Federal Firefighters: Pay, Benefits, And The Families First Act

” Federal firemens are critical to maintaining our armed forces stamina and protecting federal worksites, both in your home and abroad,” Erwin stated. “NFFE is pleased to support the Federal Firefighters Families First Act, which will make sure these first -responders are rather made up and supplied the retirement benefits they deserve for serving our country. This regulation will help the federal government to employ and keep the best personnel for these crucial positions.”

In this handout photo supplied by Grand Canyon National forest, firemens and emergency lorries are positioned before the Dragon Bravo Fire, with extreme flames and thick smoke at Grand Canyon National Park on July 10, 2025.
Grand Canyon National Forest through Getty Images

Firefighters’ Overtime and Pay Discrepancies

Currently, government firefighters work a 72-hour workweek, of which 19 hours are mandatorily arranged as overtime. For the objectives of their advantages computation under the Federal Personnel Retired Life System, those overtime hours are treated as basic– not costs– pay.

“Federal firefighters shield our neighborhoods from wildfires and keep our professionals and solution participants safe,” Gallego said in a declaration. “However right now, these endure men and women are compelled to work difficult hours at pay prices far listed below what various other firemens make. It’s inappropriate, and I’m honored to present bipartisan regulations to fix it.”

Efforts to Support Federal Firefighters

The federal government’s corps of firemans, many of whom function to have wildfires, have actually battled for years with high attrition due to the settings’ low pay and grueling timetable when compared to their state or municipally utilized equivalents. Congress and the Biden administration took a number of steps to reduce these problems, consisting of pay increases and an effort to update their settings to better reflect their tasks, yet the firms that use them still have thousands of unfilled fireman jobs.

The Federal Firefighters Family Members First Act would certainly cut federal firefighters’ job week to 60 hours, reducing obligatory overtime to seven hours per week, with the terms that their wage need to continue to be “consistent” after the modification. And it would call for FERS to properly count those set up overtime hours at their premium pay price when computing their retired life benefits.