Bill would help firefighter eligibility

A bill introduced by Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., would increase eligibility for Forest Service firefighters and other seasonal land management employees applying for full-time federal jobs.

Currently, those employees’ time served in seasonal jobs, such as fighting wildfires, does not count toward advancement opportunities within the federal government.

Tester spokesman Les Braswell said Thursday that Tester intends to strengthen the firefighting workforce by making those jobs more desirable.

“Firefighters are forced to quit at the end of every season once they get enough hours, and they don’t accrue time toward promotion,” Braswell said. “This ensures that temporary seasonal workers can accrue time to apply for more permanent work.”

The proposed Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act, was introduced in the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee, which oversees the federal workforce.

It would affect seasonal employees with the Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, National Park Service, Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Reclamation and Bureau of Indian Affairs.

A press release from Tester’s office stated that his bill has won the approval of the International Association of Fire Fighters, the Association of National Park Rangers and other public sector advocacy groups.

Reporter Samuel Wilson may be reached at 758-4407 or by email at swilson@dailyinterlake.com.