Making National Parks Safer Act

This bill would require the National Park Service to create a plan for installing Next Generation 911 systems, which utilize digital and internet-based technology to handle emergency calls. The agency would be tasked with assessing the current implementation status and projected costs of these systems at existing emergency communication centers within national parks. Based on that assessment, the National Park Service would then develop a formal strategy to complete the installation of these upgraded systems.

This bill primarily affects the National Park Service (NPS), which is tasked with assessing and planning the installation of updated emergency communications systems. It also impacts emergency communications centers located within NPS units that currently utilize or are slated to receive Next Generation 911 (NG911) technology. Additionally, the legislation affects individuals who place 9-1-1 calls within National Park Service jurisdictions by transitioning the systems receiving those calls to digital, Internet Protocol-based platforms.

• Assessment of emergency communications centers. The National Park Service is required to evaluate the current implementation status and projected costs of installing Next Generation 911 systems at existing emergency communications centers within National Park Service units.
• Development of a Next Generation 911 installation plan. Based on the results of the initial assessment, the National Park Service must create a plan to install digital, secure, and interoperable Internet Protocol-based systems for receiving emergency calls.

The bill requires the National Park Service to assess and update the emergency communications infrastructure at its existing emergency communications centers within National Park System units.

The bill aims to modernize emergency response capabilities within the National Park System by requiring the National Park Service to assess and plan for the implementation of Next Generation 911 (NG911) systems. These digital, Internet Protocol-based systems are intended to provide secure and interoperable communications for emergency centers across National Park Service units.