# The FRIENDS Act: What It Does

The FRIENDS Act is asking the government to study how well first responders—firefighters, police officers, paramedics, and emergency workers—can do their jobs when facing a terrorist attack or biological threat. Right now, there's no comprehensive look at what challenges these workers face or what resources they actually need to protect themselves and respond effectively. This bill aims to fix that by requiring a detailed investigation into the real obstacles first responders encounter.

The study will examine several practical concerns that could affect how first responders perform during a crisis. One key focus is whether emergency workers have adequate protective gear like masks, suits, and equipment to shield themselves from biological or chemical threats. The study will also look at whether first responders and their families have access to emergency medical kits for biological incidents—essentially asking whether these workers can protect their loved ones if they're caught in an affected area. Another important question is whether current preparedness plans account for the fact that first responders might have family members in the same area being attacked, which could distract them or create difficult personal conflicts during an emergency.

The government will also examine how different areas—big cities versus rural communities—are handling these challenges differently, and whether they're using federal grant money effectively to address first responder needs. Within a year of the bill passing, this research gets submitted to Congress and the Department of Homeland Security, which will then decide whether these findings should apply to federal emergency workers as well. Essentially, this bill doesn't create new programs or spend money directly; it's a fact-finding mission to understand gaps in how we prepare and protect the people who respond to our worst emergencies.

FRIENDS Act

Jackson Lee, Sheila

First Responder Identification of Emergency Needs in Disaster Situations or the FRIENDS Act This bill directs the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to submit a report that describes select state and local programs and policies related to the preparedness and protection of first responders, which may include information on <ul> <li>the degree to which such programs and policies include consideration of the presence of a first responder's family in an area impacted by a terrorist attack,</li> <li>the availability of personal protective equipment for first responders, and </li> <li>the availability of home Medkits for first responders and their families for biological incident response.</li> </ul> The GAO may provide information (1) in a format that delineates high risk urban areas from rural communities; and (2) on the degree to which the selected state and local programs and policies were developed or are being executed with funding from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), including grants from the State Homeland Security Grant Program or the Urban Area Security Initiative. DHS shall consider the report's findings and assess its applicability for federal first responders.