Pass WFPPA, avoid the firefighter fiscal pay cliff

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email advocacy

Pass WFPPA, avoid the firefighter fiscal pay cliff

Dear [Your Elected Official],

Federal wildland firefighters face a catastrophic fiscal pay cliff on September 30, 2024. We strongly urge our legislators to pass the Wildland Firefighter Paycheck Protection Act (S. 2272, H.R. 5169).
Both House and Senate Appropriations committees have written that they are awaiting the passage of the necessary authorization bill to permanently fix the wildland firefighter pay issue. The pay supplements provided by BIL are terminal, and the fiscal cliff is fast approaching across the USDA Forest Service and the Department of lnterior (DOl) agencies responsible for managingfederal wildland firefighters.
Workforce and systemic reforms must become congressional and administrative priorities in order to transform 21st century solutions for the next 50 years of our wildfire crisis. The federal wildland firefighter workforce can no longer be sacrificed without long term and catastrophic consequences. Workforce and systemic reforms must become congressional and administrative priorities.
Regardless of the color of the truck or uniform, when wildland fire personnel arrive on scene, the public's expectations are considered a high public trust. Similarly, the expectations of federal wildland firefighters remain the same; urgent, permanent, holistic changes to address long-needed reforms to stem high attrition and low recruitment. The time for stonewalling and temporary patches are over. The federal wildland fire workforce is in high demand with other state and private agencies, and firefighters are being hired away from the federal government in record numbers. lf permanent pay reform is not achieved, Congress is asking the federal wildland workforce and their families to jump off the fiscal cliff. Congress is asking them to decide between the well-being of themselves and their families or responding to the call of service. To ask this of our emergency responders is not only out of alignment with the values of the USDA Forest Service and the DOl, but it is in direct opposition to the values upon which this country was founded and still claims to hold.

Sincerely,

[Your Name]

[Your City & State]

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Summary

Federal wildland firefighters face a fiscal pay cliff on September 30, 2024. We strongly urge our legislators to pass the Wildland Firefighter Paycheck Protection Act (S. 2272, H.R. 5169) and we are asking for your help. Please use this tool to contact your senators in support of the WFPPA. Grassroots Wildland Firefighters have provided holistic permanent solutions over the past two years since the BIL was passed. The funding for pay corrections afforded by BIL funds to which thousands of wildland personnel are entitled need to remain. The Wildland Firefighter Paycheck is the anchor point for these initial reforms. Additionally, the comprehensive health and wellbeing of the federal wildland firefighter workforce can no longer be sacrificed without long term personal consequences. Workforce and systemic reforms must become congressional and administrative priorities in order to transform 21st century solutions for the next 50 years of our wildfire crisis.

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Your Federal Senator(s) and Federal Representative