Forest Service Lacks Clear Plan for Improving Wildland Firefighter Safety Technology

The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) has reported that the Forest Service’s efforts to enhance critical safety technologies for wildland firefighters are facing uncertainty regarding future steps. While the agency has acknowledged the need to improve communication and location-tracking systems for firefighters, particularly in remote areas, its progress has been hampered by postponements, pauses, and scope reductions in ongoing initiatives. This situation leaves the future of these vital safety improvements unclear, impacting the well-being of those on the front lines of wildland firefighting.

Federal wildland firefighters, many of whom are employed by the Forest Service, are essential in protecting lives, property, and natural resources from the devastating effects of wildfires. Their work is inherently dangerous, often taking place in rugged, remote terrains where maintaining communication and accurately knowing their positions relative to a fire is exceedingly difficult. The GAO’s review found that current communication systems primarily rely on voice over radios, which limits the ability to share crucial safety information such as fire intensity and spread rates. While the Forest Service can track aircraft and vehicles with cellular coverage, the agency currently lacks the capability to consistently monitor the ground locations of most of its firefighters during wildfire incidents.

In recent years, the Forest Service has undertaken various projects aimed at improving its communication, tracking, and mapping technologies for wildland firefighters. However, officials cited a loss of staff as a primary reason for delaying, pausing, or scaling back some of these planned or ongoing efforts as of July 2025. The agency also identified broader challenges impacting these improvement endeavors, including the rapid evolution and high cost of technology, as well as a shortage of personnel possessing the necessary blend of technical expertise and firefighting experience.

In light of these obstacles, Forest Service officials indicated that the agency has not yet developed a comprehensive strategic plan to guide the enhancement of its two-way communication, tracking, and mapping capabilities for wildland firefighters. Agency officials noted that the demands of increasingly severe and prolonged fire seasons have made it challenging to allocate sufficient staff time to strategic planning. Nevertheless, by September 2025, the agency reported making efforts to prioritize funding and staffing for improvements in these areas. The GAO suggests that developing a detailed strategic plan, incorporating key components such as clearly defined goals and objectives, estimated costs, required expertise, and an analysis of external factors, would better equip the Forest Service to achieve its desired outcomes. Such a plan would provide clarity for the agency, Congress, and other stakeholders on the agency’s aims and the necessary steps to achieve them, as well as help in determining the allocation of resources and mitigating potential risks.

The GAO’s review was initiated in response to concerns about the technologies and equipment crucial for wildland firefighter safety. The report examined the Forest Service’s current communication and location-tracking abilities for firefighters, the agency’s future plans for improvement, and the identified challenges. The GAO conducted this review by examining relevant Forest Service documents and interviewing agency officials, as well as reviewing their written responses.

To address these issues, the GAO recommends that the Secretary of Agriculture ensure the Chief of the Forest Service, in collaboration with other relevant agencies like the Department of the Interior, develops a comprehensive strategic plan. This plan should be designed to improve the agency’s wildland firefighter communication, tracking, and mapping capabilities. The Forest Service has indicated general agreement with the GAO’s findings, though it has not yet formally committed to or disagreed with the specific recommendation. The status of this recommendation is currently listed as “Open,” with the GAO stating it will provide updates once it confirms the agency’s actions.

Article by Mel Anara, based upon information from the U.S. Government Accountability Office.

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