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Witnesses Urge Congress to Create Casualty Assistance Program for Wildland Firefighters (HR 4671)
Summary
Experts and a wildfire‑health researcher told the subcommittee HR 4671 would create a DOI casualty assistance program for wildland firefighters and recommended pairing benefits with stronger exposure monitoring and improved respiratory and dermal protection.
Members heard bipartisan support for HR 4671, the Ensuring Casualty Assistance for Our Firefighters Act, which would establish a DOI casualty assistance program modeled after existing Forest Service supports.
Dr. Matt Rahn, director of the Wildfire Conservancy, testified the bill fills gaps in support for families after catastrophic injury or death and recommended linking the program to occupational‑illness surveillance, long‑term medical follow up, and improved personal protective equipment. "If we do not address the root causes of injury, illness, and death among wildland firefighters," Rahn said, "we will tragically be administering the same kinds of assistance again and again."
Representative Neguse and other members discussed the need to pair post‑incident assistance with exposure reduction measures, including deploying modern respiratory protection, instituting clean‑gear protocols and tracking exposures. The witness and members emphasized that wildland firefighting now exposes crews to higher and more persistent toxic loads due to larger fires and urban interface incidents.
No formal action was taken at the hearing; authors and supporters urged follow‑up technical sessions and coordination with the Forest Service and DOI bureaus to ensure the program's reach covers DOI and Forest Service personnel.
Next steps: Committee staff will collect written comments and technical suggestions from DOI and fire‑service stakeholders to refine statutory language and to estimate implementation costs.
