Montana elected a firefighter to the Senate. He’s already pushing for solutions

(CNN) — With wildfires raging in Los Angeles, a firefighter-turned-senator from Montana wants to combat excess government red tape.

Less than a week after starting his new job, Montana Republican Tim Sheehy is already utilizing the skills from his former career as a firefighter and entrepreneur focused on aerial firefighting to drive his efforts to pass new legislation, which would help deal with the growing problem of an ongoing fire season.

Reimagining the Perspective on Wildfires

"There's a huge gap in the US between traditional firefighting, the kind of fire trucks and firefighters most people are familiar with, and wildland firefighting," Sheehy said in a CNN interview with Kaitlan Collins on Thursday, also noting that the country requires more funding to fight wildfires and to make exceptions to normal wildlife protections when fires are burning.

"The entire wildfire community has been warning for years that this massive wildfire was imminent, and unfortunately, we're ill-prepared," he said. That massive wildfire has now reached Los Angeles, he said.

Scientists and activists concerned about the climate crisis have also been warning about a potential never-ending fire season. However, climate change was not mentioned by Sheehy. Nevertheless, the new reality of ongoing fire seasons is increasingly becoming a certainty.

A year-round menace that demands a solution of bipartisan cooperation

"There's no fire season in California, it's a year-round concern," Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom told CNN's Anderson Cooper on Wednesday.

Sheehy reinforced the same viewpoint when he noted to Collins, “It's a threat that's present throughout the entire year. It's a threat that affects every single state in the country.”

The wildfires in LA are still burning, but Sheehy is already working with Sens. Adam Schiff of California and Andy Kim of New Jersey, both Democrats whose states have dealt with devastating wildfires, on new legislation.

Sheehy stated that this can be a bipartisan solution, noting that despite disagreeing on many issues, he, Schiff, and Kim can work together on this particular matter.

CNN contacted the offices of Kim and Schiff in an attempt to learn about their top priorities for wildfire emergency preparedness legislation.

With his credentials and the backing of Donald Trump, Sheehy said there's quick movement towards a new law.

"We're going to make these changes starting immediately and push through any bureaucratic red tape. Because we have brave firefighters out there on the ground who need our support, and they're not getting it," Sheehy told Collins.

Where is the water?

He stated that there will need to be a focus on how states such as California have dealt with water issues.

“Criticism of the California government and other government entities for limiting water use has been widespread and, to some extent, justified,” Sheehy said.

President-elect Trump has criticized California's government for its handling of water management, although, as CNN's Daniel Dale pointed out, the president-elect's statements about the availability of water were not entirely based on fact.

Los Angeles officials have stated that the scale of multiple fires being battled at the same time drained the pressure in hydrants when it was needed most, but there will certainly be a thorough investigation to determine exactly why the system ran out of water.

What should a new law undertake to accomplish?

Sheehy stated that a new law needs to be inclusive of a requirement for readiness to respond to a wildfire during his effort to lead the way for it.

It can take several hours, even days, before a plane or fire truck can reach a wildland fire," he said. "We need to change that system - that's our No. 1 priority.

His objective is to upgrade the national wildfire response system so it is fully operational 365 days a year.

We treat these brave firefighters, who are among our first line of emergency responders, like seasonal workers at a ski resort. They are grossly underpaid, often without job benefits, and if they're injured on the job, they're left without access to medical care. Comparatively, we give many of our military personnel more favorable working conditions. Unfortunately, wildland firefighters don't receive similar treatment.

There have been recent efforts to boost funding for firefighters. A law signed by President Joe Biden in 2021 allocated billions of dollars to increase firefighters' wages. The Inflation Reduction Act, passed by Democrats the next year, also included funding to reduce the risk of wildfires. The recent Los Angeles disaster may help generate momentum for even greater action in this area.

Firefighting in Partnership with Private Sector in an Era of Reduced Government Funding and Budget Cuts

Expending more money might be challenging in the early days of the Trump administration, as Republicans are taking office with pledges to reduce government spending, rather than raise it.

In a December article, Sheehy argued on Fox News that the government's efficiency initiative, led by entrepreneurs Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, could potentially enhance wildfire response by leveraging the private sector's capacity to handle fires.

"Innovation and effective solutions will always be driven more efficiently and cost-effectively by the private sector than by government response to wildfires. We need to adapt to this reality. Strengthening collaborations between the public and private sectors in the wildland fire industry is crucial," Sheehy stated.

A company focused on battling wildfires

It's worth noting that Sheehy earns some of his wealth, at least in part, from his former role as founder and leader of Bridger Aerospace, a company that specializes in aerial firefighting and relies heavily on government contracts to support wildfire suppression efforts.

The company, which is relatively new, has been experiencing financial difficulties. During Sheehy's Senate campaign, concerns were raised about the fact that Gallatin County in Montana had supported a $160 million public bond for the private business. Sheehy stepped down as CEO in July, while he was campaigning for the Senate.

Musk's Tesla and SpaceX have also relied heavily on public support to build their wealth.

Sheehy told Collins that wildfires have the power to put millionaires and billionaires out on the street alongside the poor.

They're going to destroy our homes just the same way," he said. "Let's prepare ourselves.

The-CNN-Wire

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