SAN DIEGO, Calif. (CNS) — A bill authored by Rep. Darrell Issa to streamline the hiring of federal firefighters unanimously passed the House Natural Resources Committee Tuesday.
The Direct Hire to Fight Fires bill is intended to cut red tape to make the hiring of firefighters a simpler process.
"Wildfires are a known menace in my home region of San Diego and Riverside Counties, and the names of history's worst fires still echo in our memories: The Cedar Fire, the Harris Fire, the Witch Creek Fire, and the devastating Valley Fire," Issa said. "Today's unacceptably slow hiring process means critical positions used to combat fires go unfilled and blazes burn that much longer.
"We need this common-sense federal hiring process to bring this available resource where it is needed the most."
The bill, should it pass Congress, would give permanent direct-hire capabilities to the Department of Agriculture and the Department of the Interior for wildland firefighters and support positions in Forest Service and Interior agencies.
It also requires the USDA and Interior to annually (and publicly) report related data to Congress, including the number of firefighters needed for the coming year, the number of firefighting vacancies in each state and existing barriers to filling such vacancies.
"Wildfire season is no longer a specific time of year -- it's now a year-round battle waged by our brave and dedicated wildland firefighters," said Rep. Bruce Westerman, R-Arkansas, chairman of the House Committee on Natural Resources. "Devastating wildfires continue to rage on our federal lands as we work today in Congress, and there is no time to waste when it comes to hiring qualified men and women to fight them."
Reps. Kevin Kiley and Jay Obernolte, both R-California, are co- sponsors on the bill. The bill awaits docketing for a full vote on the floor of the House.
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