Thanks to the Hotshot Wakeup!. THW made a case in his update today for not putting all one’s political eggs in one basket. According to THW, Sheehy is supportive of firefighter pay.
Op-ed by new Montana Senator Tim Sheehy on DOGE and wildfire ideas.
In November, Americans made clear they want political outsiders to come in and put a stop to status quo politics in D.C. The people want change, and now is the time to bring it by reining in our runaway federal bureaucracy, cutting waste, restoring common sense, and building a transparent government that is actually accountable to everyday Americans.
With President Trump leading the charge, and Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy at the helm of the newly formed Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), we have a historic opportunity to radically disrupt business as usual, fundamentally reform the federal government, and reorient the mission back to serving the taxpayer.
One area DOGE should focus on: wildfire. Wildfires cost us hundreds of billions in economic impact, harming millions of Americans each year, yet our government response hasn’t changed in decades.
As an aerial firefighter myself, I know firsthand the devastation wildfires cause and have a unique perspective on how the federal government has failed on this issue.
Wildfire management system consists of a plethora of overlapping government agencies and private commercial ventures working within a splintered infrastructure that leads to delayed responses and devastating results – too many acres burned, critical infrastructure and structures destroyed, negative health impacts, lives lost, and communities devastated.
There are dozens of state and federal agencies responsible for wildfire suppression, yet there is no clear accountability nor a national wildfire suppression standard. To put that into perspective, the National Fire Protection Association sets the standard for structure fire response at five minutes and 20 seconds, which reduced civilian deaths by 70%. There is no similar standard for wildfire suppression.
We have brave, selfless public servants who put their lives on the line to fight these fires. I was water-bombing fires and protecting our communities as recently as August alongside these heroes. They are not the problem. The problem lies with bureaucratic leadership and layers of red tape failing the folks on the ground, meaning an overhaul of the federal wildfire system is a great place for DOGE to start.
Adopting a more proactive, aggressive initial attack policy across agencies would dramatically reduce costs and damages. Aggressive initial attack relies on utilizing private resources, which are usually the quickest, most effective response option if we want to limit the size and scope of wildfire damage.
The private sector always has and always will produce new innovations and better results faster and cheaper than the government. The same holds true in wildfire response. We must embrace this truth. Fostering stronger public-private partnerships with the wildland fire industry is essential.
DOGE can help the federal government embrace private partnerships to leverage investment in innovative technologies like advanced aircraft, wildfire intelligence systems, unmanned aerial systems (UAS), and even thermally equipped satellites to better accomplish the mission: protecting people, property, public lands and communities from wildfires.
Together we can incorporate the most innovative technologies and strategies, establish clear roles and missions for federal agencies serving alongside private entities, and build an inclusive national wildfire strategy that best leverages all available resources.
As the only aerial firefighter in the Senate, I look forward to working with DOGE to lead the charge on reshaping our approach to wildfire management in America.
We can streamline wildland firefighting efforts, remove outdated bureaucratic obstacles to getting the job done and cut government waste. We can fight fires better, stronger and faster. And we can do more for our communities threatened by wildfires at a lower cost for American taxpayers.
This is an area that is ripe for collaboration between folks on both sides of the aisle. It doesn’t matter what party you’re from; it’s clear that the federal government must do a better job protecting our communities and public lands from wildfires.
I will work with Republicans and Democrats to deliver commonsense solutions to more effectively fight the devastating threat of wildfires. Americans nationwide made it clear they expect more out of their government, and it’s time we seize the moment and deliver on the mandate voters gave us.
Yep, Tim Sheehy can’t even contain his excitement in shifting even more federal funding to private contractors like himself. Blame the government for not getting the job done and laugh all the way to the bank. This guy is a total phony.
The title to this post needs to be changed.
Also, for whatever it’s worth….Tim Sheehy founded Bridger Aerospace, but stepped down as CEO this past summer.
According to a Bridger Aerospace Press Release from 3/19/2024:
“For 2023, Bridger Aerospace reported a net loss of $77.4 million compared to a net loss of $42.1 million in 2022.”
That’s a net loss of $119.5 million in just two years.
Keep in mind that Bridger Aerospaces business model is tied heavily to getting government contracts.
Also, keep in mind that Bridger Aerospace secured $160 million in bond from Gallatin County, Montana to hire new workers, but spent $134 million on debt.
But sure, all these wealthy elites that are now in government, many of whom control businesses that get massive government handouts and subsidies, can help reduce government spending…starting with Social Security and Medicare.
Can hardly contain my disgust at the bi-partisan and long-term obsession with enriching private industry through ‘public private partnerships’, eg, the private sector sucking off as much money as possible.
But the Keystone Agreements are also public private partnerships…almost all partnerships involve private entities. So it’s just profit making private entities you are disgusted by? Is it by the purpose of the activity or the legal status of the corporations involved (foundations, 501c3s and so on)?
But wait… the Wildfire Commission said we needed lots of new technology. Were they (appointed by a D Admin) wrong? Who else would develop it besides the private sector?
It seems like you have determined that Tester was a Good Guy and Sheehy is a Bad Guy. And yet, we saw Tester punch down on the Flathead folks. As for me, I am keeping an open mind.
https://forestpolicypub.com/2023/04/17/senator-tester-spreads-misinformation-about-forest-service-use-of-categorical-exclusions-at-senate-hearing/
Nothing wrong with government contracting with private industry for new firefighting technologies, the problem is when the executives from private companies serve in our government and direct funds to their own businesses or those of their buddies.
Maybe Sheehy has some good ideas. It will be interesting to hear what they are but his op-ed is just vague tripe and platitudes about cutting bureaucracy and privatization. Sorry but if the federal government is to effectively prevent and fight forest fires then it will require a lot more funding and smart reorganization of all the responsibility into a single department. With responsibilities spread across several departments as it is now there isn’t one person responsible and communication is abysmal. Sheehy’s op-ed sounded more like he wanted to simply cut government efforts and funnel taxpayer money into his own business..
This full episode of the Hotshot Wakeup is worth listening to. Wildfire management HAS been a total disaster for several years now. As a non-fire agency person I’ve watched more and more resources be devoted to the fire side while at the same time seeing how the culture and morals of that side differ considerably from the natural resource management side.
I say cut it off, put all the wildfire suppression in a new agency and let us get back to land management. Can’t happen soon enough.
I think Hot Shot Wakeup is a joke disguised as news that really is about making money to spread gossip and innuendo, but in this case, I agree.
Take all the federal fire folks and shove them into one agency. Let’s see how soon before the budget issues, scandals, incompetency, arrogance, and lack of understanding of how the real world works when the fire gods don’t run everything on a district works out.
Another- we try to not smear others’ intentions here.. and one person’s “gossip” might be another person’s “reporting.”
I wonder if a return of the “Super-Tanker” would help.
Just a question…
Jim B
Blah, blah, blah. Trump did not win by a landslide and there was certainly no mandate to destroy the Federal government. Musk should have been put in charge of engineering and innovation to lead us forward in making things. That is something he knows something about and has cred. To put him in charge of regulating agencies from which he receives billions is corruption.
Trump may have not won by a landslide but the Republicans Party certainly did! The only “more gooder” outcome would have been super majorities.
Ah, it’s good to be back in the land of commenting; either the evil Mr. Glitch, or crossing the holy threshold of language screens has had me sidelined for a week! I didn’t even know there were “naughty” filters at play. 😎 But alas, I could follow along, just had to keep my trap shut…..🤣
The great discussions of remaking the federal government in general, and Smokey Bear in particular, seems to have upset the subset of those more inclined to status quo than the electorate. It will be interesting to see how the “DOGE” plays out, Lord knows a remake has been in order for a spell….
Jim, we missed you and we could figure it out if you had contacted me; our web folks are always helpful when we have a problem.
I tried; I guess my email was also impacted? I tried several times, enlisted Franks help and spent valuable time on my new wood splitter….🤣. I still do not know what happened.
He lost me when he refered to DOGE as an actual cabinet department.
So THW doesn’t really understand how DC works..and misses stuff that I know. I just send him corrections or post it in the comments. The same way I would anyone else.
The good news? The Montana Supreme Court just ruled that Earth haters like Tim Sheehy are working against the environment and the state’s constitution. “’Plaintiffs showed at trial—without dispute—that climate change is harming Montana’s environmental life support system now and with increasing severity for the foreseeable future,’ the order states.”
Hello! 23 years as ground based firefighter in the western U.S. 11 years on a contracted T2IA hand crew. 4 years on T1 USFS hotshot crews. 4 years on a district hand crew USFS. 3 years on a FS wildland fire module. Going into my second year in a fire management position.
Federally managed public lands have a lot of challenges. There are many stakeholders and land users. Each seems to be “right”. There is need for streamlining and change.
My point, there is not a cookie cutter answer. I can say this to Sheehy and Musk. Please include those of us who have spent their entire career going all over the west doing the hard work of fighting fires. 60% of suppression cost in fire fighting is aircraft. In the past 10 years the increase in aircraft use and fleet has gone up. They can be effective, but a significant portion of use seems to be for what we call an expensive “air show.” This is in part public perception of seeing the fire aircraft flying. I have heard numerous times about how if they just had the tankers on that fire. In my experience it’s laughable. What stops fires? Favorable weather conditions combined with good strategy and tactics. Not easy to get all those lined up.
Dig, I completely agree with you.. the key people to involve are people currently doing the work. Sadly, you are not alone. In permitting reform world, there are many wonks and lawyers and few NEPA practitioners involved. But perhaps folks like Grassroots and other organizations can make the case, to Sheehy at least, about wildfire.
Also, I used to be in a DC carpool with fire folks and I remember a Congressperson from Long Island wanting to see tankers and got them. This was probably 30 years ago. Not that it helps to know it’s a longstanding issue, but.. maybe longstanding issues can be worked on piece by piece.
Thank you Dig- truth to power! Air show really looks great, but effectiveness is a whole ‘nother story. My hunch – after explaining the real world to Sheehy for 1/2 hour, he would yawn and say “Next”.
I wholeheartedly agree here with Tim Sheehy, it is about time to reduce the outrageous waste in wildland firefighting. We should start by eliminating contracts with aerial firefighting companies given that retardant drops have time and time again been shown to be completely ineffective in reducing the size and impacts of wildfires.