Current as of: February 2010 (a) In general
There is established in the Department an Office of Emergency
Communications.
(b) Director
The head of the office shall be the Director for Emergency
Communications. The Director shall report to the Assistant
Secretary for Cybersecurity and Communications.
(c) Responsibilities
The Director for Emergency Communications shall -
(1) assist the Secretary in developing and implementing the
program described in section 194(a)(1) of this title, except as
provided in section 195 of this title;
(2) administer the Department's responsibilities and
authorities relating to the SAFECOM Program, excluding elements
related to research, development, testing, and evaluation and
standards;
(3) administer the Department's responsibilities and
authorities relating to the Integrated Wireless Network program;
(4) conduct extensive, nationwide outreach to support and
promote the ability of emergency response providers and relevant
government officials to continue to communicate in the event of
natural disasters, acts of terrorism, and other man-made
disasters;
(5) conduct extensive, nationwide outreach and foster the
development of interoperable emergency communications
capabilities by State, regional, local, and tribal governments
and public safety agencies, and by regional consortia thereof;
(6) provide technical assistance to State, regional, local, and
tribal government officials with respect to use of interoperable
emergency communications capabilities;
(7) coordinate with the Regional Administrators regarding the
activities of Regional Emergency Communications Coordination
Working Groups under section 575 of this title;
(8) promote the development of standard operating procedures
and best practices with respect to use of interoperable emergency
communications capabilities for incident response, and facilitate
the sharing of information on such best practices for achieving,
maintaining, and enhancing interoperable emergency communications
capabilities for such response;
(9) coordinate, in cooperation with the National Communications
System, the establishment of a national response capability with
initial and ongoing planning, implementation, and training for
the deployment of communications equipment for relevant State,
local, and tribal governments and emergency response providers in
the event of a catastrophic loss of local and regional emergency
communications services;
(10) assist the President, the National Security Council, the
Homeland Security Council, and the Director of the Office of
Management and Budget in ensuring the continued operation of the
telecommunications functions and responsibilities of the Federal
Government, excluding spectrum management;
(11) establish, in coordination with the Director of the Office
for Interoperability and Compatibility, requirements for
interoperable emergency communications capabilities, which shall
be nonproprietary where standards for such capabilities exist,
for all public safety radio and data communications systems and
equipment purchased using homeland security assistance
administered by the Department, excluding any alert and warning
device, technology, or system;
(12) review, in consultation with the Assistant Secretary for
Grants and Training, all interoperable emergency communications
plans of Federal, State, local, and tribal governments, including
Statewide and tactical interoperability plans, developed pursuant
to homeland security assistance administered by the Department,
but excluding spectrum allocation and management related to such
plans;
(13) develop and update periodically, as appropriate, a
National Emergency Communications Plan under section 572 of this
title;
(14) perform such other duties of the Department necessary to
support and promote the ability of emergency response providers
and relevant government officials to continue to communicate in
the event of natural disasters, acts of terrorism, and other man-
made disasters; and
(15) perform other duties of the Department necessary to
achieve the goal of and maintain and enhance interoperable
emergency communications capabilities.
(d) Performance of previously transferred functions
The Secretary shall transfer to, and administer through, the
Director for Emergency Communications the following programs and
responsibilities:
(1) The SAFECOM Program, excluding elements related to
research, development, testing, and evaluation and standards.
(2) The responsibilities of the Chief Information Officer
related to the implementation of the Integrated Wireless Network.
(3) The Interoperable Communications Technical Assistance
Program.
(e) Coordination
The Director for Emergency Communications shall coordinate -
(1) as appropriate, with the Director of the Office for
Interoperability and Compatibility with respect to the
responsibilities described in section 195 of this title; and
(2) with the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management
Agency with respect to the responsibilities described in this
subchapter.
(f) Sufficiency of resources plan
(1) Report
Not later than 120 days after October 4, 2006, the Secretary
shall submit to Congress a report on the resources and staff
necessary to carry out fully the responsibilities under this
subchapter.
(2) Comptroller General review
The Comptroller General shall review the validity of the report
submitted by the Secretary under paragraph (1). Not later than 60
days after the date on which such report is submitted, the
Comptroller General shall submit to Congress a report containing
the findings of such review.Legislative History Prev ________________________________________________________________________
Questions & Answers: Disasters and Emergencies Next
 |
Email
Print