Curious how to address the FT in the East and the South East? When there is a fire would they switch to the new WFS or do they just keep getting the FT pay? Right now only the west coast is demanding a new WF series. That FMO on the Daniel Boone NF has limited funds and only does fire suppression 1 or 2 months a year. Their going to have to figure out a procedure to pay those personnel a new pay system for when they drop their tree marking tape and spray kit and head out West for a fire assignment. And there going to have to figure out who to pay what when those “other” folks come out to support a incident. If you could address this now with a viable solution now, it would limit the federal government from coming up with a stupid solution that does not treat the other DOI and USDA-FS personnel like second hand workers.
And you need to get ALL if the DOI and FS employees who work in fire or who gave a “Red Card” behind this process, not just R5, R3, and R6 employees. They all ready understand the benefits. It’s easy for the West to see the disparity in pay on fires, but you need to show the rest of the Federal Employees the benefits of a WFS and how it will their and their family lives better.
Don’t give the law makers any options or choice’s. I’d you do, they will always choose the “cheapest”. Set the standard for all those DOI and FS employees who fight fire either full OR part-time. Have all the scenarios covered that law makers and OMB, OPM, and other Federal Agencies will bring forward. Just saying 24’s, PTP, HP for everyone will not fly very far. You all need working groups formed now, while the irons hot, to start addressing these issues and come up with defendable solutions to every question they are going to ask in committee down the road. You should find the next 'Cassey Judd" and they should be the voice of your inequity and solution group.
Just saying, start coming up with every possible solution now before some GS-15 in Washington DC does it for you. And your not going to like their solution at all.
