§ 575 — Regional Emergency Communications Coordination

(a) There is established in each Regional Office a Regional Emergency Communications Coordination Working Group (in this section referred to as an “RECC Working Group”). Each RECC Working Group shall report to the relevant Regional Administrator and coordinate its activities with the relevant Regional Advisory Council. (b) Each RECC Working Group shall consist of the following: (1) Organizations representing the interests of the following: (A) State officials. (B) Local government officials, including sheriffs. (C) State police departments. (D) Local police departments. (E) Local fire departments. (F) Public safety answering points (9–1–1 services). (G) State emergency managers, homeland security directors, or representatives of State Administrative Agencies. (H) Local emergency managers or homeland security directors. (I) Other emergency response providers as appropriate. (2) Representatives from the Department, the Federal Communications Commission, and other Federal departments and agencies with responsibility for coordinating interoperable emergency communications with or providing emergency support services to State, local, and tribal governments. (c) Each RECC Working Group shall coordinate its activities with the following: (1) Communications equipment manufacturers and vendors (including broadband data service providers). (2) Local exchange carriers. (3) Local broadcast media. (4) Wireless carriers. (5) Satellite communications services. (6) Cable operators. (7) Hospitals. (8) Public utility services. (9) Emergency evacuation transit services. (10) Ambulance services. (11) HAM and amateur radio operators. (12) Representatives from other private sector entities and nongovernmental organizations as the Regional Administrator determines appropriate. (d) The duties of each RECC Working Group shall include— (1) assessing the survivability, sustainability, and interoperability of local emergency communications systems to meet the goals of the National Emergency Communications Plan; (2) reporting annually to the relevant Regional Administrator, the Assistant Director for Emergency Communications, the Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, and the Assistant Secretary for Communications and Information of the Department of Commerce on the status of its region in building robust and sustainable interoperable voice and data emergency communications networks and, not later than 60 days after the completion of the initial National Emergency Communications Plan under section 572 of this title, on the progress of the region in meeting the goals of such plan; (3) ensuring a process for the coordination of effective multijurisdictional, multi-agency emergency communications networks for use during natural disasters, acts of terrorism, and other man-made disasters through the expanded use of emergency management and public safety communications mutual aid agreements; and (4) coordinating the establishment of Federal, State, local, and tribal support services and networks designed to address the immediate and critical human needs in responding to natural disasters, acts of terrorism, and other man-made disasters.