Making National Parks Safer Act

The "Making National Parks Safer Act" mandates the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the National Park Service, to enhance emergency communications within units of the National Park System. The primary goal is to upgrade existing emergency communications centers to Next Generation 9-1-1 systems , improving the ability to receive, process, and share emergency requests and data. Within one year of enactment, the Secretary must complete an assessment of these centers. This assessment will identify the current implementation status of Next Generation 9-1-1 systems, estimate the costs for purchasing new systems, and project the ongoing maintenance and operational expenses across all park units. Following this, a detailed report describing the assessment results and potential implementation issues, such as jurisdictional or technological challenges, must be submitted to Congress and made publicly available. Subsequently, within one year of the report's submission, the Secretary is directed to develop a comprehensive plan for installing Next Generation 9-1-1 systems at identified centers. This plan requires consultation with State and local emergency officials, relevant stakeholders, and Federal agencies like the Departments of Commerce and Transportation, and the Federal Communications Commission, to ensure seamless interoperability . However, units where sufficient Next Generation 9-1-1 systems are already in place or being installed are exempt from this planning requirement.