U.S. Sens. John Curtis (R-UT) and Adam Schiff (D-CA) introduced the “Healthy Lungs for Heroes Act” which would establish the first ever protection standards for federal firefighters. Currently, federal firefighters are prohibited from wearing respiratory protection despite growing evidence that long-term exposure to wildfire smoke is a health risk. The senators said their bill would allow the U.S. Forest Service and the U.S. Department of the Interior to take steps to protect federal firefighters.
“Our wildland firefighters already face some of the most grueling, dangerous conditions imaginable,” Curtis said. “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.”
The legislation would help federal wildland firefighters who often work 16-hour shifts inhaling toxic smoke. In Sept. 2025, the U.S. Forest Service posted guidance that acknowledged respiratory protections can protect firefighters against harmful particles in wildfire smoke. The guidance essentially reversed a long-held federal rule preventing wildland firefighters from wearing respiratory protection. Curtis and Schiff’s legislation would codify the USFS action to ensure the USFS and DOI develop protections for the firefighters.
The legislation would direct USFS and DOI to work with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health to develop appropriate respiratory protection that take into account the specific needs of wildland firefighters, as well as direct the agencies to provide that protection and require its use when smoke exposure exceeds safe limits (as determined by NIOSH and OSHA).
The legislation is co-sponsored by U.S. Sens. Tim Sheehy (R-MT) and Alex Padilla (D-CA). The legislation is endorsed by the 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.
“As wildfire seasons grow longer and more dangerous, our federal wildland firefighters deserve safety standards that reflect the extreme conditions they face,” Randy Erwin, National President, National Federation of Federal Employees (NFFE-IAM) said. “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.”