Washington, D.C.–The California Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry advanced language proposed by U.S. Senators Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) and John Curtis (R-Utah.) to create the first-ever respiratory protection standards for wildland firefighters.
For decades, federal firefighters were prohibited from wearing respiratory protection despite a growing body of evidence warning about long-term health risks of wildfire smoke. The provision included in the Senate’s 2026 Farm Bill will ensure the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) and U.S. Department of Interior (DOI) take overdue steps to protect the health of these heroes.
“Firefighters are heroes, and it’s critical that we do everything possible to ensure they’re protected from the health risks associated with wildfires. This bipartisan solution will minimize the toxic exposures that firefighters face when they’re defending our communities and public lands. I am proud to see my language was included in the farm bill and is making progress, even if other provisions and omissions in the Farm Bill precluded Democratic support,” said Senator Schiff.
“Our wildland firefighters already face some of the most grueling, dangerous conditions imaginable. The least we can do is ensure access to materials that will protect them from the long-term health consequences of breathing toxic smoke. This bill ensures we bring common sense, science, and basic decency to how we equip our firefighters,” said Senator Curtis.
Federal wildland firefighters often work 16-hour shifts in grueling conditions, inhaling toxic smoke. Despite this, federal wildland firefighters were prohibited from wearing respiratory protection despite evidence warning about health risks of wildfire smoke. Studies have shown exposure to wildfire smoke is linked to adverse health impacts, including more than a dozen kinds of cancer. The life expectancy of firefighters is 10 years less than the average adult due to lung damage.
In September 2025, USFS posted guidance acknowledging for the first time that respiratory protections can protect firefighters against harmful particles in wildfire smoke and reversing a decades-long rule that banned federal wildland firefighters from wearing respiratory protection while performing wildland firefighting activities. The legislation reinforces this action to ensure the agencies develop respiratory protections for firefighters.
The Healthy Lungs for Heroes Act would:
Direct USFS and DOI to work with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) to develop smoke exposure limits for wildland firefighters
Direct USFS, the Department of Interior, National Wildfire Coordinating Group, and other appropriate federal agencies to develop a strategy to make commercially available appropriate respiratory protections that take into account the unique needs of wildland firefighters
The bill was endorsed by National Federation of Federal Employees (NFFE), National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), International Association of Firefighters (IAFF), Grassroots Wildland Firefighters, FireGen Collaborative, and former U.S. Fire Administrator Dr. Lori Moore-Merrell.
”We strongly support this legislation to modernize and standardize respiratory protection for wildland firefighters. As wildfire seasons grow longer and more dangerous, our federal wildland firefighters deserve safety standards that reflect the extreme conditions they face. Equally important is the bill’s mandate to determine appropriate equipment and regularly review and update all relevant PPE standards. This ensures that respiratory protection keeps pace with evolving science, operational demands, and the realities of modern fire behavior. Wildland firefighters risk their lives to protect our communities. Establishing clear exposure parameters and reliable respiratory protection is the least we owe to those who stand between our nation and catastrophic fire,” said Randy Erwin, National President, National Federation of Federal Employees (NFFE-IAM).
“The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) commends Senators Schiff and Curtis for leading the introduction of the ‘Healthy Lungs for Heroes Act’, and thanks Senators Sheehy and Padilla for their critical support. With two-thirds of fire departments reporting insufficient wildland PPE, many firefighters face dangerous gaps in protection against escalating wildfires. This legislation is a vital step to help ensure every firefighter has the gear they need to stay safe while safeguarding our communities,” said Jim Pauley, NFPA President and CEO.
“Wildland firefighters put their health and safety on the line every day to protect our communities, forests, and natural resources. Yet for too long, we have not given these frontline professionals the same basic respiratory protections that are standard in other high-risk occupations. The Healthy Lungs for Heroes Act is an important step toward changing that by establishing stronger protections for the men and women who face smoke and other hazardous exposures as part of their work. FireGen Collaborative is proud to support this legislation and its inclusion in the Senate’s Farm Bill, and we urge Congress to ensure these commonsense protections become law,” said Ryan Reed, Program Director, FireGen Collaborative.
