A House committee advanced legislation Tuesday to invest $5 million in expanding resources for volunteer firefighters in Colorado.

If enacted, Senate Bill 2 would add $5 million to the Local Firefighter Safety and Disease Prevention Grant Program and expand it to cover replacement firefighting equipment. The bill would also make volunteer fire departments eligible for reimbursement for wildland fire suppression activities and provide behavioral health care services to firefighters.

Legislators are tackling the measure as devastating wildfires have become more and more common in Colorado. The three largest wildfires in Colorado history all occurred in 2020 and the most destructive wildfire in state history – the Marshall fire – tore through Boulder County and burned down a thousand homes less than four months ago.

“It is critical that we invest our firefighters so they have the tools they need to protect our land, homes and lives,” said bill sponsor Rep. Lisa Cutter, D-Littleton. “The work of local fire departments will only become more difficult as climate change continues.”

Cutter said the bill would better prepare volunteer firefighters to combat wildfires by funding upgrades of old equipment, recruiting new seasonal firefighters, improving training and addressing the behavioral health needs of firefighters.

The House Transportation & Local Government Committee unanimously passed the bipartisan-sponsored legislation Tuesday, sending it to the House Appropriations Committee for consideration. 

The Senate approved the bill unanimously earlier this month.