Impacts on Workforce

It is unusual for a contract firefighter to be ordered to more than 4-5 fires in an average fire season. This depends upon many things completely outside of the control of wildland fire contractors, such as weather, fuel moistures, fire occurrence, location of fires, and agencies having dispatching rules that prioritize every other category of fire resource over contractors. In addition, these firefighters must also have an arrangement with any other employers to be able to take off large blocks of time in order to go on wildfire assignments, or have seasonal employment that ends before fire season starts. When a particular line of work presents an opportunity to make a lot of money in some years, but can also result in not making very much money at all in other years, it requires a type of person that is willing to manage the risks associated with a call when needed position. When additional uncertainties arise in a workforce, like the potential to miss fire assignments simply because a replacement driver is not registered with the DOL, only those comfortable with the new level of uncertainty will remain in that workforce.

Applicability to Wildland Fire 

Fact Sheet #63 – Not Applicable 

29 CFR 500 – Not Applicable 

29 USC 1801 et seq. – Not Applicable 

Bresgal V. Brock – US District Court Oregon – Not Part of Trial 

Bresgal V. Brock – 9th Circuit Court of Appeals – Not Discussed 

Consistent Application of Agricultural Laws – No Consistency 

Possibility for 100% Compliance in Emergency Services – Not Possible 

Employee Protections – No New Protections 

Impacts on Employees – Negative  Impacts 

Impacts on Workforce – Negative Impacts