Reps. Schrier and Bera Introduce Bill to Assist With Wildfire Detection, Response

Press Release

Today, two West Coast U.S. Representatives, Kim Schrier, M.D. (WA-08) and Ami Bera, M.D. (CA-07), introduced the Fire Ready Nation Act. This legislation will allow the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to be more involved in the detection and response of wildfires. U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) has introduced companion legislation in the Senate.

"We are seeing increasingly catastrophic wildfires in the West and we need to ensure we have more resources at our disposal to confront them. The earlier the detection of wildfire, the more quickly our firefighters can respond," said Rep. Schrier. "NOAA has many systems on the ground and with satellite technology that will enhance systems already in place for detecting extreme weather and wildfires. This is commonsense legislation that will provide more tools and expertise to aid in fighting wildfires. We have no time to waste."

"In California, we've seen firsthand the devastation that wildfires cause to our lives and livelihoods. As climate change is causing wildfires to become more frequent and more severe, we must take proactive measures to keep our communities protected and safe. I'm proud to introduce the Fire Ready Nation Act alongside Rep. Schrier to improve federal coordination and collaboration on wildfire prevention and response efforts, develop and test new technologies to combat fire hazards, and strengthen our ability to forecast weather conditions that cause and spread wildfires," said Rep. Bera.

NOAA's weather infrastructure (ground, air, and satellite-based observation systems) provides weather and climate data that is integral to Federal and non-Federal partners wildfire preparation and response efforts. NOAA's fire weather products include short-term warnings and long-term predictions of future fire hazards.

This bill would:

Formally authorize NOAA engagement in federal wildfire response activities and science and technologies that forecast weather conditions that cause and spread wildfires
Establish data management and sharing standards for all NOAA data
Create a fire weather testbed to develop, test, and operationalize new technologies to address fire hazards
Coordinate ground-based data collection systems across multiple Federal agencies to improve and enhance fire weather data collection and sharing
Require NOAA to conduct post fire weather surveys and assessments to identify gaps and recommendations to improve future forecasts

Source