Latest news with #staffingshortages
The Guardian
20 hours ago
- General
- The Guardian
US faces alarming shortage of firefighters during peak wildfire season, data reveals
More than a quarter of firefighting positions at the United States Forest Service (USFS) remain vacant, according to internal data reviewed by the Guardian, creating staffing shortages as extreme conditions fuel dozens of blazes across the US. The data paints a dangerously different picture than the one offered by Tom Schultz, the chief of the USFS, who has repeatedly assured lawmakers and the public that the agency is fully prepared for the onslaught in fire activity expected through this year. It's already been busy. So far this year there have been more than 41,000 wildfires - an amount nearly 31% higher than the ten-year average. 'In terms of firefighting capacity we are there,' Schultz said during a Senate committee hearing on 10 July, claiming the USFS had hit 99% of hiring goals. He repeated the claim multiple times. But staffing reports produced on 17 July show more than 5,100 positions were unfilled, more than 26%. The problem was especially grim in the Pacific Northwest, a region facing extremely high fire risk this year, with a vacancy rate of 39%. The Intermountain region, the largest region with close to 34 million acres of forest lands that stretch across parts of Utah, Nevada, Wyoming, Idaho and California, has nearly 37%. The numbers also fail to capture the strain being felt in specific areas within these regions where ranks are severely thin. There are reports of USFS crews staffed with less than half of the positions once considered necessary to be fully operational. Six federal firefighters, who asked for anonymity because they are barred from speaking publicly, described how the staffing shortages have complicated crews' ability to suppress large fires and contribute to increased injuries and risks for firefighters on the ground. 'There is definitely a lot of tension in the system this season,' said a fire captain, describing how these issues have long plagued the agency. 'It's sort of like that medieval torture devise that stretched people – just one more crank.' Many of the positions left unfilled are in middle management and leadership, leaving critical gaps in experience and tactical planning. 'The agency saying it is 'fully staffed' is dangerous,' a squad leader familiar with the data said. 'Maxing out 19-year-olds with no qualifications isn't the best strategy.' Vacancies at higher levels create limitations on who can be deployed in the field. 'We can't send [a crew] without supervision because it is unsafe – if they don't have a qualified supervisor that engine is parked' said Bobbie Scopa, a retired firefighter who dedicated 45 years to the service. The empty positions also add to fatigue for firefighters who are already working in extreme weather and spending weeks at a time on fire lines with little opportunity for rest and recovery. Without back-up, those at higher levels are less able to take badly-needed time off. If they get sick or injured, there's no one to take over. 'Folks are having to fill in and fill holes,' Scopa said, 'and they are going out without all the positions they need for a team.' The agency did not respond to requests for comment about the issues or questions about Schultz's claims of full staffing. But one firefighter speculated the agency may be using hiring numbers that only show whether an offer was accepted, and not if that hiring created a vacancy in another area. 'If people that are already permanent take a different job it still counts as a hiring action,' he said. 'But if the place they leave doesn't get backfilled, it just means they moved someone, not that they added someone.' Another firefighter said the agency might be exploiting the difference between 'minimum' staffing requirements and what was traditionally considered 'fully staffed'. 'You can technically play a football game with 11 people on the team,' he said. 'It would be considered negligent, maybe even abusive to the players, but they signed up to play and it's technically allowed.' The Forest Service has struggled to recruit and retain qualified firefighters in recent years, as escalating job hazards paired with low pay pushed scores of people out of the service. The exodus has exacerbated the exhaustion felt by those who remained, creating a viscous cycle at a time when the climate crisis is fueling a new era of catastrophic fire. The USFS lost nearly half of its permanent employees between 2021 and 2024 alone, leaving the agency scrambling to fill positions with less experienced recruits. The loss in experience took a toll on the workforce, several firefighters said, and the agency was left struggling to keep pace. The issue has come into sharper focus as the Trump administration continues to slash budgets and cut support staff positions, creating a new layer of challenges and plummeting morale. Firefighters and forest experts expressed deep concerns that the drastic cuts and resignation incentives offered earlier this year, which culled thousands from the agency's ranks, have left crews dangerously unprepared. Roughly 4,800 USFS workers signed on to a program offering paid administrative leave through September if they opted to resign or retire, pushed by the Trump administration as a way to rapidly shrink the federal government. While firefighters were exempt from the programs , they left significant gaps in a workforce that supports wildfire mitigation and suppression. That figure also includes 1,400 people with so-called 'red cards' who trained to join operations on the fire line if needed. The Department of Agriculture, which oversees the forest service, has tried to address the loss of employees with fire qualifications by calling for those with red cards who took early resignation or retiring offers to voluntarily return for the season and take on fire assignments until their contracts end. But when Senators questioned Schultz about the problem, he said the agency did not yet have numbers on if staffers decided to return. 'We depend on those people to help run the large fires,' Scopa said. 'Teams are not fully functional right now because we have lost so many people.' Firefighters have already been experiencing the effects of a reduced workforce firsthand. There have been reports of crews being left without power for weeks due to cut maintenance workers, paychecks being late or halved because administrative roles were left empty, or firefighters having to mow lawns or do plumbing work in addition to their other duties. 'I am hearing from firefighters who aren't getting meals because they are having problems with the contracts for the caterers because we laid off people who worked in contracting,' Scopa said. 'There was no efficiency in this – they just slashed it with an ax.' And more cuts could be coming. Schultz told lawmakers that the Trump administration's plans to eliminate multiple programs in the agency along with 'significant funding reductions in programs that remain', with greater responsibility shifted to states, private landowners, and tribes to fund emergency preparedness, management, and response. The administration is also proposing to consolidate federal firefighters into a new agency, housed under the Department of Interior – an idea that many federal firefighters support – but there are concerns that the process is being rushed and prioritized over managing emergency response during an intense summer. 'You all have trotted out another new reorganization in the middle of a very dangerous fire season,' said Ron Wyden, the Oregon senator, to Schultz during the committee meeting, warning that the lack of emergency preparation this year could cost lives. 'These infernos are not your grandfather's fires – they are bigger and they are hotter,' he said. 'We need to address this critical preparedness gap.' In Oregon, where region-wide staffing gaps are among the most acute, the governor declared a state of emergency last week to preposition resources for the threats expected from wildfire. Several blazes have already torn through the state this year, including the Cram fire, which had sprawled across more than 95,000 acres by Monday, making it the largest in the nation. Firefighters were battling 83 large blazes nationwide on 21 July, roughly two-weeks after the country's fire managers moved the country's response to 'Preparation Level 4,' the second-highest designation meant to show that resources are already heavily committed. Despite his assurances to Congress that the USFS was ready for the intense fire activity, Schultz shifted tone in an internal memo sent to agency leadership last week, shared with the Guardian. 'As expected, the 2025 fire year is proving to be extremely challenging,' he wrote. Forecasts issued from the Climate Prediction Center and Predictive Services indicate the season is far from slowing. Higher than normal temperatures are predicted for much of the US through September, along with drier than normal conditions, creating high risks for big burns. 'We have reached a critical point in our national response efforts and we must make every resource available,' Schultz added. 'At times like this we know the demand for resources outpaces their availability.'
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
REPEAT – Health care advocates afraid of major cuts and privatization hold shadow summit and rally at Council of the Federation next week
HUNTSVILLE, Ontario, July 21, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Outside the Council of the Federation and the gathering of First Ministers, public health care advocates from across Canada will be joining a shadow summit, rally, and car cavalcade. Attendees include Health Coalitions, patients, patient advocates, nurses, doctors, care workers, mental health advocacy organizations, environmental groups, Indigenous organizations, seniors' groups, union leaders, and more. When & Where: Shadow Summit – Monday, July 21 from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Hidden Valley Resort (next door to the Deerhurst Resort where the Premiers are meeting) 1755 Valley Rd, Huntsville, ON P1H 1A8 Reporters & health care reporters welcome. Opening plenary re key issues & updates across Canada, 10:30 – 11:30 a.m. Rally and Car Cavalcade – Tuesday, July 22 12:00 p.m. noon media availability with Health Coalition leaders from across Canada on the road outside Deerhurst Resort 12:15 p.m. rally outside Deerhurst Resort 12:50 p.m. car cavalcades from the rally through Huntsville to corner of Highway 11 & Highway 60 1:10 p.m. rally near intersection of Highway 11 and Highway 60 Who: hosted by the Canadian Health Coalition, Ontario Health Coalition, and the Ontario Federation of Labour. As Canada's leaders meet, our public health care system is, without exaggeration, in open crisis. Runaway privatization is taking funding and staff away from public health care services. Staffing shortages are a national catastrophe, forcing emergency departments to close and leaving health care workers with impossible workloads while patients wait longer and suffer more. Private clinics are violating the Canada Health Act, charging patients hundreds to thousands of dollars for surgeries and diagnostic tests in illegal user fees and extra-billing. Seniors can't access the care they need. Mental health and addiction services are underfunded, subject to privatization and cuts, or simply unavailable. Millions still do not have access to family medicine. The implementation of the first phase of pharmacare has stalled. This event serves to remind our political leaders that the economy exists to serve people, not the other way around, and the economy is more than militarism and private sector projects. If a 70-year-old goes to a private clinic and is forced to use their life savings and pay thousands of dollars for their surgery, what chance do they have to get out of poverty for the rest of their life? If a person has diabetes and cannot afford their insulin and supplies, what economy is there for them? Health care can't wait, and privatization is the destruction of Public Medicare, not a solution. Health Coalitions are demanding funding, resources, and public solutions in the public interest. For more information: Natalie Mehra, executive director, Ontario Health Coalition cell (416) 230-6402; Salah Shadir, administration & operations director, Ontario Health Coalition cell (647) in to access your portfolio
The Independent
6 days ago
- Politics
- The Independent
Security experts are ‘losing their minds' over Trump's latest plan to solve FAA staffing crisis
Despite the Trump administration's hardline immigration policy and mass deportation plans, one government agency is looking to recruit from overseas, and security experts are said to be 'losing their minds' over the prospect. The Federal Aviation Administration is studying the possibility of recruiting air traffic controllers from foreign countries, according to a document seen by The Atlantic. 'The FAA is facing significant air traffic controller staffing shortages, and to address this issue, is exploring the idea of recruiting experienced international talent,' states a three-page executive summary of the initiative. 'However, this approach must be carefully managed to ensure that the FAA's high standards for safety and procedures are upheld,' it adds, acknowledging the need to 'balance the critical areas of safety, training, national security, and immigration law to create a sustainable and effective workforce strategy for the FAA.' The Trump administration has vowed since President Donald Trump 's inauguration to 'protect American workers' over 'the foreign-born,' and yet the median salary for an air traffic controller is approximately $145,000, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data for 2024. Speaking on condition of anonymity, a U.S. official told The Atlantic that the FAA's security experts are 'losing their minds' over the idea of bringing foreign nationals in to work at such a sensitive part of the U.S. aerospace system. There is particular concern over access they could gain to radars and communications networks, as well as sensitive information about military flight paths, restricted airspace, and air-defense zones. Department of Transportation spokesperson Nathaniel Sizemore told the outlet that the FAA is 'exploring every available option' to address a shortage in the air traffic controller workforce. No final decision has been made regarding the hiring of overseas candidates, Sizemore said. However, he also suggested that the initiative could be payback, because 'foreign countries routinely steal U.S. controllers, who are rightfully frustrated by outdated tools and crumbling infrastructure.' Current staffing shortfalls result in ground delays at airports across the U.S., which diminishes flight capacity. More than 90 percent of the country's 313 air-traffic-control centers are functioning below the FAA's recommended staffing levels, according to the union that represents controllers. These shortages have led to fatigue and burnout among controllers, who are required to work mandatory overtime to maintain air travel operations. A preliminary FAA report says that January's midair collision at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport occurred when staffing was 'not normal.' The crash killed 67 people. In the aftermath of the tragedy, Secretary Sean Duffy released plans to increase salaries for new trainees by 30 percent and offer bonuses to existing employees who agreed to postpone their retirement. A major stumbling block to looking overseas for controllers is that most federal jobs are only available to U.S. citizens, and FAA rules stipulate that non-citizens are not eligible for the necessary security clearances. In an effort to get around the rule, The Atlantic reports that the memo envisions a 'need to create a structured pathway for these international recruits that leads to FAA employment and eventual U.S. citizenship.' The FAA appears to be taking inspiration from 'institutions that admit international students,' despite the Trump administration's moves to crack down on foreign nationals studying in the U.S. The memo suggests a four-and-a-half-year path for candidates that includes language training and courses about weather and 'basic phraseology.' Any applicants will require rigorous vetting and background checks, it notes, and objections are expected from labor unions.
Yahoo
07-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Schumer demands investigation of Trump Weather Service vacancies in wake of Texas flooding
Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (N.Y.) is demanding that the Commerce Department's inspector general investigate vacancies at National Weather Service offices and whether they increased the death toll in recent flash flooding in Texas. Schumer wrote in a Monday letter to Roderick Anderson, the Commerce Department's acting inspector general, urging him to immediately 'open an investigation into the scope, breadth, and ramifications of whether staffing shortages at key local National Weather Service (NWS) stations contributed to the catastrophic loss of life and property during the deadly flooding.' He noted that The New York Times reported that key forecasting and coordination positions at the San Antonio and San Angelo offices of the NWS were vacant at the time of the Friday storm. Those local offices were missing a warning coordination meteorologist, a science officer and a senior hydrologist, among other 'vital forecasting, meteorology and coordination roles.' 'These are the experts responsible for modeling storm impacts, monitoring rising water levels, issuing flood warnings, and coordinating directly with local emergency managers about when to warn the public and issue evacuation orders,' Schumer wrote. 'To put it plainly: they help save lives,' he added. Schumer is asking for the Commerce Department to investigate whether the staffing vacancies at the San Antonio and San Angelo offices contributed to delays, gaps or diminished accuracy of the forecasts related to the July 4 flooding. He wants to know whether those vacancies delayed or weakened the issuance of flood warnings. And he wants information on whether reduced staffing impeded the weather service's ability to coordinate with local emergency officials, including in Kerr County, where floodwaters swept through an all-girls Christian summer camp, killing at least 27 campers and counselors. 'This is a national tragedy which people across the country are mourning. The American people deserve answers,' he wrote. Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-Texas) raised similar questions during an interview with CNN's Dana Bash on Sunday, calling for an investigation into what impact weather service staffing cuts had on the local preparation for the floods. 'When you have flash flooding, there's a risk that you won't have the personnel to make that — do that analysis, do the predictions in the best way,' he said. 'And it could lead to tragedy. So, I don't want to sit here and say conclusively that that was the case, but I do think that it should be investigated,' he said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
CTV News
25-06-2025
- Health
- CTV News
Possible fraud, staggering spending flagged in audit of N.L. travel nurse contracts
The main entrance to St. Clare's Mercy Hospital is shown in St. John's on Tuesday, Jan. 11, 2022. The CANADIAN PRESS/Paul Daly ST. JOHN'S — Newfoundland and Labrador's auditor general is flagging possible fraud in a new report that calls on the provincial heath authority to overhaul how it hires and pays private travel nurse agencies. Denise Hanrahan's audit found the provincial health authority is now spending more than $400,000 per year on each so-called travel nurse hired through the agencies. Her report says the province spent more than $241 million on nurses from 11 different private agencies from the start of 2022 to the end of 2024. It says one unnamed agency billed the health authority more than $91,000 for 81 weeks of electric vehicle rentals for nurses who were not in the province. The same agency was paid more than $545,000 for nurses to use electric vehicles from a company affiliated with the agency, despite health officials rejecting its initial proposal to use the cars. The audit also found an agency charged $10,212 for a nurse to spend 48 nights at a Gander, N.L., hotel, and another charged $5,467 for one-month stay in a suite in Corner Brook. Health officials in Newfoundland and Labrador have said travel nurses are a 'necessary evil' as the province struggles with staffing shortages. However, Hanrahan found no evidence that the province has assessed how many nurses it needs, or set targets for vacancy reductions. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 25, 2025. The Canadian Press
