Firefighting Research and Coordination Act

Bill: 108-s-321
Sponsor: Sen. McCain, John [R-AZ]
Introduced: 2003-02-05 in the Senate
Policy area: Emergency Management
Subjects: Congress
Congressional reporting requirements
Crime and Law Enforcement
Curricula
EBB Terrorism
Emergency communication systems
Emergency medicine
Employee training
Equipment and supplies
Federal-local relations
Federal-state relations
Fire fighters
Fire prevention
Forest fires
Government Operations and Politics
Harbors
Health
Identification devices
International Affairs
Labor and Employment
Law
Law enforcement officers
Licenses
Marine terminals
Medical personnel
Paramedical personnel
Planning
Police
Public Lands and Natural Resources
Rescue work
Robots
Science, Technology, Communications
Ships
Social Welfare
Standards
Technological innovations
Technology assessment
Terrorism
Transportation and Public Works
Virtual reality
Volunteer workers

Summary:
action_date: 2003-02-05
text: 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.

Legislative actions:
action_date: 2003-04-30
text: Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Hearings held.
action_date: 2003-02-05
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. (text of measure as introduced: CR S2008-2009)
action_date: 2003-02-05
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S2007-2008)
action_date: 2003-02-05
text: Introduced in Senate