Garcia Bill To Improve Wildfire Forecasting Passes House

Monday, Congressman Mike Garcia’s, R- Santa Clarita, Fire Weather Development Act passed the House on a bipartisan basis.

The Fire Weather Development Act legislation would improve our ability to forecast and detect wildfires and streamline communication during emergency events to better support communities vulnerable to wildfires , according to Garcia’s office.

“Our community is all too familiar with the dangers that wildfires pose to our homes and livelihoods,” Garcia said. “That’s why I’ve made it a top priority since I came to Washington to improve our ability to predict and fight these disasters – keeping our homes and firefighters safe from harm. The Fire Weather Development Act will do just that.

The Fire Weather Development Act (H.R. 4866) would establish a modern program to improve emergency communications; streamline data collection for local communities; improve research and monitoring tools, including the use of unmanned drone technology. It also equips the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to improve the accuracy of fire weather and fire environment forecasts and warnings in order to reduce loss of life and protect property. In short, the Fire Weather Development Act is a critical force multiplier for firefighters nationwide.

“My bill will enable the use of modern technology to revolutionize the way we predict wildfires, coordinate whole-of-government responses, and disseminate information to firefighters and civilians,” Garcia said. This is a common-sense, necessary step toward better protecting American lives and property from catastrophic wildfires, and I’m proud to see it pass the House with broad bipartisan support. I urge my colleagues in the Senate to act without delay and pass this critical, bipartisan bill.”

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