Perpetual Role Transition: Forest Firefighters Shift From Seasonal Employees to Year-round Professionals
The Government has announced a new structured work model for shift and turn organisation within the BRIF (Brigadistas de Incendios Forestales, or Wildfire Reinforcement Brigades). This change comes as part of a broader strategy to enhance firefighting efforts and give greater emphasis to prevention in combating wildfires.
Under the new model, BRIF firefighters will be tasked with carrying out preventative measures during the winter months. This shift towards proactive measures is expected to bolster the Government's efforts to combat wildfires effectively.
The new regulations also outline the emergency mobilisation of BRIF firefighters for events such as storms, snowstorms, or missing persons searches. However, the agreement does not provide specific details on mobilisation regulations for emergencies beyond these scenarios.
The agreement, which is set to come into effect on August 21, 2025, has been welcomed by Yolanda Díaz, Minister of Labour and Social Economy. Díaz expressed satisfaction with the collective agreement, praising its improvements to working conditions for BRIF firefighters.
The new work model will organise shifts during the fire season in 9-day cycles. Each cycle will consist of 11-hour workdays, 5 hours of special availability, and 3 days of rest. For effective extinction work, the daily limit has been set at 8 hours, with a maximum weekly shift of 35 hours.
In addition to these changes, the agreement includes a salary increase for firefighters, ranging from 15% to 20%. This increase is expected to further boost morale and attract more individuals to the vital role of firefighting.
However, the agreement does not provide specific details on the new shift and turn organisation beyond adapting to a structured work model. This aspect of the agreement is expected to be further developed in the coming months.
The implementation of this new work model marks a significant step forward in the Government's commitment to improving firefighting efforts and ensuring the safety and wellbeing of its firefighters.
