# Wildfire Emergency Preparedness Act of 2025: What You Need to Know

This bill is designed to better prepare firefighters across the country to handle wildfires and fires that spread into neighborhoods and residential areas. Right now, most firefighters are trained primarily for structure fires in cities and towns, but as wildfires increasingly threaten populated areas, the government is recognizing that these professionals need specialized training to respond safely and effectively to these different types of fires.

The bill creates a comprehensive training program run through the U.S. Forest Service that will develop standardized curriculum for firefighters nationwide. It provides $5 million per year through 2031 to fund training programs offered by nonprofit organizations that work with firefighters. These programs will teach structural firefighters (the ones you see at your local fire station) how to handle wildfire conditions, protect themselves from wildfire-specific hazards, and coordinate with other firefighting teams. The bill also establishes a new position called the Under Secretary of Agriculture for Fire Coordination—essentially a federal official whose job is to make sure federal, state, and local governments work together smoothly when wildfires strike.

Beyond training, the bill addresses firefighter health and safety in several ways. It dedicates $20 million per year through 2031 to research on how wildfires affect firefighters' health, particularly focusing on respiratory protection and exposure to harmful chemicals like PFAS (a type of "forever chemical" found in some firefighting foams). The bill also requires that firefighters responding to major disasters receive mental health support, including peer counseling and training to recognize signs of trauma. Additionally, the bill makes $100 million available in 2026 to help fire departments purchase protective equipment and conduct training specifically for wildfire response.

The bill also allows the Department of Defense to deploy military firefighters to assist with wildfires if requested by federal or state officials, though whoever requests this help must pay for it. Finally, it requires a report to Congress within a year examining how well local fire departments are currently trained to handle wildfires and what barriers exist to better coordination between different levels of government during these emergencies.

Wildfire Emergency Preparedness Act of 2025

Harder, Josh

Wildfire Emergency Preparedness Act of 2025This bill establishes grants, training, and interagency coordination for responding to wildfires and fires in the&nbsp;wildland-urban interface (WUI) (i.e., where undeveloped land or vegetation meets human infrastructure). It also requires measures for protecting the health of firefighters and emergency responders.The bill establishes an Under Secretary of Agriculture for Fire Coordination to manage coordination of government preparation and response to wildfires and&nbsp;WUI fires. Such office may award grants to fire departments and emergency medical services organizations for training firefighting personnel or obtaining personal protective equipment for responding to such fires.&nbsp;Also, the Forest Service must establish a national plan with guidelines for training structural (i.e., urban) firefighters to respond to wildfires and&nbsp;WUI fires. The Forest Service may provide grants to certain nonprofit organizations to carry out training programs pursuant to the plan.Upon request from agencies, the Department of Defense (DOD) may allow its firefighters to conduct operations or assist in responding to wildfires and&nbsp;WUI fires. Agencies must reimburse DOD for such services.Additionally, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health must perform research and development and report to Congress on protecting the respiratory health of firefighters and identifying certain hazardous substances in areas affected by wildfires and&nbsp;WUI fires. Also, task forces within the National Urban Search and Rescue Response System of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) must train each member in peer mental health support and include members who are mental health practitioners.&nbsp;