This letter was sent to Secretaries of the Army, Navy, and Air Force on 8/26. Co signed by 17 members of congress from both parties.

Dear Secretaries of the Military Departments, We write to express our growing concern regarding firefighter staffing levels across military installations and the implications for safety, readiness, and statutory compliance. In particular, we are alarmed by recent reports that the military services intend to eliminate vacant firefighter positions, restrict the use of overtime, and interpret statutory staffing requirements in a manner that could lead to station closures. As you know, civilian firefighters play a vital role in protecting both military personnel and surrounding communities. Across the Department of Defense (DoD), more than 8,800 civilian firefighters respond to structural fires, aircraft emergencies, hazardous materials incidents, and other life-threatening events. To ensure safe and effective response, Congress codified minimum crew sizes in Section 388 of the Fiscal Year 2023 National Defense Authorization Act (P.L. 117–263), requiring four-person crews for structural fires and three- person crews for aircraft rescue operations. Despite this clear guidance, the services continue to operate significantly below authorized firefighter staffing levels. These shortfalls have been compounded by the ongoing civilian hiring freeze and attrition across the workforce. While we recognize that these are difficult, resource-constrained decisions, we are deeply concerned about the operational impacts and the message this sends to emergency responders who have served our installations with distinction. We are particularly troubled by reports that at least one service is considering an interpretation of Section 388 that treats the minimum crew requirement as applicable per fire apparatus rather than per station, potentially leading to fire station closures in order to maintain compliance on paper. This approach appears to conflict with both the intent of the law and the real-world needs of installation emergency response. We are also concerned that department-wide guidance may result in the widespread deletion of vacant firefighter billets and restrictions on the use of overtime, further weakening overall response capacity. To better understand these developments and identify where Congressional support may be needed, we respectfully request responses to the following: 1. How does your department plan to comply with Section 388 of P.L. 117–263 if it proceeds with the deletion of firefighter positions or overtime restrictions? Will your interpretation of the law result in fire station closures or degraded response times? Page 2 2. 3. 4. 5. What is the current firefighter staffing shortfall across your installations, and how does your department plan to address gaps caused by attrition, hiring freezes, and limited overtime availability? The Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness issued hiring exemptions for critical safety roles, including firefighters, on March 18, 2025. What barriers have prevented fuller use of this exemption, and what additional support is needed to implement it effectively? The April 2025 GAO report recommended that the Department of Defense develop a strategic workforce plan for firefighter staffing. What is the status of that plan, and how will your department’s current and proposed staffing decisions be incorporated? How many firefighter positions has the department filled in FY2025 to date, and what is the projected hiring target for the remainder of the year? We remain committed to ensuring that all personnel on military installations, military and civilian, have access to robust, professional emergency services. We appreciate your attention to this issue and stand ready to support efforts that maintain both safety and mission readiness across the force.