Curtis Cosponsors Bipartisan Bill to Better Protect and Compensate Federal Firefighters

WASHINGTON —U.S. Senator John Curtis (R-UT) cosponsored the Support Our Firefighters Act , bipartisan legislation to provide federal wildland firefighters dedicated rest and recuperation leave following extended deployments to major wildfire incidents. The bill aims to improve workforce well-being, reduce burnout, and help agencies retain the experienced personnel required to respond to increasingly complex wildfire threats.
“As Utah and other Western states face increasingly challenging fire seasons, we need to ensure our dedicated firefighters have the support they deserve,” said Senator Curtis. “Providing time to rest and recover after extended deployments is a commonsense step that will help strengthen recruitment, retention, and readiness across the federal firefighting workforce.”
Background:
As wildfire seasons grow longer and more severe across the West, federal firefighters are increasingly spending weeks away from their families and communities while protecting lives, property, and public lands. The Support Our Firefighters Act would establish a formal rest and recuperation leave program for eligible wildland firefighters employed by the U.S. Forest Service and Department of the Interior after lengthy assignments on qualifying wildfire incidents.
The legislation would:
The Support Our Firefighters Act was introduced by Senators Alex Padilla (D-CA) and Tim Sheehy (R-MT).
The full text of the bill can be found here .