r/Wildfire • u/smokejumperbro USFS • Feb 06 '25

News (General) Sens. Padilla, Sheehy propose new wildfire agency

https://www.semafor.com/article/02/06/2025/sens-padilla-sheehy-propose-new-wildfire-agency

Here we go folks

86 Upvotes

99% Upvoted

90 comments sorted by

View all comments

93

u/smokejumperbro USFS Feb 06 '25

No matter how you feel, the USDA/DOI have let down firefighters and the country.

I read NFFE's write-up and it was obvious the USFS and DOI and violating OPM policies to screw firefighters over. All the money that Congress handed out during the Biden administration for mental health and well-being never turned into a single actionable program for firefighters on the ground.

They couldn't even say we had elevated cancer risks, so the DOL stepped up without them and offered cancer coverage.

Can't wait to get out from under the line officers that can't relate to our jobs or pay in any way.

17

u/Darth_Ra Dirty COMT Feb 06 '25

This is how we got here, though.

"The status quo doesn't work, let's blow it all up!"

Sure. But when it all gets blown up and you don't have the things that "it" does anymore, what now?

12

u/Logical-Associate729 Feb 06 '25

They are going to privatize as much as they can. Hope you want to work for Grayback!

11

u/Darth_Ra Dirty COMT Feb 06 '25

If you think you're feeling iffy about this as a firefighter, as a support guy for firefighters, I can tell you I am spinning with what this might mean if it happens.

8

u/Logical-Associate729 Feb 06 '25

It boggles my mind that anyone in a union would have voted for these oligarchs.

6

u/Logical-Associate729 Feb 06 '25

Trump just said it last week, the goal is to privatize as much as possible.

9

u/Pale_Ad1658 Feb 06 '25

These firefighters brought to you by Carl's junior!

5

u/Logical-Associate729 Feb 07 '25

I can't wait for the Tesla Type IIIs!

7

u/[deleted] Feb 06 '25

What do you think this means for duty locations? Just hypothetical right now obviously but do you think this would move USDA people out of their current locations.

4

u/BigSpoon89 Fire Ecologist Feb 06 '25

Probably not. Agencies share real estate now they'll just continue to do it then. Your engine bay at your local FS ranger station will just now be under a different agency.

2

u/[deleted] Feb 07 '25

So this could mean one of two things for me: the front desk lady can no longer throw my shit out that’s in common areas of our shop that’s miles away from the office that she works in or it’s ops normal. I’d guess it’s ops normal. Kill the bill.

8

u/[deleted] Feb 06 '25

I imagine it would be a years long process. Probably long enough to be moth balled by the next administration. But, if it happened, the responsible thing to do would to initially consolidate to jump/tanker/rappel bases. The agencies won’t be keen on just handing over real estate but places like Gifford Pinchot and the Oregon coast would just shed the fire staff and refocus on resources. Then an investigation to ensure these super bases are where they are still needed most. A handcrew leaving any particular jump base in the northwest can still rival a current response time.

5

u/[deleted] Feb 06 '25

Interesting thought I really like it. And as far as other parts of the country go maybe utilizing different bases in region would work as well. Perfectly good base in northern Utah. It would also be sweet to start certifying other resources in operations particularly hotshot crews. Adding repel capability to a 25 person crew would be an excellent idea.

3

u/[deleted] Feb 06 '25

I mean, your heads in the right place…if you hire more rappellers and use more Type 1s it would have the same result. It’s all theoretical, but like working for the FS now, everyone has access to leadership classes and cert taskbooks. It would be a very similar vibe and logistics as it is now (handcrews piecing out folks for engine assignments, jumpers taking crewboss for reg roles, etc).

10

u/trinitytreetime Feb 06 '25

Gonna be interesting if they are able to push it through, a lot of little issues will have to be addressed. If they don't maintain housing my forest/local area will basically be unstaffed.

16

u/ZonaDesertRat Feb 06 '25

Cause FMOs and the type have never screwed anyone over??? Meet the new boss, same as the old boss. I've seen it far too often, folks you thought would never turn on "the brotherhood" do a 180 the min they get into management. While I despise them for doing it, I also know that it is how it is... Management is always, ALWAYS there to protect the agency, not the worker!

20

u/smokejumperbro USFS Feb 06 '25

Feels like you're making a false equivalence. "Well these guys are bad too!"

Most FMOs are great and we can't get bad individuals out completely. But currently we have a bad SYSTEM. And that system needs to be changed.

15

u/Darth_Ra Dirty COMT Feb 06 '25

I don't think that anyone disagrees with that, but trusting this administration to create a new agency with the well-being of federal workers and firefighters at its heart?

That's... a shot in the dark, to put it mildly.

4

u/Roxxorsmash Feb 06 '25

It’s stupid is what it is

6

u/retardanted Feb 06 '25

The current system in which no one is motivated to move above FMO to district ranger because they would be changing out of fire retirement, but must be overseen (and increasingly so) by these people in upper management is not good. Basically no one works any serious amount of time in fire makes it to those high level positions in the USFS and DOI. But now the USFS puts these folks with no fire experience in charge of fire hire and are the AAs telling teams how to manage fire

1

u/hartfordsucks Rage Against the (Green) Machine Feb 07 '25

Basically no one works any serious amount of time in fire makes it to those high level positions in the USFS and DOI. But now the USFS puts these folks with no fire experience in charge of fire hire and are the AAs telling teams how to manage fire.

Bingo. USFS is tasked with managing wildfires but none of the real "decision makers" have any real fire experience.

1

u/Fetterflier Feb 07 '25

Once you hit 20 years in federal fire as a perm, don't you basically just switch over to regular FERS after that anyway?