A bill 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.

Summary: Firefighting Research and Coordination Act - Amends the Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974 to direct the Administrator of the United States Fire Administration (Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)) to: (1) develop new, and utilize existing, measurement techniques and testing methodologies for evaluating new firefighting technologies; (2) evaluate the compatibility of new equipment and technology with existing technology; and (3) support the development of new standards through national voluntary consensus standards organizations for new firefighting technologies based on specified techniques and methodologies.Directs the Administrator to: (1) 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; and (2) develop and make model mutual aid plans for both intrastate and interstate assistance available to State and local fire service officials.Requires the Director of FEMA to revise FEMA's Federal Response Plan to incorporate plans for responding to terrorist attacks, particularly in urban areas.Authorizes the Superintendent of the National Academy for Fire Prevention and Control to train fire service personnel in: (1) strategies for building collapse rescue; (2) the use of technology in response to fires; (3) response, tactics, and strategies for dealing with terrorist-caused national catastrophes; (4) use of and familiarity with the national plan; (5) leadership and strategic skills, including integrated management systems operations and integrated response; (6) strategies and tactics for fighting forest fires; (7) integration of terrorism response agencies into the national terrorism incident response system; and (8) response tactics and strategies for fighting fires at U.S. ports, including fires on the water and aboard vessels.

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 8(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 8(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.