(a) Definition.--In this section, the term ``situational
awareness'' means information gathered from a variety of
sources that, when communicated to emergency managers and
decision makers, can form the basis for incident management
decisionmaking.
(b) Establishment.--The National Operations Center is the
principal operations center for the Department and shall--
(1) provide situational awareness and a common
operating picture for the entire Federal Government,
and for State, local, and tribal governments as
appropriate, in the event of a natural disaster, act of
terrorism, or other man-made disaster; and
(2) ensure that critical terrorism and disaster-
related information reaches government decision-makers.
(c) State and Local Fire Service Representation.--
(1) Establishment of position.--The Secretary
shall, in consultation with the Administrator of the
United States Fire Administration, establish a fire
service position at the National Operations Center
established under subsection (b) to ensure the
effective sharing of information between the Federal
Government and State and local fire services.
(2) Designation of position.--The Secretary shall
designate, on a rotating basis, a State or local fire
service official for the position described in
paragraph (1).
(3) Management.--The Secretary shall manage the
position established pursuant to paragraph (1) in
accordance with such rules, regulations, and practices
as govern other similar rotating positions at the
National Operations Center.