Federal government is short hundreds of firefighters

[essentialsaltes]

Heading into the hottest and driest months of the wildfire season, the Department of the Interior is short hundreds of firefighters, a result of recruitment problems and the longest federal government shutdown in history.

Officials at the National Interagency Fire Center, which coordinates federal wildfire response, said that the Interior Department had budgeted for a firefighting workforce of about 5,000 this year. In actuality, an Interior spokeswoman said it has 4,500 firefighting personnel and no plans to hire more.

This year’s shortfall appears to stem, in part, from the Interior Department’s struggle to hire seasonal firefighters across its bureaus. These employees, who are brought on for several months each summer to bolster the agency’s forces during peak fire season, are typically hired in January and trained over the spring. By the start of the wildfire season, the hiring window has closed.

But last winter, the federal government was shut down for a record 35 days, interfering with the agency’s usual preparations.

 

[iluvatar5150]

Sounds to me like a win for the champions of small government.

 

[hislegacy]

?? It's July What have they been doing for the last seven months?

 

[Halbhh]

Heading into the hottest and driest months of the wildfire season, the Department of the Interior is short hundreds of firefighters, a result of recruitment problems and the longest federal government shutdown in history.

Officials at the National Interagency Fire Center, which coordinates federal wildfire response, said that the Interior Department had budgeted for a firefighting workforce of about 5,000 this year. In actuality, an Interior spokeswoman said it has 4,500 firefighting personnel and no plans to hire more.

This year’s shortfall appears to stem, in part, from the Interior Department’s struggle to hire seasonal firefighters across its bureaus. These employees, who are brought on for several months each summer to bolster the agency’s forces during peak fire season, are typically hired in January and trained over the spring. By the start of the wildfire season, the hiring window has closed.

But last winter, the federal government was shut down for a record 35 days, interfering with the agency’s usual preparations.

Might be more of a shortage even than thought, since:
California’s Wildfires Are 500 Percent Larger Due to Climate Change

 

[iluvatar5150]

?? It's July What have they been doing for the last seven months?

The whole second half of the article is about how the shutdown impacted recruiting and training schedules.

 

[hislegacy]

The whole second half of the article is about how the shutdown impacted recruiting and training schedules.

You want me to believe that a 35 days shut down effected the ability to recruit for seven months.

If that is factually accurate someone needs to be fired.

 

[essentialsaltes]

The whole second half of the article is about how the shutdown impacted recruiting and training schedules.

There was/is a similar problem with the training schedules for air traffic controllers.

(See also the airport delays and safety concerns, with existing controllers and TSA people calling in 'sick' since they weren't being paid.)

 

[essentialsaltes]

You want me to believe that a 35 days shut down effected the ability to recruit for seven months.

If that is factually accurate someone needs to be fired.

"These employees, who are brought on for several months each summer to bolster the agency’s forces during peak fire season, are typically hired in January and trained over the spring. By the start of the wildfire season, the hiring window has closed."

Maybe Trump can tell the temperatures to keep cool for an extra month or two while we train more recruits?

 

[iluvatar5150]

You want me to believe that a 35 days shut down effected the ability to recruit for seven months.

It's all in the article, if you'd read it.

If that is factually accurate someone needs to be fired.

 

[cow451]

"These employees, who are brought on for several months each summer to bolster the agency’s forces during peak fire season, are typically hired in January and trained over the spring. By the start of the wildfire season, the hiring window has closed."

Maybe Trump can tell the temperatures to keep cool for an extra month or two while we train more recruits?

He keeps planes from crashing, so maybe an EO will squelch the flames.

 

[hislegacy]

"These employees, who are brought on for several months each summer to bolster the agency’s forces during peak fire season, are typically hired in January and trained over the spring. By the start of the wildfire season, the hiring window has closed."

The shut down ended on January 25, 2019 - two weeks after they got back from their Christmas break. They do the hiring every year - they know the man power needs well ahead of time

The hiring window opened two weeks later than normal. Seven Months ago -

But hey! It is the President's fault - it can't possibly be their own ineptness to adjust for a two week delay

 

[CRAZY_CAT_WOMAN]

Sounds to me like a win for the champions of small government.

Smaller government. Wouldnt that mean .You have to pay the full amount to the fire department. If you need there services.

 

[essentialsaltes]

Smaller government. Wouldnt that mean .You have to pay the full amount to the fire department. If you need there services.

Small government proponents just use garden hoses.