PROTECT Firefighters Act

The PROTECT Firefighters Act would require the United States Fire Administration (a FEMA office) to develop a comprehensive strategy to improve Rapid Intervention Teams (RITs)—the designated stand-by rescue crews that search for and rescue firefighters at the scene—across all firefighting contexts, including teams that respond to port facility and maritime fires. Within one year of enactment, the Act directs USFA to submit a detailed strategy to Congress outlining current equipment, training, and staffing standards for RITs; how to improve access to modern equipment, safety gear, training, and staffing; and how to ensure standardization and interoperability among RITs. The strategy must analyze nationwide and maritime/port-specific standards, identify barriers to training and equipment, consider staffing and response times, and evaluate whether current practices are sufficient for fires on ships docking at facilities. It also requires a review of National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation and Prevention Program LODD reports from the prior five years to identify trends and how gaps in equipment, training, or staffing may have contributed to deaths. The Act calls for Congress to receive recommendations to expand access to equipment, training, and staffing for RITs, including maritime/port facilities, and to address the underlying causes of line-of-duty deaths. A briefing to Congress is due within 18 months.