The Way: Frazier on the lottery, Hester on the Blazers, Aunan on protecting the vote

PLUS: my favorite cartoon yet from Jennifer Schuberth and John Urang

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Now to the good stuff…

How much would I have to pay you to carry a 120 pound bag around on a hike?

Oh, and the hike isn’t on any trails. Another thing—you’ll likely be hiking for days on end with no place to sleep other than the dirt you’ve been stomping on for hours. Last detail, you’re surrounded by ash, flames, and constant danger.

Would $26.46 be enough? That’s the typical hourly pay for an accountant. How about $40? Some makeup artists bring in that much. Surely $109, what first year associates at law firms rack up, would lure you into firefighting, right?

Firefighters employed by the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) make less than the minimum wage in some states. It’s no surprise we have a shortage of people doing an immense public service in an age when out-of-control fires seem as regular as changing of the leaves — just another seasonal reality. OPB recently reported that Pacific Northwest climate experts determined that “about 74% of the Pacific Northwest is seeing drought conditions with 18% of the region experiencing exceptional drought.”

Wages are supposed to reflect the skills required by the job, what risks may come along with the role, and how heavily the position is in demand. So why do wildland firefighters make as much as the Zamboni driver at the local ice rink?

Firefighters are woefully underpaid for doing lifesaving work. At the height of the 2021 wildfire season, it took executive action from President Biden to make sure firefights earned at least $15 per hour. Prior to that promise, the average pay for a federal wildland firefighter totalled to just $13.41 per hour. Getting all firefighters to that meager amount was only possible through bonuses and retention incentives. The skills to fight today’s fires, the physical and mental risks associated with that battle, and the continual shortage of firefights means we ought to drastically increase the pay for these essential workers. 

Firefighting is no walk in the park. Each task to suppress a fire depends on training and practice. The typical first year firefighter will start as a member of an engine crew or handcrew. Engine crews include two to ten firefighters tasked with staffing specialized wildland fire engines that carry special equipment to spray water and foam. Firefighters assigned to this role are often on the frontlines of fire response and commonly work with campers and national forest visitors to learn about fire prevention tactics. 

Handcrews create firelines to contain and control the spread of the flames. This requires using Pulaski’s, shovels, and chainsaws to remove flammable material and coordinating water drops from helicopters—all tasks that make this much more than a $13.41 per hour job. 

That’s especially true when it comes to hotshot crews, specialized handcrews sent into the trickiest and most intense areas of a fire. These folks are trained in the same firefighting skills as handcrew members in addition to providing trainings for local officials and coordinating incident mobilization. Again, all things that are definitely above their current paygrade, but well within their wheelhouse. 

Physically, the job is exhausting. For some reason, the USFS thinks that it’s informational brochure will bring in recruits with this harrowing description:

If you like hiking without trails; packing between 40 and 120 pounds of food, water, and supplies on your back; eating and sleeping in the dirt for days on end; and not having consistent showers, then you may be interested in becoming a wildland firefighter.

Even if you indeed like all those things, it’s undeniable that such a grueling schedule requires extensive physical training unlike that associated with other similarly compensated positions. No summer lifeguard is signing up to lug their body weight for miles on end…

Mentally, fighting fires can have lingering negative effects. More than half of wildland firefighters reported clinically significant suicidal symptoms—a rate 72 percent higher than non-wildland firefighters. These mental costs spillover into family life as well. The long spells of fathers, mothers, and siblings being away from their loved ones means that there’s a whole bunch of individuals suffering anytime one firefighter steps up to save our forests and communities. 

Firefighter pay should also reflect the fact that there’s a huge labor shortage right now. As of April 2021, before one of the worst fire seasons in California’s long history and one of the worst in Oregon’s history as well, the USFS acknowledged that a third of its engines were likely to be understaffed. Months later, as many as twenty eight of the agency’s engines weren’t running at all. When the USFS California Region tried to hire more firefighters mid-season, there were eight hundred vacancies. Of course, there’s a labor shortage in several other professions, but few, if any, of those positions carry as many positive societal benefits as firefighters.

Considering the skills required, risks taken, and overall shortage, firefighter wages should be much higher. Congress can and must increase the pay of federal firefighters, states will have to follow.

Here’s to a better Oregon,

Kevin

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To look forward to:

• Our #GovernorGoals series. Learn more about how you can help shape the future of our state here.

• Jeff Gudman shares a few qualities he’d like to see in our next governor, regardless of party.

• Emerson Levy reflects on what we can and should learn from the current conflict in Ukraine.

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To interpret:

From Jennifer Schuberth and John Urang

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To read:

• Lauri Aunan discusses the critical work of Power the Vote as more and more states considering legislation that may create new barriers to voting

  • Read more here.

• Mark Hester analyzes the current state of the Blazers and what that means for Portland and Oregon.

  • Read more here.

• Kevin Frazier questions how a regressive system like the lottery can stick around in a state that often highlights its progressive values.

  • Read more here.

• No One Left Offline is working to close the digital divide in the wake of disasters. They’ve got a novel idea for how to assist displaced communities.

  • Read more here.

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To do:

• Read the latest version of the Liftoff

• Share The Oregon Way with three friends

• Join our editorial team or nominate someone to join

• Tell us how we can improve!

Photo credit: "Spokane_Veteran_Firefighters_4" by BLM Oregon & Washington is licensed under CC PDM 1.0