Report on radio communications

(a) In general Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of this Act, the Federal Emergency Management Administrator, acting through the United States Fire Administrator and in coordination with the Chief of the Forest Service, shall prepare a report relating to insufficient radio frequencies, barriers to interoperability of radio frequencies, and available products and technologies for overcoming barriers to interoperability for wildfire management. (b) Cooperation In preparing the report under subsection (a), the Administrator shall cooperate with— (1) the Secretary of Agriculture; (2) agencies responsible for the management of Federal land; (3) State fire marshals; (4) State and local emergency response agencies; (5) Tribal fire departments and emergency managers; and (6) municipal fire departments, fire protection districts, and volunteer fire departments in relevant communities. (c) Compatibility; additional frequencies The report under subsection (a) shall include— (1) a determination on whether the entities described in subsection (b) have the ability to communicate by way of radio during a potential fire suppression effort for a community conflagration; (2) a determination on whether— (A) the reserved radio frequencies are sufficient for wildfire management; or (B) additional frequencies, listed by type and location, are recommended to be reserved or obtained; (3) an analysis of commercially available technology and products to enable radios from multiple agencies operating on different radio frequencies to be interoperable; and (4) if the Administrator determines under paragraph (1) that any entities do not have the ability to communicate, a plan for ensuring such entities would be able to communicate adequately during a fire suppression effort for a community conflagration.