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This study estimated the effect of two alternative pay systems on total personnel compensation for forest fire suppression and on different types of employees. The alternatives consisted of 1) removing the overtime pay cap for emergency firefighting personnel, which at that time was set at a wage rate equal to the overtime rate of a GS-10, Step 1 employee, and 2) a system of 24-hour pay where employees are paid their regular rate of pay for 24-hours per day while on fire duty. A Steering Committee of fire-pay experts was assembled to advise and monitor the research. A report of the findings was produced in March of 2000. Results showed that removing the overtime cap would result in an increase in employee compensation for wildfire suppression of about 7 percent. This information was used to support passage of Public Law No: 106-558 on December 21, 2000. This bill "amends Federal civil service law to mandate time-and-a-half as the overtime hourly rate of pay for an employee of the Department of the Interior or the U.S. Forest Service of the Department of Agriculture engaged in emergency wildland fire suppression activities". After passage of this legislation, the analysis was redone to assess the effect of the 24-hour pay alternative on employee compensation in light of removal of the overtime cap. Results of this analysis are due to be published in the Western Journal of Applied Forestry in October 2002.
Principal Investigators:
Krista Gebert
Ervin Schuster
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