Study: Pay, experience positively impact wildland firefighter retention; competing wages not so much

New research on federal Hotshot firefighter retention reveals that workload intensity and accumulated career experience significantly boost the likelihood of returning for the next season. These factors serve as effective proxies for earnings, suggesting that intrinsic job challenges and professional growth are powerful drivers for workforce continuity among these elite teams. Conversely, the availability of higher wages in alternative local employment shows no significant impact on whether Hotshots stay. This implies that internal compensation structures and job satisfaction outweigh external market opportunities in influencing retention decisions. While these findings do not address initial recruitment, they clarify that retaining experienced personnel requires focusing on the conditions within the firefighting profession itself. This study is relevant to open data efforts as it demonstrates how transparent, publicly available datasets can uncover critical insights into public sector workforce dynamics. By validating specific retention drivers through rigorous analysis, such research supports evidence-based policy-making. Open data allows stakeholders to replicate and extend these methodologies to other wildfire positions, fostering a more responsive and stable public safety workforce through accessible, empirical evidence.

Source: aspenpublicradio.org
Published on 2023-12-08

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