Firefighters who normally work on structure fires — the crews that respond to house fires and building emergencies — would get formal federal training to handle wildfires and fires in areas where neighborhoods meet wildlands. The bill authorizes $5 million per year through 2031 for that training program, run through the Forest Service. It also creates a new senior position in the Department of Agriculture — an Under Secretary for Fire Coordination — to improve how federal, state, and local crews work together during wildfire season. The Department of Defense could send its own firefighters to help when requested. Separately, $20 million per year would fund research into cancer-causing chemicals (including PFAS) that firefighters are exposed to, and $100 million is set aside for grants to help local fire departments buy wildfire gear and train their people.
Congressional Summary
Wildfire Emergency Preparedness Act of 2025This bill establishes grants, training, and interagency coordination for responding to wildfires and fires in the wildland-urban interface (WUI) (i.e., where undeveloped land or vegetation meets human infrastructure). It also requires measures for protecting the health of firefighters and emergency responders.The bill establishes an Under Secretary of Agriculture for Fire Coordination to manage coordination of government preparation and response to wildfires and WUI fires. Such office may award grants to fire departments and emergency medical services organizations for training firefighting personnel or obtaining personal protective equipment for responding to such fires. Also, the Forest Service must establish a national plan with guidelines for training structural (i.e., urban) firefighters to respond to wildfires and WUI fires. The Forest Service may provide grants to certain nonprofit organizations to carry out training programs pursuant to the plan.Upon request from agencies, the Department of Defense (DOD) may allow its firefighters to conduct operations or assist in responding to wildfires and WUI fires. Agencies must reimburse DOD for such services.Additionally, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health must perform research and development and report to Congress on protecting the respiratory health of firefighters and identifying certain hazardous substances in areas affected by wildfires and WUI fires. Also, task forces within the National Urban Search and Rescue Response System of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) must train each member in peer mental health support and include members who are mental health practitioners.
Details
- Congress
- 119th
- Chamber
- House
- Status
- summarized
- Action
- Introduced in House
- Action Date
- 2025-08-01
- Date Added
- 2026-03-30