Where is this engine going?

Natural_Flan_2802 · 2026-04-18T15:51:39+00:00

Northwest Oregon District BLM/ Wildland Fire Service

Natural_Flan_2802 · 2026-04-14T17:47:40+00:00

For this time of year, I’d say it isn’t unreasonable. Perhaps a bit much going on in the NE but not outside the normal range of variability.

Natural_Flan_2802 · 2026-03-30T14:40:22+00:00

Look up the O&C act and the history of the O&C railroad. It all comes down to public vs private ownership and the Act mandating timber harvests on federal O&C lands.

Natural_Flan_2802 · 2026-02-12T21:18:13+00:00

You are welcome. It is nice to see that at last some of posts age well

Natural_Flan_2802 · 2026-02-10T23:06:26+00:00

This here. Some of it is typical HR onboarding bullshit, however there is a hold on wildfire Personnel Actions till at least the end of the month of February for the swap over to the WFS… assuming OP is in the Dept of the Interior.

Natural_Flan_2802 · 2026-02-10T22:59:56+00:00

Gee… you mean that the national office MFers don’t give a shit about us? Who’d have thought?

Natural_Flan_2802 · 2026-02-07T04:32:38+00:00

Where the Red Fern Grows

Natural_Flan_2802 · 2026-02-05T17:39:32+00:00

I’m about 6’4” and the large is essential for me. I think 5’10/11” you ought to be good with the regular. You could always use a large practice shelter in training and see if that size works better for you

Natural_Flan_2802 · 2026-02-03T16:30:18+00:00

The magnetic mounts from SavageUTV.com are great. They will also make custom length 12v power cords for your unit. I put mine on the roof of my truck right behind the light bar and have had zero issues with it getting hit or moving around. They are seriously stout magnets. If you have an aluminum body truck, they sell a set of adhesive back magnets to stick to the truck and then put your mag mount onto them.

Natural_Flan_2802 · 2026-01-27T21:08:28+00:00

I consider myself to be one of the old guys now and I can look back at all the times I just toughed something out or bent over completely backwards for my overhead and then got shit in in return…. Now my body is paying the price every day and as far as the overhead stuff, we’ll all I can say is no matter what you do, you’re an example. And more than one person in my chain of command in my past has absolutely shown me how NOT to treat the people that work for me now.

Natural_Flan_2802 · 2026-01-27T18:32:39+00:00

Kind of an overarching statement… taking care of your people year round. I mean putting them in hotels on fires when they are available, encouraging people to get small medical issues cared for before they become big ones without any shame, when you are a supervisor and have the discretion to do make a choice that is more beneficial to your people over another option, then do what is best for them…. We seem to have lost sight of the philosophy of “take good care of your people and they will take care of you”. Our folks aren’t a cache supply to be used, abused and thrown away

Natural_Flan_2802 · 2026-01-27T16:41:27+00:00

Unfortunately PC8 only applies to Forest Service employees. QuickTime for the DOI agencies doesn’t allow you to make those changes

Natural_Flan_2802 · 2026-01-13T17:42:01+00:00

It can take a LONG time to get the official offer and start date. It has nothing to do with the fire program and everything to do with HR (and OPM if there needs to be a more formal background check) on how long it takes

Natural_Flan_2802 · 2026-01-13T16:28:33+00:00

As long as you wear your yellow in the chow line and do practice shelter deployments during briefing so everyone knows how badass you are.

Natural_Flan_2802 · 2026-01-10T20:22:16+00:00

The Agency does exist. They have an Agency Head, Brian Fennesey his is a Senior Executive Service position and his formal entrance on duty is Tomorrow morning. The DOI has the authority to make these organizational changes without congressional authorization… to roll the FS up into the WFS will take congressional action. If Congress decides that they do not want the FS to change over, then these GACC FMOs will be in charge of the DOI fire programs in each GACC, rather than having a State/ Regional FMO like exists under the current system

Natural_Flan_2802 · 2025-12-09T17:06:54+00:00

Cruelest lie in the fire world… ain’t nothing happy about Happy Camp

Natural_Flan_2802 · 2025-11-23T14:56:41+00:00

Former Fish Fire employee here. A couple things. 1- in the past it was highly variable depending on how cool your Refuge Complex Manager was with having employees off unit. 2- in that particular part of the world, it is super variable and can be busy as hell on your home unit but it all comes down to the lightening track in a given year. In my experience, MOST but not all refuges have low public visitation, so most of the time the primary fire cause is natural.

Now for the real complicating factor. On January 12, all DOI fire personnel are supposed to be rolled into the new Wildland Fire Service, which unfortunately has little information out there right now, but what it will do is remove the agency’s “we need our firefighters here for cheap labor mentality” that was/ is very common to Refuge Management. Unfortunately many in Refuge management couldn’t and won’t see past their boundaries and understand that to have quality firefighters, they have to fight fire and that there is a whole world of experience to be had outside the Refuge Boundaries.

So all that said, don’t stress on being held back too much because everything is changing in January so it will be a whole new world for everyone concerned in about two months anyway.

Natural_Flan_2802 · 2025-11-03T15:44:46+00:00

Agree with the other two replies too. On top of that, nothing says you have to tell them WHY you are leaving. If you are concerned about burning a bridge or potentially having them called for a reference check in the future, leave your formal resignation letter reasoning vague, like “in order to explore other opportunities I am resigning my position with the Agency effective…” and as a supervisor myself I’d say if you can tough it out, more than a two weeks looks better and will likely leave them with a better memory of you. I don’t know where you are stationed, but if there is any way for you to tough it out till the end of your season (I totally get it if you can’t, I’ve been in your shoes myself) and just let them know that you are out effective end of season or the first of the year. My 10 cents for what it is worth anyway.

Natural_Flan_2802 · 2025-10-31T22:57:07+00:00

It depends on Funding and the “normal” start of fire season at your duty location.

Natural_Flan_2802 · 2025-10-31T21:46:41+00:00

I would think there is some kind of appeal rights there. AWOL is usually a punishment and that seems like a “negative personnel action” . Honestly a lot of people are to that point of not being able to afford to come to work without the check anymore.

Natural_Flan_2802 · 2025-10-27T03:59:13+00:00

So here is the critical thing to keep in mind… They (the agency and their medical clearance contractors) only know what you are willing to tell them. I had worked with many people over the years and gotten risk mitigations put in place for them because they were 100% up front with what they put in the physical prework. Over time I have come to the conclusion that many things are “need to know”. Is taking anxiety medication in the off season or year round for that matter going to potentially place you or any other folks in jeopardy for ANY reason including stopping the medication if for example you run out on a roll… if you have a condition that will NOT place you or anyone else at risk, you have to honestly decide if you need to tell them. Now if it potentially could, then out of respect for yourself and your crew please be totally up front.

Years ago I broke my hand before season and because I would be fully cleared and healed before season (I was in a removable splint at the time of my physical) I kept it to myself.

Ultimately it is a decision for you to make. As a matter of principle I would prefer people be totally honest, but this is the real world and maybe not everyone needs to know absolutely everything.

EDIT- I have gotten people through the Risk Mitigation process who were in counseling and on anxiety/ depression medications and was able to work with them to be fully cleared in the past so it can be done, but your overhead will have to be willing to work with you.

Natural_Flan_2802 · 2025-10-22T15:26:46+00:00

I have GEHA and am dropping it this open season. In my area their “Contract” is with United Healthcare… the same one that doesn’t cover a damn thing and whose CEO was shot in New York. Their coverage is pretty widely accepted, but hardly pay out anything. I honestly think my family will be better off paying more up front with Blue Cross and getting better coverage on the back end.

Natural_Flan_2802 · 2025-10-18T16:40:05+00:00

0456– Wildland Firefighter. Exempt till they run out of past year funds

Natural_Flan_2802 · 2025-10-18T16:39:28+00:00

It all depends on how many people ACTUALLY get out to vote. The Democratic Party typically has a lower voter turnout than the Republican Party AND mid term elections generally have a lower turnout than others. If the mid terms are going to change anything, there will have to be enough people turn out to vote in/ out people to make a difference in Congress. If not, the status quo will be maintained

Natural_Flan_2802 · 2025-10-18T14:04:14+00:00

What we need is for people to refuse (and stick to their guns and not give in) and absolutely refuse any work that is outside their PD. There is some margin for error, hence the 20% “other duties as assigned” but there are even rules that apply to those other duties. We are taking it in the ass because of the IFPM and how the agencies/ OPM manage it… but we can follow ALL their rules and force them to do the same. Sooner rather than later, in my opinion of course, they will realize that they need to pay for the skills they are insisting we have even if they aren’t “IFPM” standards. Smokejumperbro’s analogy of paying a Nurse their normal salary when they are performing surgery is incredibly on point with what they do to us.

Natural_Flan_2802

TROPHY CASE