Dexter Leads Bipartisan, Bicameral Comprehensive Legislation to Protect Wildland Firefighters’ Health

Wildland Firefighter Health and Safety Act establishes first-of-its-kind respiratory protections, strengthens health monitoring and improves care for federal wildland firefighters.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Maxine Dexter, M.D. (D-OR), Reps. Huffman (D-CA) and Gallagher (R-CA), and Sens. Merkley (D-OR), Padilla (D-CA), Curtis (R-UT), Sheehy (R-Mont.) introduced the Wildland Firefighter Health and Safety Act, bipartisan, bicameral legislation to protect wildland firefighters from the serious health risks associated with smoke, toxic substances and other hazards they encounter on the job.

For nearly 30 years, federal agencies have had data documenting the serious health risks wildland firefighters face. Structural firefighters began using respiratory protection in the 1970s, yet wildland firefighters are still routinely sent into dangerous conditions without adequate respiratory protection.

Developed in partnership with firefighters, unions and health experts, Dexter’s legislation would establish federal respiratory protection standards, strengthen long-term health monitoring, improve decontamination practices and ensure firefighters have better support when seeking federal workers’ compensation for job-related illnesses.

“As a pulmonologist and critical care physician, I’ve cared for firefighters with acute smoke and burn injuries, as well as chronic lung disease and cancer caused by repeated smoke exposure,” Congresswoman Dexter said. “It is devastating, and it is preventable. Our wildland firefighters deserve more than our gratitude—they deserve a government that protects them as fiercely as they protect all of us. The Wildland Firefighter Health and Safety Act is legislation that will finally close critical gaps in protecting wildland firefighter health. It is built upon a simple principle: protecting firefighters’ health must be an operational priority, not an afterthought.”

“Every day, wildland firefighters face tremendous health risks at work, where they protect our communities, defend the environment, and save lives,” said Senator Padilla. “As California faces an increasing threat from devastating wildfires, we have a responsibility to make sure the heroes fighting these fires have the resources, safety equipment, and support needed to do their jobs safely. The Wildland Firefighter Health and Safety Act takes an important step toward closing longstanding gaps in health and safety protections, giving our wildland firefighters the equipment, resources, and support they need to stay healthy while they brave dangerous conditions to save lives.” 

“As climate chaos fuels an even more ferocious fire season, our wildland firefighters are on the front lines, battling deadly blazes to protect our communities,” said Senator Merkley. “These heroes deserve adequate resources and strong protections from the dangers posed by smoke exposure and other contaminants. Our bipartisan Wildland Firefighter Health and Safety Act is critical to ensuring these firefighters get the support they need because they put their lives on the line to keep us safe, and it’s our job to step up to keep them safe.”

“Our wildland firefighters are facing one of the worst fire seasons on record. Rep. Dexter and I have heard directly from these first responders on the dangers they face on the fire line and the health risks they take on every day as they fight these increasingly catastrophic fires. Young, healthy firefighters are developing cancer and lung disease at alarming rates, and some are paying with their lives,” said Ranking Member Huffman, House Natural Resources Committee - Democrats. “These folks keep our communities standing and our forests healthy. The least we owe them is the pay, the protective gear, and the health care to live long, healthy lives, and I am going to make sure Congress delivers.” 

“Wildland firefighters run toward danger battling some of the biggest blazes we have ever seen,” said Congressman Gallagher. “We must take the health risks that come with that job seriously. The Wildland Firefighter Health and Safety Act ensures that our firefighters have the right protocols, equipment, and working conditions to better protect them during and after a wildland fire.”

“NFFE-IAM strongly supports the Wildland Firefighter Health and Safety Act and its commitment to safeguarding the health and well-being of federal wildland firefighters who put themselves in harm’s way to protect our communities and public lands,” said Randy Erwin, National President, National Federation of Federal Employees (NFFE-IAM). “Wildland firefighters face extraordinary occupational hazards, including toxic smoke, extreme heat, injuries, fatigue, and mental health challenges. They deserve the best available prevention, treatment, and protective technologies. Investing in their long-term health will save lives, retain experienced firefighters, strengthen workforce readiness, and help ensure these dedicated public servants can enjoy long, healthy lives after their service.”

“Wildland firefighters and fire support personnel are exposed to a variety of hazards, including wildfire smoke, on the job. Understanding the significant impacts of these hazards, the Commission called for investments in the physical and mental health of fire personnel as well as improved mitigation techniques for wildfire smoke exposure,” said Annie Schmidt, Co-Founder and Managing Director of Partnerships for Alliance for Wildfire Resilience. “The Wildland Firefighter Health and Safety Act’s creation of a Federal Wildland Firefighter Health and Wellbeing Program makes an important and necessary investment in the health and safety of those who serve us all by responding to wildfires. We applaud Reps. Dexter and Gallagher as well as Senators Padilla, Merkley, Sheehy, and Curtis on their efforts to protect wildland fire personnel.”

"There is a huge gap between the safety risks and health hazards that wildland firefighters face, including risk of severe musculoskeletal damage and rare cancers, and the inadequate level of medical care they are provided. The Wildland Firefighter Health and Safety Act will go a long way towards narrowing this gap in their health care, providing support for crews whose work-related injuries and illnesses sometimes appear long after they've disengaged from the firelines," said Timothy Ingalsbee, Executive Director of FUSEE: Firefighters United for Safety, Ethics, and Ecology.

 “Our firefighters put everything on the line to protect us, and they deserve the same commitment in return. This bill takes an important step toward ensuring firefighters get the healthcare, benefits, and long-term support they’ve earned,” said Matt Weiner, founder and CEO of Megafire Action. “Congresswoman Dexter is a leader on this issue and Megafire Action looks forward to advancing this long-overdue commitment to those who protect our communities.”

The Wildland Firefighter Health and Safety Act would:

Establish a Wildland Firefighter Health Task Force and Program

• Create an interagency Wildland Firefighter Health Task Force and an advisory panel of outside stakeholders to coordinate efforts to reduce harmful exposures, pilot respiratory technologies and develop an updated Wildland Firefighter Health Strategy every three years.
• Codify and fund the Federal Wildland Firefighter Health and Wellbeing Program to support firefighters’ long-term health and safety.

Establish Respiratory Protection Standards

• Permanently establish a National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health Office of Firefighter Health and Safety to develop criteria for new Occupational Safety and Health Administration standards and support long-term health surveillance.
• Establish a two-year pilot program to test respiratory protection technologies under real-world wildland firefighting conditions.
• Require OSHA to issue an interim final standard for wildland firefighter health protection, followed by a final standard within five years of the pilot program’s report.

Protect Firefighters During and After the Job

• Require paid duty time during operations for firefighters to shower, decontaminate gear and clean vehicles following exposure to smoke or PFAS.
• Require fire facilities to provide commercial-grade washing machines for contaminated gear, designated decontamination areas and access to showers.
• Create a dedicated Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs claims unit with specialized training on firefighting exposures to reduce processing delays and improve coordination for firefighters seeking benefits.

The Wildland Firefighter Health and Safety Act is endorsed by the National Federation of Federal Employees, Grassroots Wildland Firefighters, International Association of Fire Fighters, National Fire Protection Association, Megafire, Firefighters United for Safety, 

Read bill text here.  

Watch Rep. Dexter’s remarks here. 

Watch full Wildland Firefighter Health and Safety Act press conference here. 

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