July 6, 2020  3:05 a.m.

Senator Ron Wyden has announced his co-sponsorship of the COVID-19 as a Presumptive Disease in Wildland Firefighters Act to protect firefighters during the COVID-19 public health emergency.

Wyden said every year wildland firefighters put their lives on the line to protect communities in Oregon and nationwide from destruction and dangerous wildfire smoke. In the face of COVID-19, Wyden said the disease can threaten the health of the lungs, making the work of firefighters “never more important or more dangerous”. Wyden said “these brave firefighters deserve assurances that their health and livelihoods will be protected while they fight for all of us’.

Wyden’s release said the legislation addresses concerns about the applicability of worker’s compensation coverage if a firefighter contracts COVID-19. It said if a firefighter does contract COVID-19 while serving this fire season, the legislation would ensure a presumption that is was contracted in the line of duty to allow eligibility for workers compensation benefits. It also requires firefighters to be tested for COVID-19 before beginning work this fire season. Wyden said the proposal would help alleviate existing concerns among the firefighting workforce and ensure members of the public and their livelihoods remain protected.

The release said Wyden’s support for the legislation builds on his broader efforts to bolster wildfire prevention and preparedness to protect the health and safety of communities during “the unparalleled combination of threats posed by wildfire season and the COVID-19 pandemic”.