BILL: Should We Increase Wildland Firefighter Pay? - Wildland Firefighter Paycheck Protection Act - S.2272

The Bill

S.2272 - Wildland Firefighter Paycheck Protection Act of 2023

Bill Details

• Sponsored by Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.) on July 12, 2023
• Cosponsored by Sens. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), and Jon Tester (D-Mont.)
• Committees: Senate - Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
• House: Not yet voted
• Senate: Not yet voted
• President: Not yet signed

Bill Overview

• This bipartisan bill would permanently increase base pay for Forest Service and Department of the Interior wildland firefighters.
• Provides a new premium pay, termed an Incident Response Premium Pay, for all responders.
• Focuses on addressing the shortfall in firefighter pay funding and the high dropout rates from the field, particularly in light of a record fire season.
• Directs agencies to work on solutions to limit burnout and focus on ensuring proper leisure and recuperation for firefighters.
• The federal wildland firefighting workforce comprises approximately 20,000 firefighters from the Forest Service and four agencies within the Department of the Interior.

What's in the Bill?

Introduces a special salary table for wildland firefighters and permanently raises pay

• Enacts a new, increased, permanent GS scale pay table for wildland firefighters in primary or secondary covered positions. A comprehensive salary table can be found here.
• The increase to basic pay means it will count toward retirement calculations.
• Avoids the impending pay cliff by permanently increasing wildland firefighter pay at levels at or near those enacted within the current temporary increase. 

Introduces wildland response premium pay

• Premium pay would be applied on qualifying wildfire suppression incidents and prescribed fires that exceed 36 hours.
• Employees would receive this premium when assigned to a fire camp or other designated field location.
• The premium will be calculated as a daily rate that reflects 450% of the employee's hourly rate of basic pay.
• The annual cap for this premium is $9,000 per incident responder.

Reflects the growing need for resources and staffing

• Increased catastrophic wildfire activity across the country has strained agency resources and the ability to recruit and retain firefighters due to dangerous conditions and stagnant pay.
• The working conditions have led many firefighters to pursue better employment opportunities at state agencies and the private sector. 
• San Bernardino National Forest in Southern California saw 42 resignations in 48 hours in May.
• A recent Government Accountability Office (GAO) report concluded that low pay was the most commonly cited barrier to Federal wildland firefighter recruitment and retention.

What Sponsors Are Saying

• Sen. Sinema said:

"Wildland firefighters in Arizona and across the country risk their lives to keep our communities safe. Recognizing their sacrifice and hard work, I secured fair pay in my bipartisan infrastructure law for wildland firefighters, and now I'm ensuring this pay is permanent."

• Sen. Barrasso said:

"For years, wildland firefighters have been asked to do too much for too little. These brave heroes must be compensated for risking their lives to protect forests and communities."

• Sen. Tester said:

"This fire season, these brave men and women are our first line of defense against disaster, and they've earned the right to be fairly compensated for the dangerous work they do—including for adequate recovery time after a tough fire."

Tell your reps to support or oppose this bill

—Emma Kansiz 

(Photo Credit: Canva)