Employees Who Took The Deferred Resignation Can Now Respond To Wildfires.

Thousands of former Red Carded employees now eligible to be assigned.

Following uncertainty among thousands of employees who voluntarily took a deferred resignation that were also Incident-Qualified (Red-Carded), the Forest Service has issued guidance that allows them to once again respond to wildfires, even though they are technically on Administrative leave.

Much of the concern was with Incident Management Teams, which lost a large number of personnel from their manifests. However, this new program allows DRP participants to be assigned and paid for their work while on assignment once again.

From the Forest Service Letter:

In support of USDA’s top priority of wildfire preparedness and response, Forest Service employees in the Deferred Resignation Program who have incident qualification cards (also called red cards) now have the opportunity to support fire response. Employees interested in this opportunity must follow established guidance to reactivate access to report time worked on fire assignments and submit travel documents.

The Washington Office is reactivating Forest Service DRP participants who have red cards in the Incident Resource Ordering Capability system so they can self-status their availability for fire assignments. These DRP employees will be available in the ordering system the same as any other resource and must be self-sufficient.

DRP employees interested in taking fire assignments should take the steps in the established guidance to reactivate their ETS2 travel profile now. Once ordered for an assignment, they must reactivate access to ConnectHR, submit appropriate documentation, code their time properly and make their own travel arrangements by following the instructions provided.

Participation is voluntary, and readiness and follow-through are the employee’s responsibility. This opportunity will be available until the deferred resignation program ends Sept. 30, 2025, or additional guidance is issued.

An email will be sent directly to employees in the Deferred Resignation Program who have incident qualifications informing them of this opportunity and the guidance. Thanks to qualified DRP participants for their willingness to step up during the peak of wildfire season.

The 4-page guidance linked above covers everything from Travel, Incident Premium Pay, Training, Pack Testing, Entering Time, and more. The FS indicates that their previous home units have been notified that this has been ordered, and DRP employees can receive yearly refresher training, pack tests, and other requirements needed before mobilization.

DRP employees must provide their personal information for manifesting purposes at their local host dispatch centers to reactivate them in the IROC and IQCS systems.

Employees should ensure host Dispatch Centers have a way to contact them. Additionally, current contact information including personal email address and cell phone numbers must be provided by the employee to the home unit IQCS Account Manager as IQCS is the system of record for this information, which is transferred automatically to the dispatch system, IROC.

If they do take an assignment, they are asked to have personal equipment of their own (computers, phones) and to be self-sufficient during their time on incident. They will be reimbursed for lodging, per diem, and other expenses if a personal credit card is used.

This program expires at the end of the DRP timeline; however, there are options to extend. This will likely bring in a large number of Red Carded individuals back into the system for this fire season.

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