As a former wildland firefighter, I've witnessed firsthand the financial difficulties my colleagues and I faced due to our low pay rates and lack of benefits. Such terms of work are especially difficult to accept considering the physically demanding, hazardous role we fulfill. Wildland firefighters risk their lives and work under extreme conditions to protect our forests and communities, yet their compensation does not adequately reflect the sacrifice they make. The average wage for a wildland firefighter is only $17 per hour, a figure which falls below the living wage in many parts of the country (source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). Add to this the fact that many firefighters are seasonal workers who receive no benefits, and the full scope of this issue begins to take shape. We cannot let our brave firefighters continue to struggle financially. It's time for decisive action to ensure fair pay across the industry, and that starts by raising the minimum pay for wildland firefighters to at least $20 per hour and mandating the inclusion of benefits for all workers in this line of duty. A society is judged by how it treats its most selfless citizens. Let's choose to reward the courage of our firefighters through adequate remuneration and benefits and treating them as the professionals they are. Please sign our petition.