,i  #aaith ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #ccgj  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,may #ac1 #bjbe,ms4  
,sherrill 7for herself and ,mr4 ,bacon7 
introduced the following bill2 which was
 referred to the ,committee on ,science1
 ,space1 and ,technology  ,a ,,bill  ,to
 direct the ,united ,states ,fire       
,administration to develop a            
comprehensive strategy to improve       
equipment1 training1 and staffing       
standards for firefighter ,rapid        
,intervention ,teams1 including those   
,teams that respond to port facility    
fires1 and for other purposes4  #a4     
,short title ,this ,act may be cited as 
the ,providing ,resources and           
,operational ,training to ,eliminate    
,crisis ,threats to ,firefighters ,act  
or the ,,protect ,firefighters ,act4    
#b4 ,strategy to improve equipment1     
training1 and staffing standards for    
rapid intervention teams  7a7 ,strategy 
7#a7 ,submission ,not later than one    
year after the date of the enactment of 

this ,act1 the ,united ,states ,fire    
,administrator shall submit to the      
,committee on ,science1 ,space1 and     
,technology and the ,committee on       
,homeland ,security of the ,house of    
,representatives and the ,committee on  
,commerce1 ,science1 and ,transportation
 and the ,committee on ,homeland        
,security and ,governmental ,affairs of 
the ,senate a comprehensive strategy    
detailing the following3  7,a7 ,current 
equipment1 training1 and staffing       
standards for firefighter ,rapid        
,intervention ,teams4  7,b7 ,how to     
improve access for such ,teams to modern
 and high-quality equipment1 safety     
gear1 training1 and staffing levels4    
7,c7 ,how to ensure equipment and       
training standardization and            
interoperability between such ,teams4   
7#b7 ,matters ,the strategy under       
paragraph 7#a7 shall address1 at a      
minimum1 the following3  7,a7 ,an       
identification of such training         
standards1 firefighting equipment1 and  

staffing level standards that1 as of the
 date of the enactment of this ,act1 are
 in use by firefighter ,rapid           
,intervention ,teams and the extent to  
which such training and equipment is    
standard and interoperable across such  
,teams in each individual ,state and    
nationwide1 including regarding the     
following3 7i7 ,the frequency with which
 such ,teams undergo training1 and any  
financial or logistical barriers that   
impact such ,teams' access to such      
training4  7ii7 ,the type and quality of
 firefighting equipment used by such    
,teams and any financial or logistical  
barriers that impact such ,teams' access
 to state-of-the-art firefighting       
equipment4  7iii7 ,staffing levels and  
response times for such ,teams1         
particularly for departments that are   
facing general firefighter staffing     
shortages1 and any financial or         
logistical barriers to improving        
staffing levels and responses times for 
such ,teams4  7iv7 ,the level of        

standardization of firefighting         
equipment and training between such     
,teams across different localities and  
different ,states1 a description of     
current ,state or national efforts to   
improve firefighting equipment and      
training interoperability1 and any      
financial or logistical barriers that   
impact such efforts to so improve such  
interoperability4  7,b7 ,an             
identification of such training         
standards1 firefighting equipment1 and  
staffing level standards that1 as of the
 date of the enactment of this ,act1 are
 in use by firefighter ,rapid           
,intervention ,teams at maritime and    
port facilities or those ,teams that may
 be required to respond to fires at such
 facilities1 the extent to which such   
training and equipment is standard and  
interoperable across such ,teams in each
 individual ,state and nationwide1 and a
 determination by the ,united ,states   
,fire ,administrator regarding whether  
such training and equipment is          

sufficient to prepare such ,teams for   
fires on the various ships that dock at 
such facilities1 including relating to  
the following3  7i7 ,the frequency with 
which such ,teams undergo               
maritime-specific training and any      
financial or logistical barriers that   
impact such ,teams' access to such      
training4  7ii7 ,the type and quality of
 maritime-specific firefighting         
equipment used by such ,teams and any   
financial or logistical barriers that   
impact such ,teams' access to           
state-of-the-art firefighting equipment4
  7iii7 ,staffing levels and response   
times for such ,teams1 particularly for 
departments that are facing general     
firefighter staffing shortages1 and any 
financial or logistical barriers to     
improving staffing levels and responses 
times for such ,teams4  7iv7 ,the level 
of standardization for interoperability 
of the firefighting equipment1 training1
 and staffing levels of ,teams that     
respond to maritime or port facility    

fires across different localities and   
different ,states1 a description of     
current ,state or national efforts to   
improve such maritime-specific          
firefighting equipment and training     
interoperability1 and any financial or  
logistical barriers that impact such    
efforts to so improve such              
interoperability4  7v7 ,a determination 
of whether the firefighting equipment1  
training1 and staffing levels of such   
,teams that respond to fires at maritime
 and port facilities is sufficient for  
use on the various ships that dock at   
such facilities1 including              
foreign-flagged ships that may use      
different firefighting equipment than   
that typically encountered by ,united   
,states-based ,teams1 and a description 
of any financial or logistical barriers 
that impact fire departments' ability to
 make such equipment and training       
sufficient for such uses4  7,c7 ,a      
review of the ,national ,institute for  
,occupational ,safety and ,health's     

,fire ,fighter ,fatality ,investigation 
and ,prevention ,program ,line of ,duty 
,death reports over the five-year period
 immediately preceding the date of the  
enactment of this ,act that--  7i7      
summarizes trends in fire departments'  
access to modern and high-quality       
firefighting equipment1 safety gear1    
training1 and staffing levels for ,rapid
 ,intervention ,teams1 including the    
level of firefighting equipment and     
training standardization between such   
,teams2 and  7ii7 analyzes the role that
 a lack of modern and high-quality      
firefighting equipment1 safety gear1    
training1 or staffing levels for ,rapid 
,intervention ,teams1 including a lack  
of firefighting equipment and training  
standardization between such ,teams1    
played in firefighter ,line of ,duty    
,deaths4  7,d7 ,recommendations for how 
,congress can expand access to modern   
and high-quality firefighting equipment1
 safety gear1 training1 and staffing    
levels for ,rapid ,intervention ,teams  

and ensure firefighting equipment and   
training standardization between such   
,teams1 including specific              
recommendations regarding how such      
,teams can overcome the logistical or   
financial barriers to improved          
firefighting equipment1 training1 and   
staffing identified under subparagraph  
7,a74  7,e7 ,recommendations for how    
,congress can expand access to modern   
and high-quality firefighting equipment1
 safety gear1 training1 and staffing    
levels for ,rapid ,intervention ,teams  
at maritime and port facilities or those
 ,teams that may be required to fight   
fires at such facilities and ensure     
firefighting equipment and training     
standardization between such ,teams1    
including specific recommendations      
regarding how such ,teams can overcome  
the logistical or financial barriers to 
improved firefighting equipment1        
training1 and staffing and any lack of  
sufficiency of such equipment1 training1
 or staffing with respect to the various

 ships that dock at such facilities in  
accordance with subparagraph 7,b74  7,f7
 ,recommendations for how ,congress can 
address the specific causes of incidents
 in which a firefighter employed by the 
,federal ,government1 a ,state1 or a    
locality was killed while in the line of
 duty as identified in subparagraph     
7,c74  7b7 ,briefing ,not later than #ah
 months after the date of the enactment 
of this ,act1 the ,united ,states ,fire 
,administrator shall provide to the     
,committee on ,science1 ,space1 and     
,technology and the ,committee on       
,homeland ,security of the ,house of    
,representatives and the ,committee on  
,commerce1 ,science1 and ,transportation
 and the ,committee on ,homeland        
,security and ,governmental ,affairs of 
the ,senate a briefing on the matters   
covered by the strategy under subsection
 7a74  7c7 ,firefighter ,rapid          
,intervention ,team defined ,in this    
section1 the term firefighter ,rapid    
,intervention ,team means a designated  

firefighting crew that serves as a      
stand-by rescue team at the scene of a  
fire or other emergency and is available
 for the immediate search and rescue of 
missing1 trapped1 or injured            
firefighters if required4