Commission considers DNRC temporary 'EFS' firefighters and county hiring options

Staff discussed options under DNRC’s EFS (temporary firefighter) program and how the county could use those resources during fire season. One staff member said that DNRC’s process for supplying EFS personnel does not include local interviews and that "there's no interview process whatsoever" according to Jeff Brown, meaning county chiefs would have to certify personnel for local use.

Commissioners and staff explored three models: DNRC call‑out only (DNRC employees activated on incident), county hiring with reimbursement for prolonged deployments, and the potential for county‑led fuels crews. Concerns included whether DNRC personnel could be relied upon for local call‑outs, who would be paid and when (fuel, wages, equipment), and whether use of DNRC personnel would limit the county’s ability to staff routine local needs.