REGIONAL WILDFIRE COORDINATORS.

(a) The director shall divide the state into six wildfire control regions to coordinate wildfire control. The boundaries of the regions must be the same as existing Department of Public Safety regions that include state disaster district boundaries to the extent that the director determines that the same boundaries are practical.

(b) The director shall employ and assign a regional wildfire coordinator to each fire control region.

(c) Each regional wildfire coordinator shall, with respect to the coordinator's region:

(1) train, prepare, and coordinate fire fighters to respond to wildfire incidents locally, regionally, and statewide;

(2) inform the statewide coordination center of regional wildfire loads and of additional resources that may be required to handle a fire load;

(3) communicate as necessary with appropriate federal officials;

(4) assist and promote the development of mutual aid agreements among fire-fighting forces;

(5) develop wildfire strike teams and overhead strike teams;

(6) coordinate and assess the need for wildfire training;

(7) coordinate the rural community fire protection program;

(8) coordinate response activities through the appropriate state disaster district; and

(9) evaluate and acquire excess federal equipment and other property for use in the region.

(d) The director shall acquire and assign to each wildfire control region a regional command post that has the capability to assist in the management of wildfires and other disasters, including disasters not related to fire. The director and the director's designees shall determine when the regional command post may be used by personnel under the control of the director and when the regional command post may be used by local fire-fighting forces or other emergency response personnel. Each regional command post shall include mobile communications equipment, including a radio repeater and a supply of other necessary radio equipment.