The Grassroots Wildland Firefighters ‘Infrastructure Bill’ page does a good job of breaking down this bill. From the FAQs:
How much funding is appropriated for wildland firefighter pay increases?
There is $600M dollars appropriated for federal wildland firefighter pay increases, among other things. $120M for DOI and $480M for the USDA
The pay increase starts October 1st, 2021, and should be retroactive.
Probably shouldn’t put this out there…it goes without saying though that uncle Sam eats with the Sawyers in the line.
What if, by the time all the washing and bleaching of a well intended few paragraphs in a long bill, our own top, non fire professionals, sent the direction down as a reoccuring annual bonus of 20,000 or 50% and it didn’t effect any differentials?
Everyone going exempt on that one??? Much like they did the token bonus of this year. I personally would have rather taken a mega millions quick pick in exchange.
In the text it says…
“Increase the base salary of a Federal wildland firefighter”
Keyword… SALARY, not bonus…
What hasn’t been discussed unless I missed it, is all of the admin duties supervisors are dealt with nowadays. In conjunction with succession planning, we need to get out of the office and help facilitate the real work of firefighting and train our folks. With the gap that we have in the entry and middle level it’s hard to see how just a 20k pay bump is going to help in that realm…at least in the next 5-10 years. That’s how far we are behind in succession planning. Think of all of the IC3 and DIVS we are loosing. The fact is f the matter is we have lost so much in the last 10 years, is going to take a bit to gain those quals back!
You have a valid point. In California, Calfire has identified the same problem, but with ALL PERMANENTE Employees. The last “Blue Book” that was published almost 2 years ago identified 12 weeks a year that an employee is not available to do their primary job. Those 12 weeks are made up of required training, promotional training, Vacation & Sick days. That means an employee is only available approximately 86% of the time. Now add to that the required administrative duties it takes a 10hr day and either turns it into a 12-14hr day or requires the employee to work on their days off.
Something that still hasn’t been discussed and I’m open to any idea’s. Is the problem of Demographics. More Americans are leaving the work force than entering the work force. The labor force participation rate in October 2021 was 61.5 while in February 2021 it was 63.4. At the end of 2006 the rate was 67.6.
All the raises in the world Will not solve the problem of Demographics.
I caught the word salary a few weeks ago as well. Hard to say what the agency bureaucrats do with that one. Which is why we need to watch, listen and share information.
Excellent points by ehoss and 3376. Only way you fill that gap is stop the flood gates of those leaving and get some experienced people to apply back. Hard to see that occurring with a 3-5 year limited amount of funding. But maybe.
Don’t get me wrong, this is all moving in the right direction and I am thankful. The headwinds from years of inaction to get us back to excellent staffing numbers with more strong knowledgable fire leaders on the ground wont be easy and will take years. Everything starts with significantly improved entry level pay ($20) and scales up appropriately through the ranks.
We need the #TimHartAct
THE BILL HAS BECOME LAW!!!
POTUS signed it 11/15/21 1630hr EST
Congratulations to Casey, MHP and the rest who have fought the battle for over two decades
One National Forest will have two 30-person hotshot crews next year - Wildfire Today
Any one have any insight on what this may mean for the AD’s? I have not seen anything on that so far. Thanks for any intel.
Also, what happens to militia that take fire assignments?
AD’s? You mean us that are mere pieces of debris stuck to the bottom of a shoe? It would be nice but… And they probably won’t even consider reinstating the “retiree” programs that some LG departments were sponsoring.
Most are aware of the site, but just in case you don’t. They update with FAQs often, so maybe some language will pop with clarity about AD, militia, and other full timer’s questions. Need clarity on who exactly will be moved to wildland firefighter series. As mentioned on their site what about dispatchers…also what about upper tier fire management series and there is rumor mill about only GS-9 or below being benefited. Again rumor, left over from cash award stipulations?
ADs are basically saving our bacon these days and the agencies should come up with something better for ADs outside this new law.
I have some ideas on how local governments could still mob overhead staying within the cfaa agreement. But we should kick that around more over in the cfaa thread.
My Guess is Little T and Dalton
I think the 10 man engine crews, creating a 3-4 12 hour shift, will be good improvement for the guys and gals. Time off and time with family is important for a healthy and productive work force.
Heck if the Tim Heart act passes and the 3-4 12hour shifts was adopted I would give some serious thought to leaving my LG job and joining the Forest Service!
That would be the goal.
Not Enough!
Let me make sure I am reading this correctly. You reserve the ability to lower the steps and pay, if Congress approves the Presidents pay raise for federal employees in 2022? So you don’t want to afford them the benefit of a pay raise? All this talk about paying firefighters appropriately must really be tough on you ivory tower types.
If DOI really wants a significant onslaught of push back on all this in advance of the 2022 mid-terms, we can make that happen.
You reserve the ability? Absolutely Clueless.
Not Enough!
November 19, 2021
Memorandum
To: Director, Bureau of Indian Affairs Director, Bureau of Land Management Director, Fish and Wildlife Service Director, National Park Service
From: Director, Office of Human Capital Deputy Chief Human Capital Officer
Subject: Wildland Firefighters Minimum $15 Per Hour
On June 30, 2021 the White House established a commitment that no Federal Wildland firefighter would make less than $15 an hour. President Biden recognized the need to improve Federal firefighter compensation with pay and retention incentives including a more livable wage.
In September 2021, the DOI provided retention and monetary incentives to approximately 3,500 firefighters (permanent and temporary). These incentives provided temporary relief through the end of the calendar year to cover the gap for those earning less than $15 per hour.
Wildland firefighting in today’s environment demands increasingly sophisticated skill sets during the arduous fire year. The DOI is committed to major investments in the Wildland Fire Management (WFM) program. Work has already begun to expand and modernize key components of the program, from expanding the workforce, addressing pay, compensation, classification, to aviation and other firefighting equipment, to facilities and infrastructure. The highest priority and most urgent needs is our workforce. Substantial change and reform will likely be an iterative process. Some reforms will occur relatively quickly while others will take more time to thoughtfully improve the outcomes.
This memorandum establishes a minimum pay threshold for DOI firefighters to make $15 per hour or more as part of the initial steps for the workforce. The new pay scale implementation direction represents the absolute minimum pay certain employees would receive at grades GS-02, GS-03, and GS-04. Bureaus and hiring officials are urged to evaluate the appropriate requisite qualifications and experience needed for a position and onboard firefighters at the appropriate commensurate grade level.
The following scales are for initial hiring actions as well as adjustments for existing employees for positions within the Wildland Fire Management organization(s):
• Use a Rest of United States (RUS) pay scale to standardize pay setting for all GS-02, GS-03, and GS-04 new hires as follows:
o GS-02 – utilize the Step 9 of RUS pay scale (2021) to establish $15.12 per hour
o GS-03 – utilize the Step 5 of RUS pay scale (2021) to establish $15.25 per hour
o GS-04 – utilize the Step 2 of RUS pay scale (2021) to establish $15.61 per hour
o Locality Pay Area adjustment, based on duty location, will be added to the salary pay scale where applicable.
• Establish a one-time pay adjustment for existing permanent GS-03 and GS-04 after the cost-of-living increase is established in January 2022 to avoid disparate pay:
o Utilize the Step 5 of RUS pay scale (2021) to establish $15.25 per hour
o Utilize the Step 2 of RUS pay scale (2021) to establish $15.61 per hour.
• Eliminate hiring of all GS-01s for firefighting positions due to the inability to appropriately compensate (RUS pay scale (2021) maxes out at $13.72).
Due to the FY22 Continuing Resolution, the cost-of-living adjustment and salary tables for calendar year 2022 have not been released. DOI reserves the ability to adjust the pay setting step based on the dollars per hour for grades to maintain the $15 per hour rate. In some cases, this could mean a lower step due to the anticipated 2.9% cost-of-living increase.
All questions regarding this memorandum can be directed to the Office of Human Capital.
More and more will leave…
#notenough
#TimHartAct
Hey DOI, Congress and POTUS just sent you a new law. 20k or 50% increase in pay, retroactive. Get to work. Can somebody wake up OWF? Stop sending out letters about what rights you may reserve and follow the dam law.
All the GS-13s, 14s, 15s and SESs don’t forget where you came from.
We are watching.