I have no doubt the changes they’re making are huge and the task list is long. However one thing leaders are generally good at is communicating. So ask them to get started.
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Grant Beebe spoke yesterday during a question and answer forum regarding BIL from BLM/DOI standpoint. I believe a recording will be posted soon. I highly recommend checking it out when it becomes available. I found it informative, direct and frank. I prefer hearing it from the source rather than unnamed sources… Alot of what was addressed is in contradiction to things posted here.
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If they can spend $$$ trillions of dollars, that we don’t have, on COVID bailouts and freebies and have checks in hands in a matter of weeks creating policy and distribution rules as they go then D.C. and the W.H. could have the USFS issues done just as fast if they wanted to. Heck, Congress gets their raises right after they approve them. For you in the USFS I sure hope it comes as you deserve it, but I’m very skeptical it will come out as you thought or they told you. Then the excuses will come.
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Can you offer some additional information and thanks for posting if a recording becomes available.
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My personal opinion is we are not going fix anything with short term money. We are not going to be able to contract our way out wither its fuel reduction, infrastructure, or deferred maintenance. If we can’t maintain it, we are just putting on a happy face bandage on a wound that is not being properly taken care of. How many times have we seen grants for shaded fuel brakes that are not maintained become the new receptive fuel for large fire? I bet we have a 30 percent reduction in federal employees since 2000. Hell, it’s taken me since December 22 to bring a seasonal onboard to clean bathrooms, sorry definitely another challenging issue. Hopefully what the delay is about, they are actually looking at this from the 10000-foot level to retain, sustain and not blame. There are a lot of smarter folks on this forum than me, maybe they can point this out to there political figures.
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There was alot covered over the 45 min Q&A… I will just hit a few points as I dont want to misspeak… Once again this was from BLM/DOI and not USFS direction… Beebe said DOI approach is the additional pay is more based off duties not necessarily FF retirement, in DOI eyes fuels/suppression is the same. DOI is reluctant to create a new pay structure because the alloted pay increases is only funded for 2 years, looking at other funding mechanisms to make pay increases permanent, thats what agency would like but as we know they are appropriated funds. Some sort of pay supplements should come in May or June, when most staff is onboard… Maybe 1 lump sum…maybe broken into chunks. DOI with Solicator is taking approach that everywhere is hard to recruit or retain across broad geographic areas. Looking at 401 series, PDs etc… thats all I wish to type right now as there was alot covered. Will post recording when it becomes available
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I agree there is definitely a disconnect in communication between what is happening in the drawing room and the eyes and ears of us on the outside. Same as such in any form of government that has a degree of political risk involved. I do feel and agree this is an enormous task with many complexities involved. We are still within the 180 day window they wrote in the legislation to create the classification. this is for 10,000 + employees with a substantial fiscal impact to their budget. It will take time to do it right. Once again, this is just the first step. I will keep fighting
I too am eager to hear what they come up with and want clarification. Last months Grassroots meeting wasn’t great but it did give approximate dates for when things will start to unfold and when they will “show the cards”.
Keep being advocates for change and keep fighting for the Tim Hart Act.
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Unfortunately under the current political & economic climate, being a election year where it appears the Democrats are going to get beat like a drum in the Rose Parade. The Tim Hart Act is dead till after the midterms longer. This administration has demonstrated ineptitude on all levels when it comes to critical issues(Afghanistan, China, Russia, Ukraine, Energy, Inflation, etc) They have not shown a willingness to pivot the way President Clinton did in the 1990’s. Look no further than the bureaucratic mess that is the C-130 program(Coast Guard to FS to Calfire) and not a single plane will fly in 2022n EIGHT YEARS AFTER THE PROGRAM WAS FUNDED. The bottom line is LOCAL CONTROL is the answer not federal control. The US was founded as a Representative Republic for a reason. The further we get from local control and states rights, the greater the problem gets.
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Grant Beebe discussing BIL from BLM/DOI perspective
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Right on the money! Excellent post.
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33k starting pay as a new wildland firefighter with zero benefits. Poverty. My son just showed me his hiring letter, i know there is H pay and yada yada but just add it to their base.
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Should not be an issue. For federal employment you get hired via usajobs, an online platform and it goes from your resume and how you fill out the form.
So things are not looking good. If anyone was on the fire chat, they keep making up things, i.e well we don’t know how to interpret the language of the bill. They are backing off saying it will only be a bi weekly payment for the year for the 20,000 and say nothing will probably happen until next year. Not sure how and why the USFS and DOI can break the law as their employees are struggling to stay afloat. May 1 is tomorrow and their 180 day deadline is here. Let’s see what they come up for a lame excuse now.
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I cannot seem to locate where they are ppsting these fire chats. They seem to be hidden pretty well. Do you have a link?
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They are usually posted on YouTube, but they say they have been having problems, so they switched platforms.
So anyone heard anything. It is May and their 180 days are pretty much up. We all need to pressure our leaders for answer, especially those in the regional office that came from the field and now is charge of how to put this into place. I hope they remember where they came from.
Not sure why I received this alert this morning. I can’t detect any changes in the summary, but I didn’t compare word-for-word. More importantly, I don’t see any action after March 2022, when the last couple of co-sponsors signed on (I already posted that.) Following the link lets you poke around to read different details.
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:
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Summary (1 new, 1 total)
- Summary: Introduced in House (10/19/2021)
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Unless this true pay increase goes through, we will not be able to staff or retain employees. Right now it is looking bad, for the first time in years we are going to shut down stations on our forest due to lack of staffing and seasonal firefighters taking jobs elsewhere. Wake up people and see what true reality is looking like for this fire season. Hope the federal government is willing to pay its cooperators to put out their fires.
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