United States Fire Administration Reauthorization Act of 2008
PL 110-376 (S.2606), enacted 10/08/2008

122 STAT. 4056 
PUBLIC LAW 110–376—OCT. 8, 2008 
Public Law 110–376 
110th Congress 
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, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This subtitle may be cited as the ‘‘United States Fire Adminis-
tration Reauthorization Act of 2008’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
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 stand-
ards 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 develop-
ment 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 haz-
ards. 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 prob-
lems 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. 
15 USC 2201 
note. 
15 USC 2201 
note. 
United States 
Fire 
Administration 
Reauthorization 
Act of 2008. 
Oct. 8, 2008 
[S. 2606] 
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122 STAT. 4057 
PUBLIC LAW 110–376—OCT. 8, 2008 
(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. 
SEC. 3. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS FOR UNITED STATES 
FIRE 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 semi-
colon; 
(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).’’. 
SEC. 4. NATIONAL FIRE ACADEMY TRAINING PROGRAM MODIFICA-
TIONS AND 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 disas-
ters;’’; 
(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 sub-
paragraphs (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 
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122 STAT. 4058 
PUBLIC LAW 110–376—OCT. 8, 2008 
recognized organizations that have established on-site training 
programs that comply with national voluntary consensus stand-
ards 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 agree-
ment 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 pursu-
ant 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 pursu-
ant 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 per-
sonnel 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, 
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122 STAT. 4059 
PUBLIC LAW 110–376—OCT. 8, 2008 
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. 
SEC. 5. NATIONAL FIRE INCIDENT REPORTING SYSTEM UPGRADES. 
(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,’’. 
SEC. 6. FIRE TECHNOLOGY ASSISTANCE AND RESEARCH DISSEMINA-
TION. 
(a) ASSISTANCE TO FIRE SERVICES FOR FIRE PREVENTION AND 
CONTROL IN WILDLAND-URBAN INTERFACE.—Section 8(d) of the Fed-
eral 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 Agri-
culture, the Secretary of the Interior, and the Wildland Fire Leader-
ship Council, assist the fire services of the United States, directly 
or through contracts, grants, or other forms of assistance, in spon-
soring and encouraging research into approaches, techniques, sys-
tems, 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 Adminis-
tration the following: 
‘‘(A) A description of such research program, including 
the scope, methodology, and goals thereof. 
Public 
information. 
Web site. 
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122 STAT. 4060 
PUBLIC LAW 110–376—OCT. 8, 2008 
‘‘(B) Information that identifies the individuals or 
institutions conducting the research program. 
‘‘(C) The amount of funding provided by the Adminis-
tration 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 para-
graph (1) not later than 30 days after the Adminis-
trator has awarded the funding for such research pro-
gram. 
‘‘(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.’’. 
SEC. 7. ENCOURAGING ADOPTION OF STANDARDS FOR FIREFIGHTER 
HEALTH AND 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 stand-
ards by fire services.’’. 
SEC. 8. STATE AND LOCAL FIRE SERVICE REPRESENTATION AT 
NATIONAL 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 des-
ignate, on a rotating basis, a State or local fire service official 
for the position described in paragraph (1). 
15 USC 2234. 
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122 STAT. 4061 
PUBLIC LAW 110–376—OCT. 8, 2008 
‘‘(3) MANAGEMENT.—The Secretary shall manage the posi-
tion established pursuant to paragraph (1) in accordance with 
such rules, regulations, and practices as govern other similar 
rotating positions at the National Operations Center.’’. 
SEC. 9. COORDINATION REGARDING FIRE PREVENTION AND CONTROL 
AND 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 Adminis-
trator shall use existing programs, data, information, and facili-
ties already available in other Federal Government depart-
ments and agencies and, where appropriate, existing research 
organizations, centers, and universities. 
‘‘(2) COORDINATION OF FIRE PREVENTION AND CONTROL PRO-
GRAMS.—The Administrator shall provide liaison at an appro-
priate organizational level to assure coordination of the activi-
ties of the Administrator with Federal, State, and local govern-
ment agencies and departments and nongovernmental organiza-
tions concerned with any matter related to programs of fire 
prevention and control. 
‘‘(3) COORDINATION OF EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES PRO-
GRAMS.—The Administrator shall provide liaison at an appro-
priate organizational level to assure coordination of the activi-
ties of the Administrator related to emergency medical services 
provided by fire service-based systems with Federal, State, 
and local government agencies and departments and nongovern-
mental 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 para-
graphs (3) through (5), respectively; and 
(2) by inserting after paragraph (1) the following new para-
graph: 
‘‘(2) The Administrator is authorized to conduct, directly or 
through contracts or grants, studies of the operations and manage-
ment 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.’’. 
SEC. 10. AMENDMENTS TO DEFINITIONS. 
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 semi-
colon; 
(3) in paragraph (8), by striking the period at the end 
and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 
(4) by adding at the end the following: 
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122 STAT. 4062 
PUBLIC LAW 110–376—OCT. 8, 2008 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY—S. 2606 (H.R. 4847): 
HOUSE REPORTS: No. 110–559 accompanying H.R. 4847 (Comm. on Science and 
Technology). 
SENATE REPORTS: No. 110–411 (Comm. on Homeland Security and Governmental 
Affairs). 
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 154 (2008): 
Sept. 18, considered and passed Senate. 
Sept. 22, 24, considered and passed House. 
‘‘(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).’’. 
SEC. 11. SUPPORTING THE ADOPTION OF FIRE SPRINKLERS. 
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. 
Approved October 8, 2008. 
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