diff --git a/ush/generate_fire_emissions.py b/ush/generate_fire_emissions.py
index c675ece96..c9101b12a 100755
--- a/ush/generate_fire_emissions.py
+++ b/ush/generate_fire_emissions.py
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@
 #~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 # Workflow
 #~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
-def generate_emiss_workflow(staticdir, ravedir, intp_dir, predef_grid, ebb_dcycle, restart_interval, persistence):
+def generate_emiss_workflow(staticdir, ravedir, intp_dir, predef_grid, ebb_dcycle, restart_interval, persistence_flag):
    
    # staticdir: path to FIX files
    # ravedir: path to RAVE fire data files (hourly), typically workding directory (DATA)
@@ -40,7 +40,8 @@ def generate_emiss_workflow(staticdir, ravedir, intp_dir, predef_grid, ebb_dcycl
    vars_emis = ["FRP_MEAN","FRE"]
    cols, rows = (2700, 3950) if predef_grid == 'RRFS_NA_3km' else (1092, 1820) 
    print('PREDEF GRID',predef_grid,'cols,rows',cols,rows)
-   print('WARNING, EBB_DCYCLE set to', ebb_dcycle, 'and persistence=', persistence, 'if persistence is false, emissions comes from same day satellite obs')   
+   persistence = convert_string_flag_to_boolean(persistence_flag)
+   print('WARNING, EBB_DCYCLE set to', ebb_dcycle, 'and persistence=', persistence, 'if persistence is False, emissions comes from same day satellite obs')
    #used later when working with ebb_dcyle 1 or 2
    ebb_dcycle = float(ebb_dcycle)
 
@@ -102,6 +103,17 @@ def generate_emiss_workflow(staticdir, ravedir, intp_dir, predef_grid, ebb_dcycl
        print('First day true, no RAVE files available. Use dummy emissions file')
        i_tools.create_dummy(intp_dir, current_day, tgt_latt, tgt_lont, cols, rows)
 
+
+def convert_string_flag_to_boolean(flag: str) -> bool:
+    lowered = flag.lower()
+    if lowered == 'true':
+        return True
+    elif lowered == 'false':
+        return False
+    else:
+        raise ValueError('Boolean flag not recognized. Acceptable values are true, TRUE, false, or FALSE')
+
+
 if __name__ == '__main__':
 
         print('')
diff --git a/ush/interp_tools.py b/ush/interp_tools.py
index f685d6512..f1fd4740b 100755
--- a/ush/interp_tools.py
+++ b/ush/interp_tools.py
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ def date_range(current_day, ebb_dcycle, persistence):
     
     if ebb_dcycle == 1:
        print('Find  RAVE for ebb_dcyc 1')
-       if persistence == True:
+       if persistence:
           # Start date range from one day prior if persistence is True
           print('Creating emissions for persistence method where satellite FRP persist from previous day')
           start_datetime = fcst_datetime - dt.timedelta(days=1)