This bill provides statutory authority for existing wildfire response services of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and establishes new programs and collaborative efforts to improve fire forecasting and readiness.
Specifically, in addition to other efforts, the bill directs NOAA to
establish a coordinated fire weather services program to support readiness for and responsiveness to wildfires, fire weather, smoke, post-fire flooding and debris, and related hazards;
develop a digital presence to promote access to and use of the services, tools, data, and information produced by the fire weather services program;
establish a fire weather test bed to facilitate the evaluation and implementation of new capabilities, including through research and development on the use of uncrewed aircraft systems (commonly known as drones) to improve data collection;
conduct an annual assessment after the close of fire weather season to investigate data gaps and update systems as needed;
evaluate and update, as appropriate, the Automated Surface Observing System (the primary surface weather network in the United States) and the system used to rate the risk of wildfire; and
establish an Incident Meteorologist Service within the National Weather Service to provide on-site support before, during, and after significant weather-related events.
The bill also exempts federal wildland firefighters, fire management response officials, and accompanying incident meteorologists and management teams from certain premium pay limitations.
Finally, the bill directs the Government Accountability Office to evaluate and report on the implementation of the fire weather services program, among other topics.
