Similar to Cal Fire’s last pay raise as I understand it. The main reason it happened was Ca raising the minimum wage…
Are first year firefighters with CalFire getting minimum wage?
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I can’t speak to what they make at this point but it was explained to me that the reason cal Fire got raises was because the first year seasonals would be making less than that once min wage went up.
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It seems to me what MHB is saying is that the federal government thinks the guys that are out risking their lives and sleeping in the dirt are only worth minimum wage (no matter what that number is). What they are missing though, is the fact that for minimum wage I can sleep in my own bed and not risk my life and probably promote faster…
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I agree. I was trying to tack on to his point that the way we spend our money in this country at times shows how messed up some people priorities are. I probably should have made it more clear that I was trying to point out that most wildland firefighters whether state or fed are tragically under paid and under appreciated by the politicians that make decisions regarding their compensation.
Sorry if that seemed like I was giving the old “sh… that ain’t nothin” response. I would love to see our federal and state brothers and sisters get the pay and benefits they truly deserve.
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No worries, I didn’t think that at all. I just wanted to once again praise CalFire for seeing and understanding that before it actually happened while the feds (its ok, I work for the feds) don’t see it that way at all. They still treat the entry level forestry technicians like every other forestry technician…oh wait, they get hazard pay if they go to fires so it makes it all better…(sarcasm)
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Yeah, true. I unfortunately missed out on the F. Scott Fitzgerald writing genes.
However the most important thing we can do for our Wildland Firefighters is just what you’re doing. Talking, posting, emailing and fighting for them. Thank you all for that.
Please keep it up the good fight.
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Keep in mind Minimum wage is just that MINIMUM WAGE. If every buther flipper, pizza maker in high school makes Minimum wage for their 1st job. Yet federal Forestry Technicians (I mean FF) make minimum wage, what’s the benifits to educating, learning, training & risking one’s life when a burger flipper can make the exact same thing and not risk their life?
Yes the Calfire FF1(Seasonals) make minimum wage to start. But they work a 72hr week, & get 19hr of guaranteed OT every week. Plus the benifits & retirement, ita not a bad gig for someone in their early 20’s with 1 year of community college. They also get a 5% STEP INCREASE every 6mo of employment. So a FF1 that works 36+ months(3 9mo long seasons) is making $16.07hr $1309.71 per week or $5238.44 per month(4 weeks 53hr base + 19hr OT per week or 288hr per pp)
This and the benifits is why in R5 the FS can’t keep FF
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This is a very good break down. But again look at the wages that we are talking about in comparison to LG. Remember CAL Fire seasonals don’t only fight wildland fires particularly in the south region. The go to structure fires, MCIs, pediatric full arrests, technical rescues, and auto extrications.
Sooooo at the end of the day just as USFS R5 employees leave for cal fire, cal Fire seasonals leave for LG. At the end of the day neither agency can keep boots on the ground or in the testing lines.
This is getting close to a conversation of USFS vs Cal Fire again and the original point was that neither agency can recruit, train, and retain qualified personnel due to pay.
I certainly agree that the USFS has it worse for entry level than Cal Fire, but at the end of the day both organizations are bleeding people for the same reasons. The people who make the overall decisions from a non suppression roll are clueless as to what the boots on the ground do and cannot understand why a 1970’s staffing model and pay scale won’t work in 2019
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Dont forget this isnt just USFS that gets paid dirt or are classified as “TECHS” there is BLM,FWS, NPS and BIA wildland firefighters on the embarrassing GS payscale.
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Absolutely correct and I fixed.
Thanks for keeping up the fight for all Wildland Firefighters. Time is right to push for changes.
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Good catch bro. You couldn’t be more correct.
The year was 1987: I had an opportunity to work seasonal Park Ranger for National Park Service for a couple months in the winter on hiatus from another job. My dad asked, me, “How much do you get on unemployment?” I told him. “How much do you take home from the Park Service job”?" I told him. “So for less than a dollar an hour you’re going to put on a badge and gun and go out and chase drunks and haul people to jail?”
Needless to say, I took the job but was aware what I was doing and how much I was earning. It’s a calling.
I think that we are all here because it’s a calling. I know that personally I will never reach my maximum earning potential in this job. That being said everyone who puts their lives on the line for others should be able to at least pay their mortgage and live a normal middle class lifestyle. Clearly when people who risk their lives make the same or less than a burger flipper that’s not the case.
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It’s a calling alright. We keep calling because the applicants won’t return our calls.
I do understand what you’re saying Sam. Your post is very true. Times have changed. We can’t expect people to risk there lives for minimum wage (or just above). Some would say it’s immoral.
Just found this nugget… my point exactly!
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Seems like everyone knows this except Washington…or they know it and are choosing to ignore it??
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I think you know the answer to that one my friend.
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It’s not even a fair fight at this point.
Fairly disgusting to put it mildly.
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