Theses and Dissertations Collection

Wildfires in the western United States have drastically increased in frequency, intensity, emotional and economic cost. As this trend continues, agencies are increasingly reliant on private contractors to supplement suppression resource demand during critical fire seasons. Cooperating private resources provide a surge in equipment and personnel when interagency resources are committed or unavailable for assignment. Using anonymous self-survey methodology through social media, comparative online questionnaires were created to examine interagency personnel (n=655) and private contractors (n=177). Data collected from this study provided an introduction towards understanding the work-relationship. However, this has proven complex as study results concluded: 88 percent of contractors (n=161) and 76 percent of interagency personnel (n=595) believed a negative work culture existed between contractors and interagency personnel. The strain on this relationship has resulted in the development of an organizational rivalry. Rivalries have beneficial qualities leading to increased production, confidence, and inter-crew cohesion. However, when negative, the opposite is true leading to potential impacts of the health and safety of wildland firefighters. In order to better understand this rivalry and resolve potential conflicts, future research with variant methods is required to develop a basis of a constructive dialogue to aid in the resolution of this dynamic.