Wildfire Emergency Preparedness Act of 2025

Key Points

• The bill creates a national plan to train structural (city/town) firefighters to safely respond to wildfires and fires in areas where neighborhoods meet forests. It authorizes $5 million per year from 2026 through 2031 in competitive grants to nonprofit organizations that develop these training programs.
• A new senior position — the Under Secretary of Agriculture for Fire Coordination — would be created and appointed by the president with Senate confirmation. This person would serve as the top adviser on coordinating federal, state, and local wildfire response.
• The bill authorizes $20 million per year to fund NIOSH research on protecting firefighter respiratory health and identifying dangerous chemicals — including PFAS "forever chemicals" — in wildfire zones, firefighting equipment, and other settings.
• Emergency response task forces would be required to include mental health practitioners and provide peer support training to all members, including identifying warning signs of PTSD and behavioral health conditions. Up to $10 million per year is authorized for this effort.
• Local fire departments could compete for a share of $100 million in fiscal year 2026 to buy wildfire-appropriate protective gear and fund wildfire training. Grant caps range from $1 million for small jurisdictions to $9 million for the largest cities.
• The Department of Defense would be authorized to send its firefighters to help fight wildfires when requested by federal agency heads, with the requesting agency reimbursing DoD for the costs.