Making National Parks Safer Act
The Making National Parks Safer Act would require the Department of the Interior, via the National Park Service, to upgrade emergency communications centers located in National Park System units to Next Generation 9-1-1 (NG9-1-1) systems. The bill starts with a mandatory assessment within one year of enactment to determine current NG9-1-1 implementation, and to estimate costs for purchasing and maintaining NG9-1-1. After the assessment, the Secretary must prepare and share a plan to install NG9-1-1 systems at identified centers, with substantial emphasis on interoperability and coordination with state/local emergency officials and relevant federal agencies. The plan can skip units where the superintendent determines NG9-1-1 is already sufficiently installed. The overall aim is to improve emergency communications and interoperability across national parks and surrounding jurisdictions, though the bill does not itself authorize funding. NG9-1-1 refers to modern, internet-based 9-1-1 capabilities that can share location data and other information across centers and jurisdictions, improving how emergencies are received, processed, and coordinated.
Key Points
- 1Assessments within one year: The Secretary must complete a comprehensive assessment of emergency communications centers in National Park System units to determine NG9-1-1 implementation status, and to estimate purchase and ongoing maintenance costs for NG9-1-1 systems.
- 2Public and congressional reporting: The assessment results, along with issues that could affect nationwide NG9-1-1 deployment (like jurisdictional, technology, authority, and legal agreement issues), must be reported to the appropriate congressional committees and posted on the Department of the Interior website.
- 3Plan to install NG9-1-1: Within one year after the assessment report is submitted, the Secretary must develop a plan to install NG9-1-1 systems at identified emergency communications centers, based on the assessment findings.
- 4Interoperability and consultation: In developing the plan, the Secretary must consult with state and local emergency management officials to ensure interoperability, other local stakeholders, and relevant federal agencies (Department of Commerce, Department of Transportation, and the FCC).
- 5Eligible exemptions: The plan is not required for units where the superintendent determines that NG9-1-1 is already sufficiently installed or currently being installed.