FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Contact: Matt Dorsey
(202) 550-6987
January 14, 2025
Washington, D.C. – Today, in response to the ongoing wildfire disaster that has devasted Los Angeles, the National Federation of Federal Employees (NFFE-IAM), is once again calling on Congress to appropriate resources to hire more federal wildland firefighters and to pay them a fair wage.
“NFFE and the federal wildland firefighters we represent have been sounding the alarm for years about increasingly dangerous wildfires and our country’s inability to contain them,” said NFFE National President Randy Erwin. “By now, Congress is well aware that they have not provided enough resources to the Forest Service to recruit and retain a workforce that is capable of protecting the United States from wildfires. The end result is what we have witnessed in Los Angeles, where Americans have died and entire communities have been completely destroyed.”
“Right now, federal wildland firefighters from across the country are on the front lines of the Palisades and Eaton fires, but the workforce is understaffed and demoralized,” continued Erwin. “For years, these brave men and women have been traveling to Washington DC, pleading with their representatives in Congress to take action – pay first responders a living wage and fully fund the Forest Service so that fire engines can be properly staffed with professional federal wildland firefighters.”
“Thus far, Congress has failed these heroes as well as the communities they serve,” continued Erwin. “Unfortunately, the fires continue to rage on in Los Angeles, and the problem is only going to get worse from year to year. This is not a political or partisan issue. This is simply about protecting America and its people. Congress must provide the necessary resources to combat the wildfire crisis.”