The USDA Reorg is an ongoing story, and there have been quite a few articles about different dimensions. Here’s one by Rob Chaney of the Mountain Journal who tackles both the Reorg and the bigger picture with Congress and other Admin ideas like the Fire Service. I’m quoted there about (some) wildfire/other employee tensions and the quote addresses what I’ve heard from various fire folks. Certainly I didn’t mean to imply that all fire folks feel that way, I just wanted to characterize what I heard. If that’s not your perspective, please note in the comments.
I’d agree. The pay disparity has created even more separation between fire and the rest of the FS employees. I’d agree fire should receive more money while actively on assignments, but why are they worth so much more than all the other employees when they’re completing normal work at the district. Is creating a burn plan that will never get used or working out worth more than the worker scrubbing human excrement off of a toilet? I’ve got a lengthy fire experience record and many useful fire qualifications on my red card, but I refuse to go on a fire. My time or experience is simply not valued as much as FIRE personnel.