Direct Hire To Fight Fires

This bill gives the Department of Agriculture and Department of the Interior permanent authority to hire wildland firefighters and firefighting support staff directly, without going through the usual lengthy government hiring process. The bill requires both departments to create policies that make it easier to recruit and keep firefighters, including making the hiring process faster and removing barriers when firefighters want to transfer between agencies. Each year, the departments must report to Congress and post online information about how many firefighters they need, how many firefighting jobs are empty in each state, and what problems exist in filling those jobs.

Your Vote