1.This subtitle may be cited as the
United States Fire Administration
Reauthorization Act of 2008
.
2.Congress makes the following
findings:
(1)The number of lives lost each year because
of fire has dropped significantly over the last 25 years in the United States.
However, the United States still has one of the highest fire death rates in the
industrialized world. In 2006, the National Fire Protection Association
reported 3,245 civilian fire deaths, 16,400 civilian fire injuries, and
$11,307,000,000 in direct losses due to fire.
(2)Every year,
more than 100 firefighters die in the line of duty. The United States Fire
Administration should continue its leadership to help local fire agencies
dramatically reduce these fatalities.
(3)The Federal Government should continue to
work with State and local governments and the fire service community to further
the promotion of national voluntary consensus standards that increase
firefighter safety.
(4)The United States Fire Administration
provides crucial support to the 30,300 fire departments of the United States
through training, emergency incident data collection, fire awareness and
education, and support of research and development activities for fire
prevention, control, and suppression technologies.
(5)The collection of data on fire and other
emergency incidents is a vital tool both for policy makers and emergency
responders to identify and develop responses to emerging hazards. Improving the
data collection capabilities of the United States Fire Administration is
essential for accurately tracking and responding to the magnitude and nature of
the fire problems of the United States.
(6)The research and development performed by
the National Institute of Standards and Technology, the United States Fire
Administration, other government agencies, and nongovernmental organizations on
fire technologies, techniques, and tools advance the capabilities of the fire
service of the United States to suppress and prevent fires.
(7)Because of the essential role of the United
States Fire Administration and the fire service community in preparing for and
responding to national and man-made disasters, the United States Fire
Administration should have a prominent place within the Federal Emergency
Management Agency and the Department of Homeland Security.
3.Authorization
of appropriations for United States Fire AdministrationSection 17(g)(1) of the Federal Fire
Prevention and Control Act of 1974 (15 U.S.C. 2216(g)(1)) is amended—
(1)in
subparagraph (C), by striking and
after the semicolon;
(2)in
subparagraph (D), by striking the period at the end and inserting a semicolon;
and
(3)by adding
after subparagraph (D) the following:
(E)$70,000,000 for fiscal year 2009, of which
$2,520,000 shall be used to carry out section 8(f);
(F)$72,100,000 for fiscal year 2010, of which
$2,595,600 shall be used to carry out section 8(f);
(G)$74,263,000 for fiscal year 2011, of which
$2,673,468 shall be used to carry out section 8(f); and
(H)$76,490,890 for fiscal year 2012, of which
$2,753,672 shall be used to carry out section
8(f).
.
4.National
Fire Academy training program modifications and reports
(a)Amendments
to Fire Academy trainingSection 7(d)(1) of the Federal Fire
Prevention and Control Act of 1974 (15 U.S.C. 2206(d)(1)) is amended—
(1)by amending
subparagraph (H) to read as follows:
(H)tactics and
strategies for dealing with natural disasters, acts of terrorism, and other
man-made
disasters;
;
(2)in
subparagraph (K), by striking forest
and inserting
wildland
;
(3)in
subparagraph (M), by striking response
;
(4)by
redesignating subparagraphs (I) through (N) as subparagraphs (M) through (R),
respectively; and
(5)by inserting
after subparagraph (H) the following:
(I)tactics and strategies for fighting
large-scale fires or multiple fires in a general area that cross jurisdictional
boundaries;
(J)tactics and
strategies for fighting fires occurring at the wildland-urban interface;
(K)tactics and
strategies for fighting fires involving hazardous materials;
(L)advanced
emergency medical services
training;
.
(b)Section 7 of such Act (15 U.S.C. 2206) is
amended—
(1)in subsection
(c)(6), by inserting , including on-site training
after
United States
;
(2)in subsection
(f), by striking 4 percent
and inserting 7.5
percent
; and
(3)by adding at the
end the following:
(m)
(1)Except as provided in paragraph (2), the Administrator
may enter into a contract with nationally recognized organizations that have
established on-site training programs that comply with national voluntary
consensus standards for fire service personnel to facilitate the delivery of
the education and training programs outlined in subsection (d)(1) directly to
fire service personnel.
(2)
(A)The Administrator may
not enter into a contract with an organization described in paragraph (1)
unless such organization provides training that—
(i)leads to certification by a program that is
accredited by a nationally recognized accreditation organization; or
(ii)the
Administrator determines is of equivalent quality to a fire service training
program described by clause (i).
(B)Approval of
unaccredited fire service training programsThe Administrator may
consider the fact that an organization has provided a satisfactory fire service
training program pursuant to a cooperative agreement with a Federal agency as
evidence that such program is of equivalent quality to a fire service training
program described by subparagraph (A)(i).
(3)Restriction
on use of fundsThe amounts
expended by the Administrator to carry out this subsection in any fiscal year
shall not exceed 7.5 per centum of the amount authorized to be appropriated in
such fiscal year pursuant to section
17.
.
(c)Such section 7 (15
U.S.C. 2206) is further amended by adding at the end the following:
(n)In the first annual
report filed pursuant to section 16 for which the deadline for filing is after
the expiration of the 18-month period that begins on the date of the enactment
of the United States Fire Administration Reauthorization Act of 2008, and in
every third annual report thereafter, the Administrator shall include
information about changes made to the National Fire Academy curriculum,
including—
(1)the basis for
such changes, including a review of the incorporation of lessons learned by
emergency response personnel after significant emergency events and emergency
preparedness exercises performed under the National Exercise Program;
and
(2)the desired
training outcome of all such
changes.
.
(d)Report on
feasibility of providing incident command training for fires at ports and in
marine environments
(1)Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of
this Act, the Administrator of the United States Fire Administration shall
submit to Congress a report on the feasibility of providing training in
incident command for appropriate fire service personnel for fires at United
States ports and in marine environments, including fires on the water and
aboard vessels.
(2)The
report required by paragraph (1) shall include the following:
(A)A description of
the necessary curriculum for training described in paragraph (1).
(B)A description of
existing training programs related to incident command in port and maritime
environments, including by other Federal agencies, and the feasibility and
estimated cost of making such training available to appropriate fire service
personnel.
(C)An assessment of
the feasibility and advisability of the United States Fire Administration
developing such a training course in incident command for appropriate fire
service personnel for fires at United States ports and in marine environments,
including fires on the water and aboard vessels.
(D)A description of
the delivery options for such a course and the estimated cost to the United
States Fire Administration for developing such a course and providing such
training for appropriate fire service personnel.
5.National
Fire Incident Reporting System Upgrades
(a)Incident
Reporting System DatabaseSection 9 of the Federal Fire Prevention
and Control Act of 1974 (15 U.S.C. 2208) is amended by adding at the end the
following:
(d)National
Fire Incident Reporting System update
(1)The Administrator shall update the National Fire Incident
Reporting System to ensure that the information in the system is available, and
can be updated, through the Internet and in real time.
(2)Of
the amounts made available pursuant to subparagraphs (E), (F), and (G) of
section 17(g)(1), the Administrator shall use not more than an aggregate amount
of $5,000,000 during the 3-year period consisting of fiscal years 2009, 2010,
and 2011 to carry out the activities required by paragraph
(1).
.
(b)Section 9(b)(2) of
such Act (15 U.S.C. 2208(b)(2)) is amended by striking assist
State,
and inserting assist Federal, State,
.
6.Fire
technology assistance and research dissemination
(a)Assistance
to fire services for fire prevention and control in wildland-urban
interfaceSection 8(d) of the
Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974 (15 U.S.C. 2207(d)) is amended
to read as follows:
(d)Rural and
wildland-urban interface assistanceThe Administrator may, in
coordination with the Secretary of Agriculture, the Secretary of the Interior,
and the Wildland Fire Leadership Council, assist the fire services of the
United States, directly or through contracts, grants, or other forms of
assistance, in sponsoring and encouraging research into approaches, techniques,
systems, equipment, and land-use policies to improve fire prevention and
control in—
(1)the rural and
remote areas of the United States; and
(2)the
wildland-urban
interface.
.
(b)Technology
research disseminationSection 8 of such Act (15 U.S.C. 2207) is
amended by adding at the end the following:
(h)Publication
of research results
(1)For each fire-related research program funded by the
Administration, the Administrator shall make available to the public on the
Internet website of the Administration the following:
(A)A description of
such research program, including the scope, methodology, and goals
thereof.
(B)Information that
identifies the individuals or institutions conducting the research
program.
(C)The amount of
funding provided by the Administration for such program.
(D)The results or
findings of the research program.
(2)
(A)Except as provided in subparagraph (B), the information
required by paragraph (1) shall be published with respect to a research program
as follows:
(i)The information
described in subparagraphs (A), (B), and (C) of paragraph (1) with respect to
such research program shall be made available under paragraph (1) not later
than 30 days after the Administrator has awarded the funding for such research
program.
(ii)The information
described in subparagraph (D) of paragraph (1) with respect to a research
program shall be made available under paragraph (1) not later than 60 days
after the date such research program has been completed.
(B)No
information shall be required to be published under this subsection before the
date that is 1 year after the date of the enactment of the United States Fire
Administration Reauthorization Act of
2008.
.
7.Encouraging
adoption of standards for firefighter health and safetyThe Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act
of 1974 (15 U.S.C. 2201 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the
following:
37.Encouraging
adoption of standards for firefighter health and safetyThe Administrator shall promote adoption by
fire services of national voluntary consensus standards for firefighter health
and safety, including such standards for firefighter operations, training,
staffing, and fitness, by—
(1)educating fire services about such
standards;
(2)encouraging the adoption at all levels of
government of such standards; and
(3)making recommendations on other ways in
which the Federal Government can promote the adoption of such standards by fire
services.
.
8.State and
local fire service representation at National Operations CenterSection 515 of the Homeland Security Act of
2002 (6 U.S.C. 321d) is amended by adding at the end the following:
(c)State and
local fire service representation
(1)Establishment
of positionThe Secretary shall, in consultation with the
Administrator of the United States Fire Administration, establish a fire
service position at the National Operations Center established under subsection
(b) to ensure the effective sharing of information between the Federal
Government and State and local fire services.
(2)The Secretary shall designate, on a rotating basis, a
State or local fire service official for the position described in paragraph
(1).
(3)The
Secretary shall manage the position established pursuant to paragraph (1) in
accordance with such rules, regulations, and practices as govern other similar
rotating positions at the National Operations
Center.
.
9.Coordination
regarding fire prevention and control and emergency medical services
(a)Section 21(e) of the
Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974 (15 U.S.C. 2218(e)) is amended
to read as follows:
(e)
(1)To the extent
practicable, the Administrator shall use existing programs, data, information,
and facilities already available in other Federal Government departments and
agencies and, where appropriate, existing research organizations, centers, and
universities.
(2)Coordination
of fire prevention and control programsThe Administrator shall provide liaison at
an appropriate organizational level to assure coordination of the activities of
the Administrator with Federal, State, and local government agencies and
departments and nongovernmental organizations concerned with any matter related
to programs of fire prevention and control.
(3)Coordination
of emergency medical services programsThe Administrator shall provide liaison at
an appropriate organizational level to assure coordination of the activities of
the Administrator related to emergency medical services provided by fire
service-based systems with Federal, State, and local government agencies and
departments and nongovernmental organizations so concerned, as well as those
entities concerned with emergency medical services
generally.
.
(b)Fire
Service-Based Emergency Medical Services Best PracticesSection 8(c) of such Act (15 U.S.C.
2207(c)) is amended—
(1)by redesignating
paragraphs (2) through (4) as paragraphs (3) through (5), respectively;
and
(2)by inserting after
paragraph (1) the following new paragraph:
(2)The Administrator is authorized to
conduct, directly or through contracts or grants, studies of the operations and
management aspects of fire service-based emergency medical services and
coordination between emergency medical services and fire services. Such studies
may include the optimum protocols for on-scene care, the allocation of
resources, and the training requirements for fire service-based emergency
medical
services.
.
10.Amendments
to definitionsSection 4 of
the Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974 (15 U.S.C. 2203) is
amended—
(1)in paragraph
(3), by striking Administration
and inserting
Administration, within the Federal Emergency Management
Agency
;
(2)in paragraph
(7), by striking the and
after the semicolon;
(3)in paragraph
(8), by striking the period at the end and inserting ; and
;
and
(4)by adding at
the end the following:
(9)wildland-urban interface has
the meaning given such term in section 101 of the Healthy Forests Restoration
Act of 2003 (16 U.S.C.
6511).
.
11.Supporting the
adoption of fire sprinklersCongress supports the recommendations of the
United States Fire Administration regarding the adoption of fire sprinklers in
commercial buildings and educational programs to raise awareness of the
important of installing fire sprinklers in residential buildings.
Passed the Senate September 18 (legislative day, September
17), 2008.
Secretary.