Harder Reintroduces Bill to Reimburse Local Fire Departments For Battling Wildfires on Federal Lands

WASHINGTON – Rep. Josh Harder (CA-9) recently introduced the Fire Department Repayment Act to fix the fire department repayment system and ensure local departments are fairly and quickly compensated for fighting fires on federal lands. Harder first introduced the bill after meeting with local fire chiefs and hearing departments were waiting over a year for the federal funds. In part due to a shortage of firefighters, local fire departments are often asked to respond to and manage fires on federal lands in their area, which can be very costly between staff pay and equipment costs.

“Our local firefighters put everything on the line to keep us safe from wildfires, which are only getting bigger and burning longer year after year,” said Rep.Harder. “The federal government is responsible for reimbursing our fire departments for their service on federal lands, and they shouldn’t be skipping out on the bill. We just invested $2 million for a new regional training facility so our firefighters can be the best in the country – they should be fully compensated for fighting the real thing and keeping us safe.”

The Fire Department Repayment Act builds on Rep. Harder’s work to support local firefighters, increase their pay, and manage a lengthening wildfire season. Harder’s bill protects local fire departments by ensuring the agreements they enter with the US Forest Service (USFS) are honored completely, transparently, and in a timely manner to give fire departments clarity about when and how much they will be reimbursed for wildfire costs. Specifically, the Fire Department Repayment Act would:

• Establish standard operating procedures for fire suppression costs agreements; 

• Ensure fire suppression costs agreements are reviewed and modified as necessary;

• Make sure these fire suppression costs agreements align with cooperative fire protection agreements; and

• Expedite reviews of standard operating procedures.

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