Fire & Safety Journal Americas: FireGuard wildfire detection program receives expanded authority
By Iain Hoey
Senate approves amendment to enhance wildfire detection efforts
The U.S. Senate has passed Senator Alex Padilla’s amendment to enhance the FireGuard program as part of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2025.
The NDAA had previously passed the House of Representatives and now awaits President Biden’s signature.
The FireGuard program, operated by the National Guard, uses Department of Defense satellites to detect wildfires and distribute unclassified information to firefighting networks.
The amendment enables the Department of Defense to enter contracts or cooperative agreements with government and civilian entities to further support and sustain the program.
Enhanced collaboration for FireGuard program
According to Senator Padilla, the amendment also allows for collaboration with civilian initiatives deploying low-earth orbit satellite constellations to improve data quality for wildfire detection.
“As the West suffers from increasingly severe and frequent wildfires, we need to advance our commitment to protecting our communities and environment,” said Padilla.
“The FireGuard program is a crucial tool for using military satellites to combat wildfires, but we need every partner we can to maintain and build upon the program.”
The amendment also requires the Department of Defense to provide Congress with a report evaluating the program’s use of this new authority and identifying opportunities to incorporate civilian capacity further into FireGuard.
Padilla’s ongoing wildfire response initiatives
This legislation builds on Padilla’s previous efforts to strengthen wildfire responses at federal and state levels.
He has supported measures such as the FIRE Act, which became law in 2022, and secured billions in funding for wildfire response and drought relief under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
Additionally, Padilla’s work expedited the transfer of seven C-130 firefighting aircraft to California, which became operational this summer to combat wildfires.
He has also introduced the Fire Suppression Improvement Act, aimed at reducing the financial burden on state and local governments responding to wildfires.
Summary: FireGuard wildfire detection program receives expanded authority
The Senate has passed Senator Alex Padilla’s amendment to expand the FireGuard program under the NDAA for Fiscal Year 2025.
The program uses military satellites to detect wildfires and provides critical data to firefighting networks.
The amendment allows the Department of Defense to collaborate with government and civilian entities to enhance the program and requires a report to Congress on these efforts.
The legislation builds on Padilla’s prior wildfire response initiatives, including the FIRE Act and increased funding for wildfire preparedness and relief.
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