Gov. Jared Polis is boosting the amount of paid leave state employees who serve as volunteers to help fight fires can claim per year. 

In an executive order signed Wednesday, the Democrat added an additional five days per year of paid administrative leave for state employees deployed to fight fires as either volunteer firefighters or first responders.

Noting climate change is “increasing the frequency, severity, and intensity of forest fires,” the order Polis signed is framed as an effort to “maximize all of the State’s resources to combat wildfires to protect lives, homes, and properties.”

“Volunteer firefighters and first responders provide critical support to suppress forest and grassland fires, and assist people during fire emergencies,” the order says, highlighting the fact that some 70% of the state’s firefighters are volunteers.

“To ensure we continue to encourage Coloradoans to engage in this critical volunteer work, it is important that employers including the State of Colorado support employees who volunteer and take time away from their employment to help with fire mitigation and suppression.”

The order directs the additional days of paid leave, which are only available if the volunteers aren’t otherwise compensated for their time, to be used for “active formal volunteer fire response.” That leave time explicitly excludes training. The additional days of paid leave are also subject to denial by the volunteers’ supervisors, so as “to ensure the State’s critical needs and the employee’s job responsibilities are being met.”

The order directs Colorado’s agencies to incorporate the additional paid leave for volunteers into their policies, and encourages private sectors business to follow suit.