Establishment; programs of research; functions of Secretary; dissemination of information
There is hereby established within the Department of Commerce a Fire Research Center which shall have the mission of performing and supporting research on all aspects of fire with the aim of providing scientific and technical knowledge applicable to the prevention and control of fires. The content and priorities of the research program shall be determined in consultation with the Administrator of the United States Fire Administration. In implementing this section, the Secretary is authorized to conduct, directly or through contracts or grants, a fire research program, including—
(1)
basic and applied fire research for the purpose of arriving at an understanding of the fundamental processes underlying all aspects of fire. Such research shall include scientific investigations of—
(A)
the physics and chemistry of combustion processes;
(B)
the dynamics of flame ignition, flame spread, and flame extinguishment;
(C)
the composition of combustion products developed by various sources and under various environmental conditions;
(D)
the early stages of fires in buildings and other structures, structural subsystems and structural components in all other types of fires, including, but not limited to, forest fires, brush fires, fires underground, oil blowout fires, and waterborne fires, with the aim of improving early detection capability;
(E)
the behavior of fires involving all types of buildings and other structures and their contents (including mobile homes and highrise buildings, construction materials, floor and wall coverings, coatings, furnishings, and other combustible materials), and all other types of fires, including forest fires, brush fires, fires underground, oil blowout fires, and waterborne fires;
(F)
the unique fire hazards arising from the transportation and use, in industrial and professional practices, of combustible gases, fluids, and materials;
(G)
design concepts for providing increased fire safety consistent with habitability, comfort, and human impact in buildings and other structures;
(H)
such other aspects of the fire process as may be deemed useful in pursuing the objectives of the fire research program; and
(I)
methods, procedures, and equipment for arson prevention, detection, and investigation;
(2)
research into the biological, physiological, and psychological factors affecting human victims of fire, and the performance of individual members of fire services, including—
(A)
the biological and physiological effects of toxic substances encountered in fires;
(B)
the trauma, cardiac conditions, and other hazards resulting from exposure to fire;
(C)
the development of simple and reliable tests for determining the cause of death from fires;
(D)
improved methods of providing first aid to victims of fires;
(E)
psychological and motivational characteristics of persons who engage in arson, and the prediction and cure of such behavior;
(F)
the conditions of stress encountered by firefighters, the effects of such stress, and the alleviation and reduction of such conditions; and
(G)
such other biological, psychological, and physiological effects of fire as have significance for purposes of control or prevention of fires; and
(3)
operation tests, demonstration projects, and fire investigations in support of the activities set forth in this section.
The Secretary shall insure that the results and advances arising from the work of the research program are disseminated broadly. He shall encourage the incorporation, to the extent applicable and practicable, of such results and advances in building codes, fire codes, and other relevant codes, test methods, fire service operations and training, and standards. The Secretary is authorized to encourage and assist in the development and adoption of uniform codes, test methods, and standards aimed at reducing fire losses and costs of fire protection.