09.29.04

Cantwell Pushes Wildland Firefighter Safety Legislation Despite Administration Opposition

Committee reviews Cantwell's wildland firefighter safety bill inSenate Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee hearing

WASHINGTON, D.C. – During a Senate subcommittee hearing today on her Wildland Firefighter Safety Act of 2004 (S. 2410), Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) questioned the Administration for its claim that the bill's safety improvements are "not necessary." Cantwell's bill would ensure wildland firefighter safety training for contract firefighters and increase Congressional oversight of firefighter safety programs. The hearing comes just one day after the Department of Agriculture's Inspector General released an audit that found the Forest Service had failed to fully implement a third of the actions recommended after recent tragedies such as the 2001 Thirtymile Fire, where four Washington state firefighters lost their lives.

"We all realize that fighting fires on our nation's public lands is an inherently dangerous business," Cantwell said. "But there is no excuse for creating conditions that lead to preventable deaths. I will not stand for losing firefighters because rules were broken, policies ignored and no one was held accountable."

In its written testimony, the administration opposed two critical provisions in Cantwell's bill. First, the Administration objected to a measure that would require private contract crews to meet the same training standards as federal firefighters and direct the agencies to develop a program to monitor and enforce compliance with this requirement. Under questioning from Cantwell during the hearing, however, Christopher Pyron, Deputy Chief for Business Operations of the U.S. Forest Service, appeared to concede that the agency agreed with the policy included in Cantwell's bill.

In the Pacific Northwest today, there are close to 300 of these private firefighting crews. The Government Accountability Office concluded in its report on Oregon's 2002 Biscuit Fire that insufficiently trained and inexperienced contract crews negatively impacted firefighting effort. In its audit released just yesterday, the Department of Agriculture's Inspector General also noted that "poorly trained and ill-equipped contract crews may cause unnecessary distractions, which could impact the safety of the entire firefighting team."

Scott Coleman, a private contractor and Vice President of the National Wildfire Association, supports Cantwell's efforts.

Coleman said, "We're the first cousins in fire fighting. We're supposed to do everything federal firefighters do but you don't always see that happening. Not enough resources go into monitoring compliance of safety standards and training. This will help with that."

The administration was also hesitant to accept a provision of Cantwell's bill that requires federal firefighting agencies (which include the Forest Service, National Park Service, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management and Bureau of Indian Affairs) to report to Congress how much of their budget is devoted to firefighter safety and training programs.

Yesterday the Inspector General (IG) of the Department of Agriculture released an audit that found the Forest Service had failed to fully implement 27 of the 81 recommended improvements arising from the South Canyon and Thirtymile Fires. The audit also found fault with the Forest Service's record keeping of firefighter qualifications, citing insufficient documentation in 81 percent of the reviewed cases.

Cantwell's efforts are, in part, a response to the tragedy in July of 2001 near Thirtymile Campground in Okanogan National Forest. Four firefighters were killed after their crew was trapped in a canyon.

Cantwell, a member of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, has repeatedly fought for increased firefighter safety during public hearings. Cantwell previously passed legislation to ensure independent investigations of firefighter fatalities.

Ken Weaver, father of Devin Weaver, a 21-year-old firefighter who was killed in the Thirtymile fire, felt Cantwell's bill addressed some critical issues.

Weaver said, "We ask these kids to come out each fire season and do one of the most dangerous jobs in the country. They are proud hard working kids that give their all to save our forests. They are told that their safety is the top priority, however we have seen time and again that safety is sometimes not even considered. Because these kids are temporary help and typically very young they have had no voice, no advocate to guarantee that their safety is always the top priority.

"Senator Maria Cantwell doing everything she can to change that. Senator Cantwell's amendment will be the most positive step taken to date to insure the safety of our wildland firefighters. Senator Cantwell has become the voice of the wildland firefighters, the advocate they so desperately need to guarantee their right to a safe work place, a right the rest of us take for granted. Her [bill] would help require the forest service be accountable not only for the money they spend but also for the efficacy for their training. It's high time for level of accountability."

Cantwell's bill was included in the Senate version of H.R. 1904, the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003. Unfortunately, that amendment was stripped from the bill during negotiations with the House of Representatives. Cantwell hopes her bill will gain momentum in the final weeks of Congress.

Specifically, Cantwell's bill would:

· Require the Secretaries of Agriculture and Interior to track funds expended for firefighter safety and training. Today, these funds are included in annual budget requests as part of the agencies' "wildfire preparedness" account. Further, the Forest Service has said it does not track these expenditures. Especially given the trend in which agencies borrow from many different accounts to pay for emergency fire suppression, it is important that Congress have access to this information-to track the agencies' financial commitment to safety and training.

· Require the Secretaries to submit an annual report to Congress on the implementation and efficacy of firefighter safety and training programs. An annual report card on safety will help ensure that-as with the Storm King, Thirtymile and Cramer fires-the sometimes-tragic lessons learned on the fire line are not forgotten.

· Stipulate that federal contracts with private firefighting crews require training that is sufficient and compatible with federal firefighter training. This is crucial in ensuring both the safety of the private crews and that of federal firefighters, all of whom serve shoulder to shoulder on the fire line.