In action earlier this month, Rep. Josh Harder (CA-09) and Rep. David Valadao (CA-22) introduced bipartisan legislation to fundamentally fix Congress’ wildfire policy that has not kept up with California’s growing wildfire crisis. The landmark Wildfire Emergency Preparedness Act modernizes wildfire response by ensuring every fire fighter on the frontline is fully trained, equipped, and supported.
California is facing a growing megafire crisis, said Harder and Valadao, and Washington has failed to keep up.
From the L.A. fires that will cost more than $100 billion, to the Gifford Fire that burned in excess of 130,000 acres, California is in the middle of an existential crisis.
Federal wildfire policy, the legislators said in introducing the bill, has ignored structural fire fighters’ role in combating wildfires, leaving them without modern training or equipment.
More than 1,000 U.S. Department of Defense fire fighters stand ready to deploy, but simple reimbursement policy has sidelined this much-needed backup.
“Wildfire policy is so behind that local fire fighters are being left without the tools, training, and backup they need to keep themselves and our communities safe from megafires,” said Rep. Harder. “We need a modern wildfire response system that matches the speed and scale of today’s megafires by equipping every fire fighter with the resources to fight fires faster and smarter. That’s exactly what this landmark bipartisan bill delivers, and we need to get it signed into law ASAP.”
The Wildfire Emergency Preparedness Act would modernize wildfire response by providing:
Tools – Expands access to safer equipment and gear, as well as peer mental and behavioral health care.
Training – Creates a brand-new, comprehensive federal training program with industry partners to train structural fire fighters on modern megafire response.
Backup – Unlocks Department of Defense fire fighter personnel that are currently sidelined, and streamlines interagency coordination at every level of government.
The Wildfire Emergency Preparedness Act is endorsed by the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF), which represents nearly 350,000 members across the U.S. and Canada, including over 40,000 members in California.
“Wildfires are worsening and devastating more urban areas each year. Yet federal policy has largely ignored local fire fighters and forces them to respond with virtually no training and often the wrong type of equipment,” said IAFF General President Edward A. Kelly. “It’s time for Congress to make sure all fire fighters have the right training, equipment, and readiness to protect their communities from wildfires. The IAFF applauds Reps. Harder and Valadao for leading this change and ensuring fire fighters can be both safe and effective when responding to wildfires.”
As a fifth-generation resident of the Valley, Harder has made tackling the growing megafire crisis a top priority.
His first act of Congress was a new bill to fix reimbursement rules and quickly repay local fire departments that have waited years due to government delays.
In response to the devastating L.A. fires, the U.S. House passed Harder’s historic wildfire prevention bill that upgrades technology and fixes fire fighter shortages.
Last month, Harder secured new support from U.S. Interior Secretary Burgum for a new casualty assistance program for fire fighters and their families.
