What Does a United States Forest Service Firefighter Do For US?

My son is a USFS firefighter on a Hot Shot crew in El Dorado National Forest. His title is "Forestry Technician," however his job is to fight forest fires by hiking into back country where it is dangerous and close to fires. He uses a chainsaw to fell trees, cut brush including poison oak, and make burns to stop fire progression. His crew eats MRE's and sleeps on the ground in the forest at times.

The Current Pay for a USFS Firefighter is Very Low!

My son started this job earning only $13.50 per hour, and now makes only $18.50 per hour after four years in service. The only way for him to earn a livable wage at this job is by getting hazard pay and overtime pay while on fires. Most of his crew are only seasonal members, meaning they only work during fire season. Seasonal members do not receive benefits, and do not earn a pension. Pensions are only based on the base salary, and not the yearly salary, and only start accrual once they become full time crew members.

Why is This Low Wage a Problem for These Firefighters?

This low wage paired together with a dangerous, and physically challenging work environment makes getting and retaining these types of employees very difficult. Crew members sometimes feel that they must work injured in order to support themselves. There is a psychological toll too. Crew members see tragedy during their season, and are separated from friends and family.

Why is this Also All of Our Problem?

The absence of a well paid, well cared for crew that is large in numbers all season long means our forests, and all of us pay the price. During winter, when forests could be thinned, and burned in a controlled way, we don't have enough people on crews to do that. This is all of our problems because we then get large catastrophic fires that spew smoke for miles around, and leave many communities vulnerable to injury, death and infrastructure damage. The cost of these fires is much higher that the cost of a well paid crew! We do not have enough well trained, well rested, well paid people to do the work to care for our National Forests.

What Am I Asking by Having You Sign My Petition?

By signing this petition you agree that firefighters should be called Wildland Firefighter. They should be paid a fair wage that considers their title, skill, and the hazards of the job. Employees should become eligible to be full time rather than seasonal after they have proved themselves in 2 seasons. This is about more than fair pay for a few individuals. This is also about the  health of our National Forests, land, and the climate! We must act now to ensure that we are living in a livable world, and that the men and women who will help us to be able to do that are being paid fairly!