r/Wildfire • u/smokejumperbro USFS • Feb 19 '25

News (General) Hiring freeze of firefighters could be deadly, Forest Service captain warns

https://www.nbcnews.com/weather/wildfires/hiring-freeze-firefighters-deadly-forest-service-captain-warns-rcna192494

Great one!

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u/pessimist_and_proud Feb 19 '25

Who’s to say firefighting wont turn to the private sector? Supply and demand, no?

15

u/rockshox11 :hamster: Feb 19 '25

If you think every fed firefighter will go contract, you don't know firefighters. I don't know at what ratio feds will go contractor, sooner state and county once they realize they're on the hook for IA. It'll just defer the tax cost elsewhere. 

10

u/wimpymist Feb 19 '25

Plus no fed firefighter is going to take a step backwards pay/benefits/respect and go contract. They will just go into a different field entirely.

9

u/[deleted] Feb 19 '25

I certainly wouldn't be interested in being a contract firefighter stuck on some god forsaken hillside to save a timber company a few dollars.  Suppression for profit is like being a mercenary in a failed war for me.   Might be convinced to go on a burn crew and do RX in the southeast though.