Empowering the U.S. Fire Administration Act
Dec 20, 2022
Statute: 136 Stat. 2345
Became law: Dec 20, 2022
Dec 20, 2022
Statute: 136 Stat. 2345
Became law: Dec 20, 2022
Summary
Gives the U.S. Fire Administration the power to investigate major fires to find ways to improve public safety and prevent similar events from happening.
What problem does this solve?
Before, there was no standard federal process for studying large fires to learn from them. This law allows the U.S. Fire Administration to investigate these fires and share safety recommendations with the whole country.
What does this law do?
Authorizes federal investigation of major fires
Allows the U.S. Fire Administration Administrator to send a team of experts to the site of a major fire to conduct a fire safety investigation.
Requires public reports with safety recommendations
Mandates that the Administrator issue a public report after an investigation. The report must include recommendations on how to prevent similar fires, unless it would harm a criminal case.
Coordinates with state and local authorities
Requires federal investigators to work together with state, local, Tribal, and territorial authorities during any investigation.
Limits authority to safety investigations
Clarifies that this power is only for safety purposes and does not give the Administrator authority to conduct criminal investigations or enforcement actions.
Allows investigation of smaller, unusual fires
Gives the Administrator the option to investigate fires that are not 'major' but have unusual circumstances that could provide valuable safety lessons.
Defines investigation scope
Specifies that investigations will examine the fire's cause, building codes, how the fire and smoke moved, and the costs of related injuries and deaths.
Who does this affect?
- U.S. Fire Administration
- State and local fire departments
- General public
What is the real world impact?
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Improves national fire safety standards
Creates a process for the federal government to study major fires and share lessons learned with fire departments across the country. This helps prevent future tragedies and makes communities safer.
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Clarifies federal investigation roles
Establishes a clear, non-criminal investigation role for the U.S. Fire Administration. This ensures its work supports, but does not interfere with, local, state, or other federal authorities handling criminal aspects of a fire.
When does this start?
This law became effective on December 20, 2022, and requires the U.S. Fire Administration to create new rules.
Definition of 'Major Fire'
The Administrator of the U.S. Fire Administration is required to issue regulations that will define the term 'major fire' for the purposes of these investigations.