NEWS: Harder’s Bill to Reimburse Local Fire Departments For Battling Fires on Federal Lands Passes Key Committee

Fire stations in San Joaquin County have waited over a year to be paid back after responding to fires on federal lands

The Ripon Fire Department has been waiting for two years to be paid back for a fire they responded to in 2021

WASHINGTON -- Rep. Josh Harder’s Fire Department Repayment Act to ensure local departments are fairly and quickly compensated for fighting fires on federal lands was approved by the House Committee on Natural Resources. 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 fires on federal lands which can be very costly between staff pay and equipment costs. The Ripon Fire Department has waited over two years to be reimbursed more than $35,000 for fighting a fire on federal land in 2021 that threatened thousands of homes. Since then, they have responded to several other fires on federal lands while still waiting to be repaid.

“As wildfires grow exponentially, our local firefighters are working harder than ever to keep our families safe,” said Rep.Harder. “When fires occur on federal land, our locals always answer the call, but right now the federal government isn’t reimbursing for their services quickly enough and it’s killing our locals’ budgets. It’s totally unacceptable that the federal government is skipping out on the bill. This legislation forces the federal government to do the right thing and get our fire departments paid ASAP.”

This continues Rep. Harder’s work to support local firefighters, increase their pay, and manage a lengthening wildfire season.

Rep. Harder’s Fire Department Repayment Act of 2023 ensures that the agreements local fire departments enter with the federal government are completed more transparently and in a timely manner, helping give fire departments clarity about when and how much they will be reimbursed for wildfire costs. Specifically, the bill:

• Establishes standard operating procedures for fire suppression costs agreements; 
• Reviews and modifies fire suppression costs agreements as necessary;
• Ensures the fire suppression costs agreements align with cooperative fire protection agreements; and
• Expedites reviews of standard operating procedures.

A full copy of the bill can found here.

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