Biden signs off on hefty pay raise for federal firefighters

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP

By AAMER MADHANI

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden has signed off on giving federal wildland firefighters a hefty raise for the next two fiscal years, a move that affects more than 16,000 firefighters and comes as much of the West braces for a difficult wildfire season.

Pay raises for the federal firefighters had been included in last year’s $1 trillion infrastructure bill, but they had been held up as Biden administration officials studied recruitment and retention data to decide where to deliver them.

The White House said the move announced Tuesday is intended to set “federal agencies on a path to continue working with stakeholders towards an updated, competitive, and equitable pay structure, along with a support system that will address the many challenges that have plagued our wildland firefighter workforce for decades.”

The legislation stipulated that the $600 million in the infrastructure bill to increase pay for wildland firefighters should go to all those firefighters provided that they are “located within a specified geographic area in which it is difficult to recruit or retain a federal wildland firefighter.”



FILE - President Joe Biden greets firefighters as he tours the National Interagency Fire Center, Sept. 13, 2021, in Boise, Idaho. Biden on June 21, 2022, signed off on giving federal wildland firefighters a hefty raise for the next two fiscal years, a move that comes as much of the West is bracing for a difficult wildfire season. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)


Read more: https://apnews.com/article/biden-government-and-politics-fa7b429677ef02a20e85a52750d1d14a

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[OnDoutside]

1. If that was trump he'd be giving them sweeping brushes to sweep

the forest floor....

[BumRushDaShow]

2. Excellent!

I know that was a hard process combing through the historical seasonal data to ensure the funds get to the right locations and people.

[SWBTATTReg]

3. These people deserve it! Great news, especially now, being that I'm sure w/ the fire

seasons becoming more longer in the West and probably hotter, thus harder to put out, this extra pay will help retain good workers under difficult situations.

Maybe one day the fires will slowly start tapering off, being that so much has burned already, I don't know. I hope so. The only fire danger I've lived w/ is when in the Ozarks, it was super dry, thus fireworks were banned and then in Joplin, MO, which is on the edge of the prairie, all grasslands, dry as can be, and the wind to boot too, should a fire break out.

[2naSalit]

4. Also need to improve the seasonal housing...

Some bunkhouses are really nice, and some really should be torn down and rebuilt. I had to stay in many, you pay rent for the room, and was appalled at some of them. A couple were really nice, near the upscale communities, that is. And the housing in national parks isn't any better in most places.

[mountain grammy]

5. So true..

especially when looking at longer and longer seasons.

[2naSalit]

9. For fire crews...

It's a different animal at fire camp. Bunkhouses have to adapt to over flow and flow through populations of trail and fire crews as they travel to and from sites and of all agencies when there's an incident nearby.

So fire camp is usually a city of yurts that have aluminum frames, some have insulation. Those go up in 30 minutes if you have a set up crew and that's often done by a contractor.

It's amazing what goes on at fire camp, and there are many positions of workers and security. But none are paid enough.

I was paid more as a public outreach and ed tech than those who were risking their lives fighting fires in the back country. Didn't seem fair, they should have been at least GS07, even the seasonal workers. For the demands made on them, they should get that, at least.

[mountain grammy]

11. Very interesting..

we had a fire camp set up a block from us a few years ago in the school parking lot and a few summers ago camping in Oregon there was one not far from where we were staying. Most were in pop-up 2 man dome tents.. don't remember any yurts but these were relatively smaller fires.

I have no idea what goes on there or how they organize so thanks for the info. I'm glad they're getting a raise.

[2naSalit]

12. Sometimes...

The smoke jumpers and hot shots will be in pup tents depending on the fire situation. Where the incident command, for large fires, is found will be where the yurt city is. There is a trucked in everything from mobile kitchen serving all threes with high calorie content and laundry facilities, shower trailers, it's amazing. I was on a set up crew for a short time and learned a lot of things about which I was fully unaware.

Each camp is it's own thing with different conditions and commanders so no two are a like.

[ancianita]

6. The nation's most essential workers must be highly paid to save it -- which will be priceless.

[Magoo48]

7. Damn good news.

[DENVERPOPS]

8. Bravo

Wildland firefighting is the most brutal work around................even getting certified as a wildland firefighter is brutal..........

[ArnoldLayne]

10. Good Job Mr. President