Good Idea! After 1 Million Acres Burn, KS Leg Moves To Join Great Plains Fire Compact

[hatrack]

TOPEKA — Legislation to make it easier for firefighters from outsaide Kansas to help battle wildfires passed the House on a 124-1 vote Feb. 22, but remains in the Senate Federal and State Affairs Committee.

House Majority Leader Don Hineman, R-Dighton, hopes the bill moves quickly through the Senate. One change Hineman would recommend is the effective date. He wants it to take effect when published in the State Register, a weekly publication.

House Bill 2140 calls for adoption of the Great Plains Interstate Fire Compact. The purpose of the compact is to promote prevention and control of fires by the maintenance of adequate forest firefighting services by member states and by providing for reciprocal aid fighting forest fires, according to the supplemental note. It addresses workers’ compensation — a concern for out-of-state firefighters — and participating states are not charged dues.

EDIT

http://www.hdnews.net/news/local/hineman-get-bill-moving/article_9ad3ee90-b5c4-5b1c-a4b0-382511482c74.html

[greymattermom]

1. They need help now

but what will happen when Colorado needs help? Will Kansas taxpayers support sending fire fighters to Colorado?

[hatrack]

2. Mutual aid is voluntary, and is at the discretion of each state's government . . . .

. . . and I would think that expenses would be borne by host governments, but do not know for certain.

You'd think that after last spring's record-setting fires in the Red Hills they might have paid attention. No, Mother Nature apparently needed to pick up a bigger stick to draw attention away from Teh Gayz, Teh Libs, Teh Terrah!