‘Morale is going down’: Fort Lee firefighters work without pay during government shutdown

PRINCE GEORGE COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) — Fort Lee firefighters have gone without pay since early October as the federal government shutdown stretches into the 41st day.

Kevin Hamel, president of the Fort Lee chapter of the International Association of Fire Fighters, said morale is low but crews continue to show up to fulfill their duties on the Army base.

“We’ve been through shutdowns before, but it’s never been like this,” Hamel said. “It’s taking a toll. The government and the citizens are asking us to come in, do our job as we’ve always done it, but do it for free now.”

Hamel, a retired Fort Lee firefighter spoke on behalf of 40 union members. Hamel explained that crews typically work 288 hours each month. However, he said some firefighters are working mandatory overtime to cover staffing shortages.

"We have people that have worked that 288 hours, but have also worked in excess of 192 hours of overtime just since this started," Hamel said.

He said the financial strain is forcing firefighters to make difficult choices at home.

“We’ve got some members that just recently had babies, and now they’re saying, ‘Do I buy formula, do I buy diapers, or do I pay bills? Which is more important?’” he said.

According to Hamel, some firefighters have told him they're considering leaving their jobs to find work elsewhere. He warned this move could worsen shortages at the base.

“All that’s going to do is compound the problem here,” Hamel said. “But if they were to do that, I wouldn’t fault them. They’ve got to do what’s best for their family.”

Hamel directed much of his frustration toward lawmakers.

“We elected these people into the positions to look out for us, but they’re up there in their fancy suits, still getting their pay, making decisions that are keeping our employees from getting paid. And that’s just not fair,” he said.

The Government Employee Fair Treatment Act, enacted after the 2019 shutdown, requires that affected federal employees receive back pay once the government reopens. Still, Hamel said the impact of going without pay goes beyond lost wages.

"If they signed a bill today it wouldn't magically all be better," he said. "They done damage to our employees, that is going to take a long time for them to recover,"

An Army spokesman at Fort Lee provided the following statement about the ongoing situation:

“Fort Lee remains committed to supporting the civilian workforce during the ongoing government shutdown. In collaboration with installation services and regional community partners, the installation has ensured that assistance resources have been available and communicated to civilian employees and their families throughout the furlough.”

If you'd like to support the Fort Lee firefighters you can email Kevin Hammel by clicking here.