President Joe Biden promised to give federal firefighters a raise after learning some of the first responders make only $13 an hour for their critical work running into dangerous conditions.
“I didn’t realize this, I have to admit, that federal firefighters get paid $13 an hour,” the president said during a meeting with the Federal Emergency Management Agency Tuesday. “That’s going to end in my administration. That’s a ridiculously low salary to pay federal firefighters.”
Biden said he would meet with governors of states out West next week to coordinate preparedness efforts as wildfire season continues to last longer and fires become more intense.
"We’re in for a tough season,” Biden admitted, “but I think we’ve got to be prepared and have every resource available to make sure we’re there for the American people.”
While the president detailed his efforts, Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) joined other members of Congress in requesting the financial services subcommittee to direct the Office of Personnel Management, which sets government salary rates, to raise the hourly rate for federal firefighters. Currently, firefighters start at the GS-3 pay level, about $31,000 annually for a full-time employee. In California, a rookie firefighter makes double that amount.
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“Federal wildland firefighters’ salaries are significantly less than their counterparts at state and local wildland fire agencies, even though they have comparable job duties,” the senators wrote, describing the current pay rate as “woefully out of sync” with the risk and responsibility the job entails.
Many federal firefighters are seasonal employees with the U.S. Forest Service who must reapply each year, according to NBC News. The low pay and instability have discouraged firefighters from sticking with the federal government.
“Risking their lives and their mental health for wages starting below $14/hour has led to the unsustainable situation we are in now, unable to retain employees when we need them more than ever,” said firefighter advocacy group Grassroots Wildland Firefighters in a statement.