U.S. Sens. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., and Steve Daines, R-Mont., introduced two bipartisan pieces of legislation to protect and recognize wildland firefighters on Wednesday.
The Wildland Firefighter Recognition Act requires the federal government to provide special designation to call wildland firefighters by that title rather than their current designation of forestry technicians.
“Providing wildland firefighters with the proper title will improve recruitment efforts and morale and also give due recognition to those brave individuals who risk their lives to protect others and their property,” according to a press release from Cantwell’s office.
The act also addresses several technical problems wildland firefighters face. Many wildland firefighters are seasonal workers, meaning they can only work 1,040 hours per year. As a result, wildland firefighters often have their fire seasons cut short, which, according to the release, jeopardizes public safety.
Under current law, their workers’ compensation pay excludes overtime pay, which can represent a substantial portion of their total compensation because of long hours during fire season. Wildland firefighters who are injured and take another position within the Forest Service must currently cede the 20-year retirement track they earned from serving in a hazardous job role.
The act addresses both points by establishing a five-year pilot program that would exclude fire staging time from seasonal wildland firefighters’ 1,040 hour limit, would require overtime pay be considered for calculating workers’ compensation and would allow those injured to retain their 20-year retirement track if kept in an equivalent position.
“Firefighters on the front lines and those who gave their lives to protect us deserve fair treatment from their government,” Cantwell was quoted in the release. “I am pleased to be teaming up with Sen. Daines to introduce this bipartisan bill which addresses some of the issues important to our firefighters and I urge my colleagues to support its swift passage.”
