Building a diverse wildland fire workforce to meet future challenges

Every year around this time, California's wildland firefighters hold their breath as hot, dry winds threaten to spread flames across the state. As such conflagrations grow in size and severity throughout the Western U.S., the strain on fire managers has intensified. A new report from Stanford University's Climate and Energy Policy Program provides a blueprint for fostering a more inclusive, diverse and well-supported workforce to meet the increasing need for fire mitigation and management.

"The wellbeing of the wildland fire workforce has received national attention, yet recruitment and retention challenges specific to women, people of color, and other underrepresented groups in the field has too often been overlooked," said report coauthor Abigail Varney, a wildland fire fellow at the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability and a federal wildland firefighter. "Expanding workforce capacity and effectiveness will require increased investment in more equitably supporting all of our firefighters."

The report addresses the cultural, structural, and capacity-related barriers that have historically prevented a more diverse group of people from entering and succeeding in the fire management field. Overcoming these obstacles will be critical to attracting and retaining a workforce capable of addressing the wildfire crisis, the authors write.

Overcoming barriers to change

Despite a growing recognition of the benefits of workforce diversity, the wildland fire profession remains largely homogenous. According to the U.S. Government Accountability Office, 84% of the federal fire management workforce identifies as male, and 72% identifies as white. The Stanford report points to several factors contributing to this lack of diversity, including implicit bias, inequitable career advancement opportunities, and a workplace culture that has historically marginalized women and people of color.

The report recommends several strategies to increase diversity and inclusivity in fire management. Among them: outreach efforts aimed at underrepresented populations, the creation of more inclusive onboarding processes, and the development of resources to support the families of firefighters.

Improving health equity and workplace culture

Wildland firefighters face numerous physical and mental health challenges, including exposure to hazardous environments, long hours, and high levels of stress. However, women and people of color may experience these health threats differently because of their specific needs or vulnerabilities. Among the report's recommendations for improving health equity: expanding insurance coverage for reproductive health services, including female-reproductive organ cancers in presumptive coverage legislation, and increasing mental health services that are gender- and culture-responsive.

Another crucial change, according to the report: promoting a workplace culture within fire management agencies that fosters an inclusive environment where all employees feel valued and supported. The authors recommend regular workplace culture assessments, as well as mandatory training programs to address implicit bias, harassment, and discrimination. "By taking the actions recommended in this report, lawmakers and fire management agencies will not just address barriers to recruitment and retention, but also help build a workforce that is well equipped and supported to meet the challenges ahead," said report coauthor Cassandra Jurenci, a wildfire legal fellow at the Stanford Law School.Coauthors of the paper also include Michael Wara, director of the Climate and Energy Policy Program at the Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment and Michael Mastrandrea, research director of the program. Wara and Mastrandrea are senior director for policy and director for policy, respectively, in the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability's Sustainability Accelerator.