Forest Service Officers Hailed for Raising Radio Issue, Improving Safety
It turns out that radios given to some U.S. Forest Service (FS) law enforcement officers were not allowing for simple communication, a potentially devastating situation in an emergency.
Now, three law enforcement officers in the Forest Service are being hailed for blowing the whistle and being catalysts for change.
The whistleblowers told the U.S. Office of Special Counsel (OSC) that radios provided by the Forest Service to workers in Georgia and South Carolina failed to provide emergency communication capabilities, potentially leaving law enforcement officers unable to communicate in hazardous situations.
According to OSC, the radios “did not include the frequencies necessary to contact local Sheriff's Departments while performing their duties. This left them unable to transmit critical information to local police departments or fellow FS employees during emergencies unless they traveled to a location with better service.”
The OSC referred the allegations to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) which conducted its own investigation. That investigation substantiated the whistleblowers’ claims about radio problems in the Chattahoochee‐Oconee National Forest in Georgia and the Francis Marion National Forest in South Carolina.
“I thank the whistleblowers for bringing these serious allegations to OSC's attention and thank (Agriculture) Secretary Vilsack for taking them seriously," said Special Counsel Hampton Dellinger. “As we have seen in the massive Park Fire in California and the numerous forest fires affecting National Forests throughout the Northwest, U.S. Forest Service employees manage hazardous situations in remote areas. It is critical that the Forest Service provide effective emergency communication to ensure the safety of their employees and visitors to our National Forests."
Changes Made
Since the investigation, USDA has made “significant improvements” to communications systems in the affected areas. That includes providing satellite telephones for emergency communications, installing radio equipment that uses a variety of frequencies in all law enforcement vehicles, and obtaining access to relevant frequencies through agreements with local police.
As of June 2024, USDA confirmed that LEOs in the two national forests have radio communication in all high-priority areas within their areas of responsibility.