Cornerstone staffing solutions
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In a 2010 special hearing, officials were questioned by lawmakers over the shortages, including among senior-level firefighters. Forest Service Chief Randy Moore testifies before a Senate Energy and Natural Resources hearing to examine President Biden's proposed budget request for fiscal year 2023 for the service. "Recruitment and retention in these locations will go from difficult to impossible, which would significantly jeopardize our nation's ability to fight wildfires and protect communities."ĪP U.S. "Firefighters who do not get the raise will undoubtedly feel undervalued and many will certainly quit," Erwin wrote. On June 1, National Federation of Federal Employees President Randy Erwin, the union representing a majority of federal wildland firefighters, sent a letter to Biden officials calling for immediate action in raising wages for federal wildland firefighters. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., during a Thursday hearing featuring Forest Service Chief Randy Moore. "Already in Oregon, there is a 20% vacancy rate in these positions and Western states are actually trying to borrow firefighters from each other," said Sen. The biggest vacancies are in the Pacific Northwest, which is 24% below, and California, which is 15% below.Ī wide variety of factors contribute to the shortages, including noncompetitive pay and lack of affordable housing, according to the Forest Service.ĭata obtained by NPR on California's May spring fire hire rates shows the state, which makes up its own region, has 1,637 vacancies.
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This unique workforce is the first line of defense for public lands and also has the capability to travel across state lines and country borders to fight fires.Īccording to May staffing data provided by the Forest Service to NPR, six out of nine regions have staffing levels below last year's hiring peak, which around July was 11,480 employees. Fire seasons, warns the Agriculture Department, are becoming longer and harder to control leading to intense "fire years."Īnd firefighters are also tasked with carrying out the administration's 10-year plan for reducing the risk of wildfires, which would involve increasing work on 50 million additional acres of land.īut continued low wages, benefits and staffing have depleted morale among the ranks and despite congressional and Biden administration action, eyes are on the agencies and Congress to deliver solutions.įederal wildland firefighters are spread across the Agriculture and Interior departments and within agencies that fall under them, such as the Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management and the Bureau of Indian Affairs. The two largest wildfires in New Mexico's history, the Calf Canyon-Hermits Peak Fire in the Santa Fe National Forest and the Black Fire in the Gila National Forest, are currently under way, prompting a visit on Saturday by President Biden. Forest Service has faced retention and recruitment issues that have resulted in a depleted workforce while fire seasons worsen and the Biden administration is increasing pressure to reduce wildfire risks across the West.įederal wildland firefighters have entered another fire summer of broken records.