Wildland Firefighter Entry Level Pay

General Discussion
#598

The USFS has a union.
and the infrastructure bill states that “wildland firefighters” will be doing a LOT of fuels reduction projects. so we won’t be just “fighting fire”

as to your first sentence that is the big question…I keep hearing “in areas that have hiring and retention issues”

#599

A lot to unpack there Kee. I probably need to let most of your questions sink in for a bit before offering some thoughts.

I will say your comments about union bargaining are spot on IMHO. For actual “roll up your sleeves” at the table bargaining for salary and benefits we don’t really have that. We rely on associations and a union to lobby on our behalf, the legislative branch to debate and pass it, the executive branch must agree to it and bureaucratic people at the agencies to implement our salary and benefits. I am envious and proud of the union bargaining power related to salary and benefits that some states and local government firefighters have in the workplace. I say good on them and keep up the great work.

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#600

Point of clarification on portal to portal…only FF1 to BC get it, Division chiefs and higher only get 16 hour days, along with the other ranks mentioned.

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#601

From Internal USFS Site:
Recently, the secretary and Chief announced a new national strategy to confront the wildfire crisis facing the nation, focusing on dramatically increasing the scale of forest health treatments over the next decade. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law provides nearly $3 billion to reduce hazardous fuels and restore America’s forests and grasslands, along with investments in fire-adapted communities and post fire reforestation.

In addition to this critical funding for landscapes, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law also put a spotlight on critical changes needed to support wildland firefighters by including provisions for pay increases and requiring the development of a new wildland firefighter series. A lot of work was ongoing prior to the bill being passed to ensure that the Forest Service, the Department of the Interior, and the Office of Personnel Management are coordinated in implementing these new provisions. Thousands of firefighting employees are waiting for information about the status of this work. There is significant complexity in implementing these new provisions, but Inside the Forest Service will be share updates frequently and transparently.

“Wildland Firefighter” occupational series: The Office of Personnel Management, USDA Forest Service and DOI have convened a workgroup that is meeting regularly.

  • The Office of Personnel Management developed an action plan with milestones and a timeline.
  • The workgroup is reviewing the previous GS-0456 classification standard, as well as other background documents (standard position descriptions, job analyses, recent job opportunity announcements, etc.) per the ask of OPM.
  • The workgroup is reviewing all covered PDs to determine which will be retained for reclassification into the proposed new series.
  • The group will hold focus group sessions February/March.
  • The OPM requirement is to have this work completed by May.

Wildland Firefighter pay and compensation: OPM, Forest Service and DOI have a workgroup specific to pay and compensation.

  • Both DOI and USDA have issued guidance to ensure no firefighter is paid less than $15 an hour.
  • There is $600,000,000 available in the law for salaries and expenses ($480,000,000 for USDA FS and $120,000,000 for DOI)
    • Bipartisan Infrastructure Law requires an increase in base salary of a federal wildland firefighter by lesser of $20,000 per year or 50% of salary after determination within a specified geographic area it is difficult to recruit or retain.
    • Forest Service and DOI are working with OPM to determine how to define “wildland firefighter” as it pertains to this provision since the new occupational series is not yet in place.
    • Initial analysis comparing average federal and state wages and house purchasing power for firefighter (delineated to common wildland fire geographic areas) is ongoing to help provide insights in how to determine “a specified geopathic area that is difficult to recruit or retain.”
    • Goal is to have increased payments into paychecks by this summer, either by implementing this provision or using the awards payments model employed last year if we can’t fully implement this provision in FY 22.

Conversion to a more permanent workforce: Conversion of temporary wildland fire response positions to permanent, full-time positions available for fire response activities year-round.

  • The $600,000,000 provided in the law also can also be used to convert not fewer than 1,000 seasonal firefighters (the total is across both USDA FS and DOI) to full-time, permanent, year-round employees and will reduce hazardous fuels on Federal land not fewer than 800 hours per year.
  • The department and Forest Service are identifying personnel that may meet this requirement but recognize that it will likely be difficult for full-time employees to meet response requirements and conduct fuels reduction work 800 hours per year.

Wednesday, February 2, 2022

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#602

Information flow on pay and classification seems to be locked down tight. Not hearing anything.

Might be time to ask a few political types for an update.

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#603
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#604

To those speaking the truth to power and to the press, thank you.

#605

I no longer think the word serious or critical can be applied to the current situation. We’ve passed that point. It’s been four months and four days since the Infrastructure Act was signed by POTUS. The agencies have not provided a clear path as to when or if the pay raises will occur.

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#606

You know what I’m tired of hearing of and having to deal with is the workload/collateral duties/and the you know what you signed up for attitude. I’m tired of being tired, and have made the decision to through in the towel, after 18 fire seasons and 7 years perm…it’s not worth the heartache, and brain warping of being voluntold to work 6th days if not 7th.
The fact of the matter is we don’t do what I signed up for, call me a quitter, but I have to make the EASY decision to say fuck it…it’s over, I’d rather watch the smoke while drinking a beer rather than boiling hot water

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#607

No one would blame anyone for doing the same. It breaks my heart though. Dedicated people, hard work, danger and the feds can’t get out of their own damn way to improve the pay. Congress got their raise though.

In 1994 I got paid min wage to be a federal forestry tech. 28 years later my son is now
Starting his fire career with the feds and getting paid min wage at least for now. I was always an optimist. Thought the FWFSA would get through and get decent pay, portal
To portal. So disappointing.

As far as the pace couldn’t agree more its getting crazy and waining on peoples mental health.

@Fire3376 take care of yourself.

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#608

my heart goes out to you. I agree with App, this bull needs to correct coarse. take care

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#609

You gotta take care of yourself first and good on you for not falling into the thinking you need to there trap.

If they were serious about making actual meaningful change they would have done it, they see no incentive to get it done. But of course these are the decision makers that got us USAjobs so yeah.

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#610

I left 2 years ago and it was the best decision I’ve made in a long time. I ended up w a private company. Before I saw the light I looked at details on HR connect and figured federal is the only way to go. Now I make more than double the pay and I’m home every night

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#611

4.6 proposed

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#612

4.6% is still a pay cut when you consider inflation being 9.7%

“But it’s better than nothing!” Lol

The exodus will continue until Tim’s bill is passed or something else that drastically increases pay.

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#613

The Tim Hart Wildland Firefighter Classification Act…

There isn’t much progress, but this is the second time in a month that a co-sponsor has signed on. That means, ever - ever so slowly, that more consensus or more broad based support is being gained. It’s gaining a link when you need a chain, but it’s positive movement. Earlier this month it was Rep. Spanberger, Abigail Davis [D-VA-7] who signed on.

H.R.5631 - Tim Hart Wildland Firefighter Classification and Pay Parity Act (117th Congress)
Sponsor: Rep. Neguse, Joe [D-CO-2] (Introduced 10/19/2021)

Has changes in:

  • Cosponsors (1 new, 10 total)
    • Cosponsor: 03/28/2022: Rep. Strickland, Marilyn [D-WA-10]
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#614

Hearing rumors from upper management that we will not be getting to pay increase and new firefighters series until October. Hearing they are going to ask for an extension. Also they are also trying to get out of the back pay from when the bill was signed into LAW. If this is true, make sure you are a paying union dues member. Why should our managers be exempt.

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#615

That’s crazy, we are literally hemorrhaging employees.

All while engines can’t staff 7 day and that’s if they can even staff due to no overhead. Battalions are going vacant for the second or third year in a row with zero applicants in the hopper. They talk of all these new hires to make up for all this but no word on how to support them, shit we have stations with no running water.

I’m sure this fire season will be another busy one and as usual we will do more with less. But we gotta be at the breaking point. I know more people will leave if they just shrug us off again. We need more transparency in all of this.

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#616

Thanks for the update desert.

If confirmed, this is absolutely horrendous.

Feds agencies seem to be doing everything they can to stop and or delay the pay increase.

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#617

Last activity on H.R. 5631 was over 5 months ago 11/03/2021.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Conservation and Forestry.
Action By: Committee on Agriculture.

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