Emergency Wildfire Fighting Technology Act of 2023
This bill requires the Forest Service and the Department of the Interior to jointly evaluate the container aerial firefighting system to assess its use to mitigate and suppress wildfires. Based on the evaluation, the Forest Service, Interior, the National Interagency Aviation Committee, and the Interagency Airtanker Board must each update their deployment protocols.
The system allows for the use of airdrop-capable disposable containers of water or fire retardant, which increases the number of airlift assets available for wildfire emergencies.
The Secretaries of Agriculture and the Interior, in consultation with relevant committees, will conduct an evaluation of the container aerial firefighting system (CAFFS) to assess its effectiveness in mitigating and suppressing wildfires.
Based on the evaluation results, the Secretaries of Agriculture and the Interior, along with the National Interagency Aviation Committee and the Interagency Airtanker Board, will update their respective deployment protocols for the appropriate use of CAFFS.
Multiple reports will be submitted to the appropriate committees, including the results of the evaluation and a summary of any updates made to deployment protocols.
