Associated Press
As brutal wildfires spread in Colorado, federal fighters, along with state and local first responders, are doing everything they can to deal with the disaster.
But Sarah Kliff noted a detail yesterday that I did not know: thousands of federal firefighters do not have health insurance.
Of all the jobs where you might want health insurance, firefighting near certainly ranks near the top of the list. Firefighters spend two-week shifts working 18 hour days in dangerous conditions. Some develop breathing problems due to smoke inhalation.
But many federal firefighters are temporary employees, who only work six months out of the year.... Under federal regulations, temporary employees of the Forest Service do not receive benefits. That means no health care and no retirement pension.
"A lot of them are not making a lot," says Bill Dougan, president of the National Federal of Federal Employees. "The only way they can afford insurance is if they have a spouse that might be able to get coverage under an employer. In some places that's not an option."
For what it's worth, the Affordable Care Act would extend health care subsidies to these firefighters -- many of whom make modest salaries between $25,000 and $35,000 a year -- making insurance affordable for them in 2014. Then again, in about two hours, Republicans on the Supreme Court might kill the Affordable Care Act.
Another possibility are proposals empowering the Forest Service to make some temporary firefighters permanent, expanding their benefits eligibility, but this appears to still be in the talking-about phase.
In the meantime, as we watch the crisis unfold in Colorado, it's worth remembering that many of those fighting the blaze are going without health insurance.
Postscript: Incidentally, didn't Mitt Romney and his campaign just spend a week telling voters it's absurd of President Obama to want to hire more firefighters? Given the developments, maybe that wasn't the smartest thing Romney has ever done?
Update: John Lauer, a 27-year-old member of a Colorado-based "hotshot" crew, is one of the uninsured first responders, and he's created a petition on Change.org in support of health benefits for firefighters. As of this afternoon, it has a little over 116,000 signatures.
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Like the military, these firefighters only work "part time"- when there is a fire or a fight. Otherwise, they are of little use, and cannot expect special treatment like "real, full time workers".
(For those new to this site, that is snark)
For a country that professes to hold Christian values, we are definitely hypocrites.Take care of your neighbor, especially the ones who are risking their lives for us each day.
"Special treatment?" A Reservist isn't eligible for TriCare benefits unless they have orders for at least six consecutive months. They can work lots of extra "man days" in between short stints of active duty, but unless those orders are for six months or more, no benefits. I don't know how it works for federal firefighters, but I have personal experience with the Reserve. I also know that when a Reservist retires, he or she is not eligible for TriCare until age 60. If he or she dies before then, his or her surviving family are not eligible until he or she would have been 60. Why? Because a retired Reservist is not considered "fully retired" until age 60. As if they can reactivate a deceased retiree...? I'd really like to see them try.
Not providing benefits and a living wage for people who put their lives on the line to protect ours--whether in the military or as firefighters--is not the kind of nation we should be. However, in this current trend toward "small" government, destruction of unions, dishonoring of public employees' contracts, and downright disrespect toward teachers, police, and firefighters, it is the type of nation we have become.
And it makes me ashamed of the USA. We're better than that....
"Under federal regulations, temporary employees of the Forest Service do not receive benefits. That means no health care and no retirement pension."
Smokey The Bear seems to come to mind -
Only YOU Mr. President..... Can prevent these Federal regulations.......
Only WE the citizens ... can demand that regulations make sense.
By the way:
This is true for businesses as well. Rather than hire a full time employee (with all of the benefits, etc.) it is more cost effective to hire a Temp. Have to watch that "Head Count".
Also,
One of goals of the ACA is to make health insurance affordable when it is not available through the employer - [Exchanges]
This is more than a bit personal, since the young man who's under review as a potential son-in-law is one of those part-time Forest Service employees. And, yes, he might get benefits through my daughter -- but that's still a serious threat to any kind of family security. I'm old enough to want my daughter to have the option to take some time out for providing me with grandchildren and not have to sweat being their sole source of health care coverage.
A friend of mine is in a similar position except that it's her son who is the fire fighter. It's rough.
This is unconsciounable!!! And MITT ROMNEY, what are you thinking?!?!?! FANSWAT!
The only way they can be temporary employees is if there is a season during which there are no fires and they can be let go. At the rate we're going, the earlier start of the fires and their later termination is going to meet coming around the corner and these guys will become permanent.
The other way is if they only get hired for part of the season. Given the extent of the fires and the numbers of qualified fighters, there is no one to replace them, so again they get hired full time.
And finally, when the extent of the fires is more than what can regrow between them, then eventually the fires will catch up with forest growth and in the absence of forests, there will be no fires. This was Bush's program from the beginning on how to control fires, clear cut everything.
The temporary, part-time "thing" is common in the educational system as well. Many non-teaching employees are less that 4 hrs daily (3 hrs 45 mins being common) so that the district saves the cost of benefits, including healthcare. Then the employees use most of their pay check to "buy" into the group insurance.
These employees are using the norm not the exception!
This would not apply to American Indian "hot-shots" firefighters who have free health care through the Indian Health Service. My deceased husband was Apache, and a retired Civil Servant when we married, but though married I could not get health care as his wife. I am glad for the Indian Health Service for the Indian people, because the white man destroyed the health and lives of many Indian people but all of these exceptions show why universal health care for all is the best way to go. Obama care is a good first step but not complete health care for all.
I have created a WhiteHouse.gov petition for this issue as well!!
http://wh.gov/3WRQ
I just want to make a general comment on our "leaders" in Washington. I am so tired of this childish idea of only voting along party lines or getting political payback. Nothing is getting done, we the people are still struggling. Does it matter?
When do the people that congress are suppose to represent, actually see solutions. When do we see Congress set the example of working together to bring the country together to solve our complex problems. I can't believe that politicians would want to deny healthcare to their constituents. If you have a valid argument then state it and your solution but don't just make all or nothing. Don't stand around talking about how bad something is when they have no solution to offer. How does that help?
I think our demise as a country will be having these self-absorbed, power hungry, immature politicians continue to run our country based on their special interests agenda.
With that said I also think we the people have a responsibility to research topics so no one can use the media to manipulate the facts. Where is the body that holds these politicians responsible for the truth and solutions?
When do we go back to being a Republic for the people by the people? When do we find leaders who show up with real solutions to complex problems? I am so tired of the high school mentality of majority of these so called "leaders"!
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