Improving Safety for First Responders: The PROTECT Firefighters Act

The PROTECT Firefighters Act (H.R. 3370 IH) aims to enhance the safety and effectiveness of firefighter Rapid Intervention Teams, including those that respond to port facility fires.

Short Title

This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Providing Resources and Operational Training to Eliminate Crisis Threats to Firefighters Act’’ or the ‘‘PROTECT Firefighters Act.’’

Strategy to Improve Equipment, Training, and Staffing Standards

The United States Fire Administrator shall submit a comprehensive strategy to Congress within one year of enactment.

(a) Strategy
(1) Submission
(1) Current equipment, training, and staffing standards for firefighter Rapid Intervention Teams
(2) Improving access to modern and high-quality equipment, safety gear, training, and staffing levels
(3) Ensuring equipment and training standardization and interoperability between Teams
(B) Matters
(i) Identifying training standards, firefighting equipment, and staffing level standards in use by firefighter Rapid Intervention Teams
(ii) Analyzing the role that a lack of modern and high-quality firefighting equipment, safety gear, training, or staffing levels for Rapid Intervention Teams plays in Line of Duty Deaths
(C) Recommendations
for how Congress can expand access to modern and high-quality firefighting equipment, safety gear, training, and staffing levels for Rapid Intervention Teams
(D) Recommendations for addressing the specific causes of incidents leading to Line of Duty Deaths
(E) Recommendations for expanding access to modern and high-quality firefighting equipment, safety gear, training, and staffing levels for Rapid Intervention Teams at maritime and port facilities