[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Printing Office]
[S. 2606 Enrolled Bill (ENR)]
S.2606
One Hundred Tenth Congress
of the
United States of America
AT THE SECOND SESSION
Begun and held at the City of Washington on Thursday,
the third day of January, two thousand and eight
An Act
To reauthorize the United States Fire Administration, and for other
purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,

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This subtitle may be cited as the ``United States Fire
Administration Reauthorization Act of 2008''.

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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.

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ADMINISTRATION.
Section 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).''.

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REPORTS.
(a) Amendments to Fire Academy Training.--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 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) On-Site Training.--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) On-Site Training.--
``(1) In general.--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) Limitation.--
``(A) In general.--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
programs.--The 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 funds.--The 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) Triennial Reports.--Such section 7 (15 U.S.C. 2206) is further
amended by adding at the end the following:
``(n) Triennial Report.--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) In general.--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) Contents.--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.

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(a) Incident Reporting System Database.--Section 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) In general.--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) Limitation.--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) Technical Correction.--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,''.

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(a) Assistance to Fire Services for Fire Prevention and Control in
Wildland-Urban Interface.--Section 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 Assistance.--The
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 Dissemination.--Section 8 of such Act (15
U.S.C. 2207) is amended by adding at the end the following:
``(h) Publication of Research Results.--
``(1) In general.--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) Deadlines.--
``(A) In general.--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) Exception.--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.''.

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SAFETY.
The Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974 (15 U.S.C. 2201
et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:
``SEC. 37. ENCOURAGING ADOPTION OF STANDARDS FOR FIREFIGHTER HEALTH
AND SAFETY.
``The 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.''.

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OPERATIONS CENTER.
Section 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 position.--The 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) Designation of position.--The Secretary shall designate,
on a rotating basis, a State or local fire service official for the
position described in paragraph (1).
``(3) Management.--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.''.

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EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES.
(a) In General.--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) Coordination.--
``(1) In general.--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 programs.--
The 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 programs.--The
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 Practices.--
Section 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.''.

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Section 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).''.

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Congress 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.
Speaker of the House of Representatives.
Vice President of the United States and
President of the Senate.

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United States Fire Administration Reauthorization Act of 2008 — S. 2606

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