I’m reposting this from r/wildfire after a couple of requests. A post I’ve made about ending my 10 year career with the United States Forest Service, and ranting areas of frustration on Reddit. I am still posting on a throwaway account to remain completely anonymous. Formatting was done via iPhone, sorry for any typos.
Stop pursuing this as a career
TL/DR: unhappy employee ranting
After 10 years with the FS, I’m putting in my resignation. The best advice I can give to someone interested in this career is to apply your energy elsewhere. Here’s why.
Advancement: advancement is painstakingly slow unless you’re willing to bounce around every few years to different forests. Which hey, more power to you if you think that fits your life style. I thought it fit mine until I became less interested in the nomad fire life and more interested in starting a family.
Pay: Most people here I’m sure have been following the Tim Hart bill, and the infrastructure bill. Agency wide, organization wide, wildland firefighters deserve what’s being fought for in regards to pay increases & other changes. I’m thankful for Grassroots & other advocates that have put in the work, however, if I were a gambling man I’d put the last 10 years of TSP contributions against the current political landscape passing any positive legislation in the house/senate that benefits firefighters. Especially with the predicted outcome of mid term elections coming up.
Cost of labor/living: if you live in the west/PNW, you’ve seen housing/rent prices sky rocket while government housing is either full or non existent for some ranger districts and OPM fails to adjust locality rates as they rise. So you settle for living in your van or truck because fuck it, if I’m gone all season I don’t need a place. As we continue normalize homelessness in this career path.
Culture: not much has changed since the PBS specials. It doesn’t feel good to work for an agency where you have past employees coming to you saying “my supervisor says he won’t give me flight time unless I blow him, what should I do?” And they’re too afraid of retaliation to report that behavior above the chain of command. Or how you’re screwing your crew over by taking time off for a family emergency.
Responsibility: you will constantly be asked to perform duties well above your pay grade. It feels good at first knowing you’re reliable & have that trust of your bosses. Then you realize you’re constantly doing the duties for someone 1-2 grades higher than you who have checked out & waiting to retire. Or maybe you just get tired of training the revolving door of seasonals as it creeps into the 100s and you realize it’s not even part of your position description. But you better because if you don’t you’re no longer in the club and you’re not a team player.
I’m just so tired. Every fire assignment I’m on I end up talking to someone who feels the same way on some other crew. When you kids come in so excited asking how to make this a career, how to get on the shot crew, etc. I get sad because I see a 12 year younger version of me and wish someone would have told me to pursue something else. That’s my rant.