Uninsured & fighting blazes: Firefighters trying to save Colorado homes don't have health insurance

Uninsured and fighting blazes: Welcome to the life of a federal firefighter
Posted by Sarah Kliff on June 27, 2012

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Of all the jobs where you might want health insurance, firefighting near certainly ranks near the top of the list. Firefighters spend two-week shifts working 18 hour days in dangerous conditions. Some develop breathing problems due to smoke inhalation.

But many federal firefighters are temporary employees, who only work six months out of the year. Under federal regulations, temporary employees of the Forest Service do not receive benefits. That means no health care and no retirement pension.

“A lot of them are not making a lot,” says Bill Dougan, president of the National Federal of Federal Employees. “The only way they can afford insurance is if they have a spouse that might be able to get coverage under an employer. In some places that’s not an option.”

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http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/ezra-klein/wp/2012/06/27/uninsured-and-fighting-blazes-welcome-to-the-life-of-a-federal-firefighter/

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/06/27/1103586/-The-firefighters-trying-to-save-Colorado-homes-don-t-have-health-nbsp-insurance