Sheehy, Kim Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Establish 30 Minute National Wildfire Response Time Standard

U.S. SENATE – U.S. Senators Tim Sheehy (R – Mont.) and Andy Kim (D – N.J.) introduced the Wildfire Response and Preparedness (WRAP) Act to establish a 30-minute national standard response time to any wildfire occurring on federal land administered by the Secretaries of Agriculture and the Interior.

The National Fire Protection Association sets the standard for structure fire response at five minutes and 20 seconds, which reduced civilian deaths by 70 percent, but there is no similar standard for wildfire suppression, letting wildfires burn for days without suppression and increasing the risk of catastrophic wildfire. The WRAP Act aims to fix this by prioritizing aggressive initial attack and establishing a national standard wildfire response time of no more than 30 minutes to the extent practicable and include the deployment of fire suppression assets in under three hours.

“Establishing an aggressive national wildfire standard response time, just like we have for structure fires, is an America First, commonsense way to protect our nation and our people. The WRAP Act will help our brave firefighters put out wildfires while they are small and dramatically reduce catastrophic wildfire damage. This bill will save lives and prevent hundreds of billions of dollars in future property damage,” said Senator Sheehy.

 “As New Jerseyans and people across our country experience worsening devastation from wildfires due to climate change, a more aggressive response time can be a lifesaving tool for them and our first responders. With this bill, we are able to expand on the success of standards for structure fires and put our best foot forward in protecting communities from the threat of wildfires,” said Senator Kim. 

Senator Sheehy has introduced or signed onto ten bipartisan pieces of legislation on wildfire since taking office.

Statements of Support

 Western Fire Chiefs Association: “The Western Fire Chiefs Association is proud to support the core mission of the Wildfire Response and Preparedness Act – ensuring a robust wildland fire response capability to stem the threat of catastrophic wildfires. Through effective partnerships and strategically leveraging local air and ground resources for fire response, we can give our brave first responders the clarity and tools they need to save lives and keep our communities safe.” – Bob Roper, CEO

 United Aerial Firefighters Association: “The United Aerial Firefighters Association greatly supports this bill to develop aerial response standards. This will ensure there are aircraft available to respond to incidents and support the firefighters on the ground.” – Paul Petersen, Executive Director

Background
Without a national wildfire response time standard, like the National Fire Protection Association’s standard structure fire response time of five minutes and 20 seconds, the risk of catastrophic wildfire is greatly increased. Wildfires sometimes go days without suppression actions due to agency mismanagement. By mandating a national standard of aggressive initial attack for all wildfires, lives and property will be saved.

The WRAP Act would require the Secretaries of Agriculture and the Interior to establish a national standard response time to a wildland fire occurring on federal land that they administer. The response time is to be no more than 30 minutes to the extent practicable and include the deployment of fire suppression assets in under three hours. This bill would help U.S. wildfire suppression efforts by implementing a rapid, national standard response time across federal lands that will ensure wildfire assets are in position to quickly engage in initial attack when a wildland fire occurs.

Read more on the bill HERE. Read the full bill text HERE.