WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Angus King (I-ME), the Ranking Member of the Senate National Parks subcommittee, and John Barrasso (R-WY), introduced legislation to update 911 emergency call centers inside the National Park System (NPS). The Making National Parks Safer Act directs the U.S. Department of the Interior to upgrade NPS 911 call centers with Next Generation 911 (NG911) technology. This technology will enable call centers to receive text messages, images, and video submissions in addition to traditional phone calls and will improve the speed and accuracy of emergency responders in locating and assisting callers in need of emergency aid.

Additionally, in the event of any natural disaster or technical issue, the updated call centers would be equipped to forward 911 calls and messages to any working call center until they become operational again.

“People travel from every corner of the world to connect with America’s incredible natural beauty and to make memories that last a lifetime,” said Senator King. “However, when natural disaster strikes or an unexpected emergency occurs, we need to make sure that our visitors to the parks are safe. The bipartisan Making National Parks Safer Act would improve emergency reporting and responding by upgrading the technology at National Park Service-operated emergency call centers. This legislation is an important step forward in improving the visitor experience at our public lands and serves as a proud reminder that stewardship of these lands is not a partisan issue.”

“Our country’s national parks receive hundreds of millions of visitors every year. Our public safety technology needs improvements and resources to ensure that visitors can continue to enjoy our national parks without worry,” said Senator Barrasso. “This bipartisan bill updates and modernizes 911 call centers and ensures visitors who may need assistance can be reached in an accurate and timely manner. These much-needed updates will improve our national parks and protect the safety of visitors.”

The Making National Parks Safer Act will direct the Department of Interior to:

• Complete an assessment of current call centers at national parks and the estimated cost of implementing NG911 technology across the National Park System.
• Develop a plan based on the assessment to install NG911 systems at identified points in the National Park System. This plan must include consultation with state and local emergency operations and stakeholders, as well as relevant federal agencies to ensure its successful implementation.

In addition to King and Barrasso, the bill is cosponsored by U.S. Senators John Hickenlooper (D-CO) and Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS).

The legislation is supported by the Public Safety Next Generation 911 Coalition, National Emergency Number Association (NENA), and the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO).

As a lifelong advocate for conservation and Chairman of the Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on National Parks, Senator King is among the Senate’s most prominent voices advocating for conservation. Senator King helped lead the passage the Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA) into law; the legislation that included the Legacy Restoration Fund (LRF). Because of his work, in 2020, Senator King was awarded the inaugural National Park Foundation (NPF) “Hero” Award. Since the creation of the LRF, Senator King has pushed park leaders to discuss funding maintenance efforts, maintaining a sufficient NPS workforce, and managing growing park visitation.

###