To provide for the establishment of a scientific basis for new firefighting technology standards, improve coordination among Federal, State, and local fire officials in training for and responding to terrorist attacks and other national emergencies, and for other purposes.

February 5, 2003

Mr. CAMP (for himself, Mr. DEUTSCH, Mr. ISRAEL, Mr. ETHERIDGE, and Mr. WELDON of Pennsylvania) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Science

To provide for the establishment of a scientific basis for new firefighting technology standards, improve coordination among Federal, State, and local fire officials in training for and responding to terrorist attacks and other national emergencies, and for other purposes.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the `Firefighting Research and Coordination Act'.

SEC. 2. NEW FIREFIGHTING TECHNOLOGY.

(a) IN GENERAL- Section 8 of the Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974 (15 U.S.C. 2207) is amended--

(1) by redesignating subsection (e) as subsection (f); and

(2) by inserting after subsection (d) the following:

`(e) Development of New Technology-

`(1) IN GENERAL- In addition to, or as part of, the program conducted under subsection (a), the Administrator, in consultation with the National Institute of Standards and Technology, the Inter-Agency Board for Equipment Standardization and Inter-Operability, national voluntary consensus standards development organizations, interested Federal, State, and local agencies, and other interested parties, shall--

`(A) develop new, and utilize existing, measurement techniques and testing methodologies for evaluating new firefighting technologies, including--

`(i) personal protection equipment;

`(ii) devices for advance warning of extreme hazard;

`(iii) equipment for enhanced vision;

`(iv) devices to locate victims, firefighters, and other rescue personnel in above-ground and below-ground structures;

`(v) equipment and methods to provide information for incident command, including the monitoring and reporting of individual personnel welfare;

`(vi) equipment and methods for training, especially for virtual reality training; and

`(vii) robotics and other remote-controlled devices;

`(B) evaluate the compatibility of new equipment and technology with existing firefighting technology; and

`(C) support the development of new voluntary consensus standards through national voluntary consensus standards organizations for new firefighting technologies based on techniques and methodologies described in subparagraph (A).

`(2) NEW EQUIPMENT MUST MEET STANDARDS- For equipment for which applicable voluntary consensus standards have been established, the Administrator shall, by regulation, require that equipment or systems purchased through the assistance program established by section 33 meet or exceed applicable voluntary consensus standards.'.

(b) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS- Section 17 of the Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974 (15 U.S.C. 2216) is amended by adding at the end the following:

`(i) DEVELOPMENT OF NEW TECHNOLOGY- There are authorized to be appropriated to the Administrator to carry out section 8(e) $2,200,000 for fiscal year 2004.'.

SEC. 3. COORDINATION OF RESPONSE TO NATIONAL EMERGENCY.

(a) IN GENERAL- Section 10 of the Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974 (15 U.S.C. 2209) is amended--

(1) by redesignating subsection (b) as subsection (c); and

(2) by inserting after subsection (a) the following:

`(b) Mutual Aid Systems-

`(1) IN GENERAL- The Administrator, after consultation with the Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, shall provide technical assistance and training to State and local fire service officials to establish nationwide and State mutual

aid systems for dealing with national emergencies that--

`(A) include threat assessment and equipment deployment strategies;

`(B) include means of collecting asset and resource information to provide accurate and timely data for regional deployment; and

`(C) are consistent with the Federal Emergency Management Agency's Federal Response Plan.

`(2) MODEL MUTUAL AID PLANS- The Administrator, in consultation with the Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, shall develop and make available to State and local fire service officials model mutual aid plans for both intrastate and interstate assistance.'.

(b) REPORT ON STRATEGIC NEEDS- Within 90 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the United States Fire Administration shall report to the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and the House of Representatives Committee on Science on the need for a strategy concerning deployment of volunteers and emergency response personnel (as defined in section 6 of the Firefighters' Safety Study Act (15 U.S.C. 2223e), including a national credentialing system, in the event of a national emergency.

(c) UPDATE OF FEDERAL RESPONSE PLAN- Within 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency shall--

(1) revise that Agency's Federal Response Plan to incorporate plans for responding to terrorist attacks, particularly in urban areas, including fire detection and suppression and related emergency services; and

(2) transmit a report to the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and the House of Representatives Committee on Science describing the action taken to comply with paragraph (1).

SEC. 4. TRAINING.

(a) IN GENERAL- Section 7(d)(1) of the Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974 (15 U.S.C. 2206(d)(1)) is amended--

(1) by striking `and' after the semicolon in subparagraph (E);

(2) by redesignating subparagraph (F) as subparagraph (N); and

(3) by inserting after subparagraph (E) the following:

`(F) strategies for building collapse rescue;

`(G) the use of technology in response to fires, including terrorist incidents and other national emergencies;

`(H) response, tactics, and strategies for dealing with terrorist-caused national catastrophes;

`(I) use of and familiarity with the Federal Emergency Management Agency's Federal Response Plan;

`(J) leadership and strategic skills, including integrated management systems operations and integrated response;

`(K) applying new technology and developing strategies and tactics for fighting forest fires;

`(L) integrating terrorism response agencies into the national terrorism incident response system;

`(M) response tactics and strategies for fighting fires at United States ports, including fires on the water and aboard vessels; and'.

(b) CONSULTATION ON FIRE ACADEMY CLASSES- The Superintendent of the National Fire Academy may consult with other Federal, State, and local agency officials in developing curricula for classes offered by the Academy.

(c) COORDINATION WITH OTHER PROGRAMS TO AVOID DUPLICATION- The Administrator of the United States Fire Administration shall coordinate training provided under section 7(d)(1) of the Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974 (15 U.S.C. 2206(d)(1)) with the Attorney General, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, and the heads of other Federal agencies--

(1) to ensure that such training does not duplicate existing courses available to fire service personnel; and

(2) to establish a mechanism for eliminating duplicative training programs.

END