The regulations in this part are issued under the authority of the Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974 (the Act), 15 U.S.C. 2201 et seq. The Act establishes two classes of honorary awards for public safety officers and directs the issuance of the necessary joint regulations by the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Attorney General. The functions of the Secretary of Commerce were transferred by Reorganization Plan No. 3 of 1978 to the Administrator , FEMA. Since initial passage of the Act, civil defense functions which then were delegated to the Secretary of Defense have been delegated to theAdministrator, FEMA. Section 15 of the Act has been amended to delete the Secretary of Defense from participating in the granting of awards. See Public Law 98–241, 98 Stat. 95, 96 (1984). The Administrator , FEMA, and the Attorney General are issuing this regulation to implement the statutory provisions for FEMA and the Department of Justice.

Civil defense officer (or member of a recognized civil defense or emergency preparedness organization) means any individual who is assigned to and is performing the assigned tasks of the unit or organization which has been given a mission under the direction or operational control of a Civil Defense or Emergency Preparedness Director/Coordinator in accordance with a Federal, State or local emergency plan and sanctioned by the government concerned. This also includes emergency management officers. This includes volunteers and paid employees for any governmental entity.

Distinguished Public Safety Service Award means the Secretary's Award for Distinguished Public Safety Service, presented by either the Attorney General or the Administrator of FEMA to public safety officers for distinguished service in the field of public safety.

FEMA means the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Firefighter means a member, regardless of rank or duties, of any organization (including such Federal organizations) in any State consisting of personnel, apparatus, and equipment which has as its purpose protecting property and maintaining the safety and welfare of the public from the dangers of fire. This term includes volunteer or paid employees. The location of any such organization may include, but is not limited to, a Federal installation, a State, city, town, borough, parish, county, fire district, rural fire district or other special district.

Joint Board means the Joint Public Safety Awards Board established by the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Attorney General to carry out the purposes of the Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974.

Law enforcement officer means a person involved in the control or reduction of crime and juvenile delinquency or enforcement of the criminal laws. This includes, but is not limited to, police, corrections, probation, parole, and court officers, and Federal civilian officers in such capacities.

Nominating official means the head of a Federal government department or agency, or his delegatee(s), the governor or other head of a State, or the chief executive or executives of any general governmental unit within any State.

President's Award means the President's Award for Outstanding Public Safety Service, presented by the President of the United States to public safety officers for extraordinary valor in the line of duty or for outstanding contributions to public safety.

Public safety officer means a person serving a public agency, with or without compensation, as a firefighter, a civil defense officer (or member of a recognized civil defense or emergency preparedness organization), or a law enforcement officer, including a corrections or court officer.

State means any State, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands and any other territory or possession of the United States.

(a) The Nominating Officials nominating Firefighters and Civil Defense Officers shall submit their nominations for the President's Award or Distinguished Public Safety Service Award to the Executive Secretary, Joint Public Safety Awards Board, National Emergency Training Center, Emmitsburg, MD 21727. Copies of all nominations shall also be forwarded, depending on the category of the nominee, as follows:

(1) Firefighter:

(2) Civil defense officer (or member of a recognized civil defense or emergency preparedness organization):

(b) The Nominating Officials nominating law enforcement, corrections or court officers shall submit their nominations for the President's Award or Distinguished Public Safety Service Awards to: Assistant Attorney General for Administration, U.S. Department of Justice, Washington, DC 20530.

(c) All nominations shall be submitted in writing in accordance with the requirements prescribed in this section and § 150.4 at the earliest practicable date after the performance of the act or acts for which the nomination is made. Nominations for each year shall be made before November 15; any received thereafter will be considered as having been made for the following year. However, for the year 1983, nominations may be made by February 28, 1985.

(d) Nominations for the President's Award or the Distinguished Public Safety Service Award should include the name of the candidate, his/her position, title and address, and public agency served, the locale where the candidate performs his/her duties, the name, address and telephone number of the nominating official, a summary describing the outstanding contribution, distinguished service or extraordinary valor, and the dates relating thereto. The description should be sufficiently concise and specific to justify the request for recognition of the public safety officer through the presentation of either of the awards. Copies of any published factual accounts of the nominee's accomplishment should also be attached when available.

(e) An annual invitation shall be issued by the Joint Board for nominations for the President's Award and, on behalf of the Attorney General and the Administrator of FEMA, for the Distinguished Public Safety Service Award. The invitation shall be issued by letter or by notice in apporpriate publications of interest to the public safety community. However, nominating officials need not wait for such invitation but may nominate at the most appropriate time in accordance with the other provisions of this part.

(a) Nominations for the President's Award or the Distinguished Public Safety Service Award shall be made on the basis of, and in conformity with, the following uniform criteria.

(1) President's Award. Documentation accompanying the nomination for this Award must indicate not only that the nominee unquestionably meets the standards established for the Distinguished Public Safety Service Award (see paragraph (a)(2) of this section), but also deserves greater public recognition because he/she has demonstrated unique qualities of courage, imagination or ability, which have resulted in outstanding contributions to the public safety.

(2) Distinguished Public Safety Service Award. Nomination for this award shall clearly show that the public safety officer's qualifying service or act is marked by courage, imagination or ability or has resulted in a significant contribution to the public safety accomplished through an originality of effort which far exceeds the expected quality of performance of the normal duties assigned to the nominee.

(b) A nomination shall specify whether it is being submitted for the President's Award or the Distinguished Public Safety Award.

(a) A Joint Public Safety Awards Board (Joint Board) is hereby established to fulfill the responsibilities of the Administrator of FEMA and the Attorney General by administering the process of nomination for the President's Award and by participating in the selection process with the Executive Office of the President. The Joint Board shall consist of ten representatives who are Federal employees and are of appropriate rank (at or equivalent to grades GM–14 or above). Five persons shall be named by and represent the Administrator of FEMA, and five persons shall be named by and represent the Attorney General. The representatives serving on the Joint Board shall select one of their number to act as the chairperson.

(b) Representatives on the Joint Board shall serve in addition to their regular duties and without additional compensation. Consistent with the requirements of this part, the members of the Joint Board shall establish the procedures by which the selections for the President's Award shall be made to assure the timely presentation of these awards.

(c) A National Emergency Training Center employee shall act as Executive Secretary of the Joint Board. The Executive Secretary shall perform such functions as are appropriate to the Board's responsibilities, including the receipt of all nominations and the communication of nomination information, for the purpose of receiving comments thereon, from members of the public safety community pursuant to § 150.5(e). The Executive Secretary shall be appointed by the Associate Director, Training and Fire Programs of FEMA.

(d) The Joint Board shall review the nominations for the President's Award and shall recommend to the Administrator , FEMA, and the Attorney General by February 1 of each year, those nominees determined by it to merit consideration for the President's Award together with reasons therefor. The Administrator and the Attorney General shall then recommend to the President those nominees determined by them to merit the President's Award, together with the reasons therefor. Recommendations for 1983 shall be submitted on or before March 29, 1985.

(e) The Joint Board may request that persons representing a cross-section of the national public safety community comment upon nominations made to the Board for the President's Award. Both the request for comments and the comments themselves shall be made in writing.

(a) The Joint Board shall consult with the Department of the Treasury and the Executive Office of the President in regard to the design and procurement of the appropriate citations and medal for the President's Award in accordance with applicable laws and regulations.

(b) Insofar as practicable, the designs for Distinguised Public Safety Service Awards of FEMA and the Department of Justice shall be coordinate so as to avoid distinctly different recognition of the various public safety officers.

(a) President's Award. Nominations for the President's Award shall be reviewed, and winners selected by the President (or his designee) in accordance with the requirements of § 150.3, the criteria in § 150.4(a)(1), and the procedures of § 150.5.

(b) Distinguished Public Safety Service Award. Upon receipt of nominations for this Award, the Administrator of FEMA or the Attorney General shall cause an evaluation and selection of the nominees to be made in accordance with the requirements of § 150.3 and the criteria prescribed in § 150.4(a)(2). In reviewing nominations, the Attorney General or the Administrator of FEMA may request that persons representing the relevant segment of the national public safety community comment upon the nomination and accompanying documentation. Both the request for comments and the comments themselves shall be made in writing.

(c) Individuals nominated for the President's Award who are considered not to meet the criteria for the Award by the Joint Board or who are not recommended to or selected by the President shall be automatically considered by the appropriate authority for nomination for the Distinguished Public Safety Service Award.

(d) Individuals nominated for the Distinguished Public Safety Service Award may be considered by the Joint Board for the President's Award if the Administratorof FEMA or the Attorney General determines that consideration for the President's Award is merited.

(a) Presentation of the President's Award shall be made at such time, place and circumstances as the Executive Office of the President directs. There shall not be more twelve President's Awards given out during any calendar year.

(b) Presentation of the Distinguished Public Safety Service Award shall be made by the Attorney General or the Administrator of FEMA or a designee at such time, place and circumstances as the Administrator of FEMA or the Attorney General determines. There is no limit on the number of these awards made during any calendar year.

(a) President's Award. The costs involved in designing and striking the medal to be presented in conjunction with the President's Award shall be prorated among the agencies concerned. The cost of producing the medal and printing the certificate shall be borne by FEMA if the recipient is a firefighter or a civil defense officer. If the award recipient is a law enforcement officer, then such cost shall be borne by the Department of Justice.

(b) Distinguished Public Safety Service Award. All expenses in connection with this Award shall be borne by the appropriate Agency.

Nominations may only be submitted for acts, services, or contributions occurring within two years preceding the November 15 cut-off date described in § 150.3(c) of this part. However, nominations submitted prior to the February 28, 1985 cut-off date may be made for acts, services or contributions occurring on or after October 29, 1972 (two years before the effective date of the Act).