美国国家公共电台 NPR--Federal agencies are struggling to hire and retain firefighters

Federal agencies are struggling to hire and retain firefighters

Transcript¹

Federal firefighters say they are again facing staff issues and low morale². Reforms to fix pay and hire more firefighters have stalled at U.S. agencies — despite promises to Congress.

A MARTINEZ, HOST:

As climate change intensifies³ wildfire seasons, federal agencies are struggling to hire and retain firefighters. Joe Wertz from Colorado Public Radio reports.

JOE WERTZ, BYLINE⁴: Hillary Johnson is the exact type of firefighter the federal government needs.

HILLARY JOHNSON: It's busy and outdoors. And I loved the physical aspect of it. I loved the adrenaline that comes with firefighting.

WERTZ: Johnson joined the U.S. Forest Service in 2015 and worked her way up to become a smokejumper, an elite⁵ class of firefighters who parachute in to contain fires in some of the country's most rugged⁶ terrain⁷. But now she's leaving.

JOHNSON: I'm out. Yep, yesterday was my last day with the Forest Service.

WERTZ: Johnson made $16 an hour base pay and was a seasonal⁸ employee. She worked a lot of overtime⁹ to make the low pay worth it. In a few days, she'll start a new job as a software developer.

JOHNSON: I have been thinking about it. And I want just a better work-life balance for myself.

WERTZ: To slow turnover¹⁰, the Biden administration approved one-time bonuses for firefighters last year. Congress also earmarked $600 million in pay raises and other reforms in the infrastructure¹¹ bill last year. But those raises...

JOHNSON: None of it made it through to me. As far as I know, none of that has taken effect yet.

WERTZ: Combine the financial and schedule stress with a slow and uncertain career path, add in the physical and mental toll¹², it's all a recipe that has led many federal firefighters to leave for more predictable and better-paying local or private firefighting jobs - or, like Johnson, leave the field altogether. These tensions have been simmering for years among federal firefighters. Magnifying everything is a climate-fueled wildfire season that's starting earlier, lasting¹³ longer and growing more intense.

(SOUNDBITE OF TOOL REVVING)

WERTZ: On a recent Saturday, volunteer wildfire coordinator¹⁴ Katrina Stevens made the rounds in her mountain neighborhood southwest of Denver. She was checking on her neighbors' progress clearing brush away from their homes. Patti Seitz (ph) and her husband were piling branches.

PATTI SEITZ: You know, you think you cut down a ton of scrub oak and you've done an amazing job. And then two years later, it looks exactly the same.

WERTZ: It snowed up here a couple of weeks ago, but there's no trace of it. It's hot, dry and incredibly windy. The National Weather Service has warned of extreme wildfire conditions. Forecasters have issued a lot of these warnings lately, 122 so far this year, and it's only May. Stevens worries about understaffed and overworked federal fire crews. She lives on private land. But her home is connected to national forest land by trees, drought-baked brush and a whole lot of wind.

KATRINA STEVENS: Pretty much everyone will agree that at some point, this will burn. It's been well over a hundred years since it had a real serious fire.

WERTZ: U.S. Forest Service Chief Randy Moore testified about the federal firefighter shortages earlier this month. He told Oregon Senator Jeff Merkley the agency hired more than 10,000 workers and that overall staffing is around 90% of the agency's goals.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

RANDY MOORE: But that 90%, it's a lot less than that in certain geographic¹⁵ locations. It's as low as 50% in some areas.

JEFF MERKLEY: All right. Well, that's - 50% sounds a little scary thinking about the fires that we'll be facing in our various states.

WERTZ: Moore told senators the agency is backfilling fire positions with other agency employees and contract firefighters. The Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management did not agree to interviews but say they're working to enact¹⁶ the reforms and get the federal funding into firefighter paychecks. They also say some of the hiring gaps will be closed when college students finish their terms and apply for summer firefighting jobs.

For NPR News, I'm Joe Wertz in Denver.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARBOUR'S "DAFFODIL")

1 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

2 morale   

n.道德准则，士气，斗志

参考例句：

• The morale of the enemy troops is sinking lower every day.敌军的士气日益低落。
• He tried to bolster up their morale.他尽力鼓舞他们的士气。

3 intensifies   

n.（使）增强， （使）加剧( intensify的名词复数 )v.（使）增强， （使）加剧( intensify的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• A clear atmosphere intensifies the blue of the sky. 纯净的空气使天空变得更蓝。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Blowing on fire intensifies the heat. 吹火使热度加强。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

5 elite   

n.精英阶层；实力集团；adj.杰出的，卓越的

参考例句：

• The power elite inside the government is controlling foreign policy.政府内部的一群握有实权的精英控制着对外政策。
• We have a political elite in this country.我们国家有一群政治精英。

6 rugged   

adj.高低不平的，粗糙的，粗壮的，强健的

参考例句：

• Football players must be rugged.足球运动员必须健壮。
• The Rocky Mountains have rugged mountains and roads.落基山脉有崇山峻岭和崎岖不平的道路。

7 terrain   

n.地面，地形，地图

参考例句：

• He had made a detailed study of the terrain.他对地形作了缜密的研究。
• He knows the terrain of this locality like the back of his hand.他对这一带的地形了如指掌。

8 seasonal   

adj.季节的，季节性的

参考例句：

• The town relies on the seasonal tourist industry for jobs.这个城镇依靠季节性旅游业提供就业机会。
• The hors d'oeuvre is seasonal vegetables.餐前小吃是应时蔬菜。

9 overtime   

adj.超时的，加班的；adv.加班地

参考例句：

• They are working overtime to finish the work.为了完成任务他们正在加班加点地工作。
• He was paid for the overtime he worked.他领到了加班费。

10 turnover   

n.人员流动率，人事变动率；营业额，成交量

参考例句：

• The store greatly reduced the prices to make a quick turnover.这家商店实行大减价以迅速周转资金。
• Our turnover actually increased last year.去年我们的营业额竟然增加了。

11 infrastructure   

n.下部构造，下部组织，基础结构，基础设施

参考例句：

• We should step up the development of infrastructure for research.加强科学基础设施建设。
• We should strengthen cultural infrastructure and boost various types of popular culture.加强文化基础设施建设，发展各类群众文化。

12 toll   

n.过路(桥)费；损失，伤亡人数；v.敲(钟)

参考例句：

• The hailstone took a heavy toll of the crops in our village last night.昨晚那场冰雹损坏了我们村的庄稼。
• The war took a heavy toll of human life.这次战争夺去了许多人的生命。

13 lasting   

adj.永久的，永恒的；vbl.持续，维持

参考例句：

• The lasting war debased the value of the dollar.持久的战争使美元贬值。
• We hope for a lasting settlement of all these troubles.我们希望这些纠纷能获得永久的解决。

14 coordinator   

n.协调人

参考例句：

• The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, headed by the Emergency Relief Coordinator, coordinates all UN emergency relief. 联合国人道主义事务协调厅在紧急救济协调员领导下，负责协调联合国的所有紧急救济工作。
• How am I supposed to find the client-relations coordinator? 我怎么才能找到客户关系协调员的办公室？

15 geographic   

adj.地理学的，地理的

参考例句：

• The city's success owes much to its geographic position. 这座城市的成功很大程度上归功于它的地理位置。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Environmental problems pay no heed to these geographic lines. 环境问题并不理会这些地理界限。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法

16 enact   

vt.制定(法律)；上演，扮演

参考例句：

• The U.S. Congress has exclusive authority to enact federal legislation.美国国会是唯一有权颁布联邦法律的。
• For example,a country can enact laws and economic policies to attract foreign investment fairly quickly.例如一个国家可以很快颁布吸引外资的法令和经济政策。