Alex Padilla

Mr. President, Claims · 175 wordsI rise today to introduce the bipartisan Wildland Firefighter Health and Safety Act.¹ This bill would address some of the serious health risks Federal wildland firefighters face when on the job. We have all seen the devastation, destruction, and loss that has occurred in communities across the country as wildfires grow in frequency and intensity. Last year, we saw the Eaton and Palisades fires destroy thousands of structures and take 31 lives, making them 2 of the worst fires in history.²³ As a result of climate change, Californians have become all too familiar with wildfires. Containing them has proven to be a large undertaking that has required close local, State, and Federal coordination. Communities are able to make it through these horrific disasters thanks to the bravery and hard work of fire crews on the ground. During the LA fires, firefighters from across the State, country, and even abroad answered our call for support, and it is thanks to their hard work and bravery that more structures and, most importantly, more lives were not lost. Positioning · 21 wordsWe owe it to these heroes to ensure they have the support they need, given the dangerous nature of their work.Positioning Claims · 55 wordsIn the 1970s, structural firefighters began using respiratory protection, ⁴yet we are still sending wildland firefighters into dangerous conditions without adequate protection. This bill would establish an interagency task force and an advisory panel of outside stakeholders to coordinate exposure reduction, pilot respiratory technologies, ⁵and develop an updated wildland firefighter health strategy every 3 years.⁶ Thanks · 40 wordsI want to thank my colleague Senator Sheehy for coleading this effort with me in the Senate.⁷ Finally, I want to thank our brave Federal firefighters for risking their lives to protect our communities when they need it the most.Thanks Promise · 21 wordsI look forward to working with my colleagues to advance the Wildland Firefighter Health and Safety Act as quickly as possible.Vague promise