{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.merkley.senate.gov/dexter-merkley-lead-bipartisan-bicameral-comprehensive-legislation-to-protect-wildland-firefighters-health/", "Dexter, Merkley Lead Bipartisan, Bicameral Comprehensive Legislation to Protect Wildland Firefighters\u2019 Health", "2026-09-17", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "Senate", "OR", "Jeff Merkley", "M001176", "www.merkley.senate.gov", "merkley", "https://www.merkley.senate.gov/news/press-releases/", "scraper", "Wildland Firefighter Health and Safety Act establishes first-of-its-kind respiratory protections, strengthens health monitoring and improves care for federal wildland firefighters.\n\nWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Today, Congresswoman Maxine Dexter, M.D. (D-OR), Reps. Huffman (D-CA) and Gallagher (R-CA), and Sens. Merkley (D-OR), Padilla (D-CA), Curtis (R-UT), Sheehy (R-Mont.) introduced the Wildland Firefighter Health and Safety Act, bipartisan, bicameral legislation to protect wildland firefighters from the serious health risks associated with smoke, toxic substances and other hazards they encounter on the job.\n\nFor nearly 30 years, federal agencies have had data documenting the serious health risks wildland firefighters face. Structural firefighters began using respiratory protection in the 1970s, yet wildland firefighters are still routinely sent into dangerous conditions without adequate respiratory protection.\n\nDeveloped in partnership with firefighters, unions and health experts, Dexter\u2019s legislation would establish federal respiratory protection standards, strengthen long-term health monitoring, improve decontamination practices and ensure firefighters have better support when seeking federal workers\u2019 compensation for job-related illnesses.\n\n\u201cAs a pulmonologist and critical care physician, I\u2019ve cared for firefighters with acute smoke and burn injuries, as well as chronic lung disease and cancer caused by repeated smoke exposure,\u201d Congresswoman Dexter said. \u201cIt is devastating, and it is preventable. Our wildland firefighters deserve more than our gratitude\u2014they deserve a government that protects them as fiercely as they protect all of us. The Wildland Firefighter Health and Safety Act is legislation that will finally close critical gaps in protecting wildland firefighter health. It is built upon a simple principle: protecting firefighters\u2019 health must be an operational priority, not an afterthought.\u201d\n\n\u201cAs climate chaos fuels an even more ferocious fire season, our wildland firefighters are on the front lines, battling deadly blazes to protect our communities,\u201d said Senator Merkley. \u201cThese heroes deserve adequate resources and strong protections from the dangers posed by smoke exposure and other contaminants. Our bipartisan Wildland Firefighter Health and Safety Act is critical to ensuring these firefighters get the support they need because they put their lives on the line to keep us safe, and it\u2019s our job to step up to keep them safe.\u201d\n\n\u201cEvery day, wildland firefighters face tremendous health risks at work, where they protect our communities, defend the environment, and save lives,\u201d said Senator Padilla. \u201cAs California faces an increasing threat from devastating wildfires, we have a responsibility to make sure the heroes fighting these fires have the resources, safety equipment, and support needed to do their jobs safely. The Wildland Firefighter Health and Safety Act takes an important step toward closing longstanding gaps in health and safety protections, giving our wildland firefighters the equipment, resources, and support they need to stay healthy while they brave dangerous conditions to save lives.\u201d\n\n\u201cOur wildland firefighters are facing one of the worst fire seasons on record. Rep. Dexter and I have heard directly from these first responders on the dangers they face on the fire line and the health risks they take on every day as they fight these increasingly catastrophic fires. Young, healthy firefighters are developing cancer and lung disease at alarming rates, and some are paying with their lives,\u201d said Ranking Member Huffman, House Natural Resources Committee \u2013 Democrats. \u201cThese folks keep our communities standing and our forests healthy. The least we owe them is the pay, the protective gear, and the health care to live long, healthy lives, and I am going to make sure Congress delivers.\u201d\n\n\u201cWildland firefighters run toward danger battling some of the biggest blazes we have ever seen,\u201d said Congressman Gallagher. \u201cWe must take the health risks that come with that job seriously. The Wildland Firefighter Health and Safety Act ensures that our firefighters have the right protocols, equipment, and working conditions to better protect them during and after a wildland fire.\u201d\n\n\u201cNFFE-IAM strongly supports the Wildland Firefighter Health and Safety Act and its commitment to safeguarding the health and well-being of federal wildland firefighters who put themselves in harm\u2019s way to protect our communities and public lands,\u201d said Randy Erwin, National President, National Federation of Federal Employees (NFFE-IAM). \u201cWildland firefighters face extraordinary occupational hazards, including toxic smoke, extreme heat, injuries, fatigue, and mental health challenges. They deserve the best available prevention, treatment, and protective technologies. Investing in their long-term health will save lives, retain experienced firefighters, strengthen workforce readiness, and help ensure these dedicated public servants can enjoy long, healthy lives after their service.\u201d\n\n\u201cWildland firefighters and fire support personnel are exposed to a variety of hazards, including wildfire smoke, on the job. Understanding the significant impacts of these hazards, the Commission called for investments in the physical and mental health of fire personnel as well as improved mitigation techniques for wildfire smoke exposure,\u201d said Annie Schmidt, Co-Founder and Managing Director of Partnerships for Alliance for Wildfire Resilience. \u201cThe Wildland Firefighter Health and Safety Act\u2019s creation of a Federal Wildland Firefighter Health and Wellbeing Program makes an important and necessary investment in the health and safety of those who serve us all by responding to wildfires. We applaud Reps. Dexter and Gallagher as well as Senators Padilla, Merkley, Sheehy, and Curtis on their efforts to protect wildland fire personnel.\u201d\n\n\u201cThere is a huge gap between the safety risks and health hazards that wildland firefighters face, including risk of severe musculoskeletal damage and rare cancers, and the inadequate level of medical care they are provided. The Wildland Firefighter Health and Safety Act will go a long way towards narrowing this gap in their health care, providing support for crews whose work-related injuries and illnesses sometimes appear long after they\u2019ve disengaged from the firelines,\u201d said Timothy Ingalsbee, Executive Director of FUSEE: Firefighters United for Safety, Ethics, and Ecology.\n\n\u201cOur firefighters put everything on the line to protect us, and they deserve the same commitment in return. This bill takes an important step toward ensuring firefighters get the healthcare, benefits, and long-term support they\u2019ve earned,\u201d said Matt Weiner, founder and CEO of Megafire Action. \u201cCongresswoman Dexter is a leader on this issue and Megafire Action looks forward to advancing this long-overdue commitment to those who protect our communities.\u201d\n\nThe Wildland Firefighter Health and Safety Act would:\n\nEstablish a Wildland Firefighter Health Task Force and Program\n\nCreate an interagency Wildland Firefighter Health Task Force and an advisory panel of outside stakeholders to coordinate efforts to reduce harmful exposures, pilot respiratory technologies and develop an updated Wildland Firefighter Health Strategy every three years.\n\nCodify and fund the Federal Wildland Firefighter Health and Wellbeing Program to support firefighters\u2019 long-term health and safety.\n\nEstablish Respiratory Protection Standards\n\nPermanently establish a National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health Office of Firefighter Health and Safety to develop criteria for new Occupational Safety and Health Administration standards and support long-term health surveillance.\n\nEstablish a two-year pilot program to test respiratory protection technologies under real-world wildland firefighting conditions.\n\nRequire OSHA to issue an interim final standard for wildland firefighter health protection, followed by a final standard within five years of the pilot program\u2019s report.\n\nProtect Firefighters During and After the Job\n\nRequire paid duty time during operations for firefighters to shower, decontaminate gear and clean vehicles following exposure to smoke or PFAS.\n\nRequire fire facilities to provide commercial-grade washing machines for contaminated gear, designated decontamination areas and access to showers.\n\nCreate a dedicated Office of Workers\u2019 Compensation Programs claims unit with specialized training on firefighting exposures to reduce processing delays and improve coordination for firefighters seeking benefits.\n\nThe Wildland Firefighter Health and Safety Act is endorsed by the National Federation of Federal Employees, Grassroots Wildland Firefighters, International Association of Fire Fighters, National Fire Protection Association, Megafire, and Firefighters United for Safety.\n\nRead bill text here.\n\nWatch Rep. Dexter\u2019s remarks here.\n\nWatch full Wildland Firefighter Health and Safety Act press conference here.\n\n###", 1, "2026-09-18T09:27:43Z", "2026-09-18T09:29:09Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.merkley.senate.gov/dexter-merkley-lead-bipartisan-bicameral-comprehensive-legislation-to-protect-wildland-firefighters-health/"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.8927971832454205, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}