In just over two months, funding for temporary raises for federal wildland firefighters will run out. A bill in the U.S. Senate would create permanent raises, but advocates warn that some could still see pay cuts.
The Wildland Firefighter Paycheck Protection Act was introduced this month by Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, an Arizona independent. It would permanently raise firefighter base pay by between 1.5% and 42% – with bigger jumps going to those lower on the federal payscale. It also would provide supplemental payments for every day that firefighters are deployed.
The advocacy group Grassroots Wildland Firefighters, which has pushed for reforms, calls the bill “a small step towards better pay for the federal wildland fire workforce” that “still falls short.”
The organization argues that many—especially more senior—firefighters could still see a “drastic” pay cut from the temporary raises funded by the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
An analysis shared by Grassroots concludes that a higher ranking federal firefighter would have to work dozens of long incident shifts to earn pay equal to the temporary bumps.
“The big goal is getting this through so we can come back and fight another fight and get everybody what they actually deserve, not just what they need to stick around for for a little bit longer,” Max Alonzo of the National Federation of Federal Employees said. That group backs the bill but also shares the concerns raised by Grassroots.
Alonzo said his group also supports the more comprehensive legislation known as Tim’s Act, but he’s doubtful it could pass quickly enough.
He views the Sinema proposal as “an emergency bill to make sure that we don't hit this pay cliff without something.”
Sinema’s office did not respond to a request for comment.
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