On February 14th, Senator Dianne Feinstein led a bipartisan group of Senators calling on the Labor Department to expedite the creation of a special claims unit to handle firefighter compensation claims in advance of the 2022 wildfire season. Noting that federal wildland firefighters have reported difficulties in getting timely coverage of medical costs, and that firefighters who are diagnosed with certain cancers or other long-term illnesses associated with firefighting activities are refused coverage, the Senators called the handling of these claims “simply unacceptable—these firefighters put their lives at risk to defend American lives and property, and they deserve our support.”
