A part-time wildland firefighter is calling on Utah leaders for increased job protections after stating he was informed he would lose his full-time position if he accepted a call to respond to the Iron and Cherry fires.
Israel Justice, who has served as a part-time wildland firefighter for 22 years, said the uncertainty of his employment status has forced him to choose between job security and responding to critical emergencies.
For the past seven years, Justice has also worked full-time for a mechanical company based in Ogden. He stated that while his employer previously accommodated the sudden nature of wildfire deployments, recent changes following a buyout by a larger corporation have altered those terms.
Justice noted that the job requires responding to incidents immediately and said he does not know if he will have a position to return to once his current assignment ends. He expressed that it should not be too much to ask for companies to make small sacrifices so firefighters can serve.
In an effort to secure better protections, Justice has written to Governor Spencer Cox and Representative Blake Moore. He is seeking employment protections for wildland firefighters similar to those provided to certain volunteers and National Guard members, noting that they put their lives on the line to help others.
Representative Blake Moore released a statement saying his office had not heard from Justice regarding the situation. Moore stated that he encourages employers to allow employees to fight fires when possible and expressed gratitude for the work of first responders.
Justice said the pressure of fighting wildfires while facing potential loss of income makes an already dangerous profession even more difficult.
