill Gabbert.
After two or three weeks we had a day of R&R. Some of us, including myself who had found that our boots were inadequate for Hotshot work, were taken to a shoe store in a nearby town. It was early in the season and most of us had very little money, and no credit cards. Our crew Superintendent, Ron Campbell, worked with the Finance Section to arrange for a Commissary-like process for us to buy new boots and for the funds to come out of our pay.
We all proudly walked out of the store wearing new, shiny Whites — which at the time was the preeminent footwear for firefighters and loggers. I think I paid $65 for mine, a week’s pay.
Later I heard that when the paperwork was being processed, one of the clerks in the office wondered why firefighters were buying white boots. “Won’t they just get dirty?” she said.
El Cariso Hotshots at a spike camp on the Safety Harbor Fire in Washington, 1970. We had just been chased out of a canyon after the fire blew up, like it did every afternoon around 2 p.m. In the foreground is the tub for heating “Continental Cuisine” frozen hairnet-bag meals. Photo by Bill Gabbert.
Boise BLM smokejumpers. BLM photo by Carrie Bilbao July 28, 2020.
(This article first appeared at The Oregonian)
By Ben Elkind
I would almost do it for free. The feeling of complete focus and calm after jumping out of the airplane is hard to find elsewhere these days. But the chaos from life and the fire below are making me rethink my career, and that’s a big problem for Oregonians.
I’ve been a smokejumper for the US Forest Service for eight years and worked on the Mt. Hood Hotshot Fire Crew before that. I grew up in Oregon and can’t stand to see the wildfires ravaging our public lands and communities, while the smoke threatens our public health.
The Forest Service employs the largest firefighting force in the west, yet the agency refuses to rise to the challenge of climate change and the growing demand that increased fires, short-staffing and low pay presents for our workforce.
Vacancies throughout the west limit our firefighting ability. Fire engines sit idle and unstaffed in many parts of our state, and the number of “Type-II” incident management teams – charged with managing large fires around the northwest – has decreased from ten to seven since 2014. The teams that remain are short-staffed and spread thin. This is the obvious outcome in a profession that I’ve never heard anyone recommend to their children.
As the cost of living and home prices rise in the west, the Forest Service can no longer retain its employees when starting pay is $13.45 an hour. At the Lincoln City McDonald’s, just west of Otis, another community nearly erased from the map by wildfires, a sign in the window advertised starting pay is $15 an hour. My wife joked that I should apply there for more job security. She’s right. A career with McDonald’s is currently more promising than federal wildland firefighting.
I’m an incident commander with advanced qualifications, supervising dozens of resources and fire crews on fires, yet I’ve never earned more than $20 an hour in my 14 years as a professional wildland firefighter. I make decisions that can cost millions of dollars with lives hanging in the balance, yet I am paid more like a teenager working a summer job than a highly experienced professional. Last summer, I trained someone from Seattle Fire who earned more in two weeks than I earned in a 6-month fire season.
The cost of paying living wages to our firefighters pales by comparison with the costs that devastating wildfires have on our state. The costs in Oregon from the 2020 fires alone are in the billions of dollars, and that doesn’t include the mental toll it took on our citizens. My pregnant wife was home with our toddler duct-taping paper towels on a fan to try to filter the smoke, while I was working on the fire that would burn from Warm Springs past Detroit and toward Portland.
I’ve personally seen the experience level drop rapidly on fires over the past decade as people find work that is more predictable and safer, and affords them a better work/life balance. This leads to higher fire costs simply because we aren’t as experienced at fighting fire as we used to be. When training costs are so high, retention is paramount to fiscal responsibility.
Prescribed burns and hazardous fuels reduction are buzzwords politicians and media use, but the reality is that there aren’t people willing to take on that dangerous job anymore at $13.45 an hour. The limiting factor is staffing.
Fire season in 2021 is now underway in the drought-stricken western U.S., yet there have been no policy changes at the firefighting level, or legislatively.
Talking about wildfires, climate change, prescribed burning is great. But our citizens and firefighting workforce demand action. I ask for your help, to demand a better investment of our money, and to preserve what parts of Oregon we have left for future generations.
Smokejumpers. BLM photo.
Ben Elkind is a smokejumper for the U.S. Forest Service based out of Redmond.
