[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 126 (Thursday, June 29, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 40080-40081]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-16405]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Telecommunications and Information Administration

[Docket No. [000609173-0173-01]
RIN 0660-XX08


Public Meeting, Request for Comment on All-Hazard Warning Network

AGENCY: National Telecommunications and Information Administration, 
Department of Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of public meeting, request for public comment.

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SUMMARY: The Assistant Secretary for Communications and Information and 
Administrator of the National Telecommunications and Information 
Administration (NTIA), Gregory L. Rohde, in cooperation with the All-
Hazard Warning Interagency Working Group, will host a roundtable 
discussion on July 17, 2000 that will be open to the public to explore 
hazard warning systems. Recent technological advances are fostering new 
and innovative methods of bringing warning messages to the public. This 
notice, through a series of questions, requests public comment on 
issues relating to the means by which government agencies and public 
and private sectors can work together to ensure that hazard warning 
systems are developed to save more lives.

DATES: The All-Hazard Warning Roundtable will be held from 9:30-11:30 
a.m., Monday, July 17, 2000. Written comments must be filed on or 
before August 18, 2000. Written reply comments must be filed on or 
before September 1, 2000.

ADDRESSES: The All-Hazard Warning Roundtable will be held from 9:30-
11:30 a.m. on July 17, 2000, at the U.S. Department of Commerce, Room 
4830, 1401 Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20230. The meeting 
will be open to the public. For current information on the roundtable, 
please see NTIA's website at http://www.ntia.doc.gov.
    The Department invites the public to submit written comments on 
paper or electronic form. Comments may be mailed to Jeng Mao, Public 
Safety Program, National Telecommunications and Information 
Administration (NTIA), U.S. Department of Commerce, Room 4624, 1401 
Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20230. In the alternative, 
comments may be submitted in electronic form to the following 
electronic mail address: [email protected]>.

Submission of Documents

Written Comments

    Paper submissions should include three paper copies and a version 
on a diskette in PDF, ASCII, WordPerfect (please specify version) or 
Microsoft Word (please specify version) format. Diskettes should be 
labeled with the name of the party, and the name and version of the 
word processing program used to create the document. Comments and reply 
comments submitted via e-mail to [email protected]> should also be 
submitted in the formats specified above.
    All comments and reply comments should be captioned ``All-Hazard 
Warning--Comment [or Reply Comment], Docket No. 000609173-0173-01.'' 
Comments and reply comments should be numbered and organized in 
response to the questions set forth in this Notice.
    Comments and reply comments received will be posted on the NTIA web 
site at http://www.ntia.doc.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jeng Mao, Public Safety Program, 
National Telecommunications and Information Administration at either 
telephone number (202) 501-0342 or electronic mail [email protected]>.
    Media inquiries should be directed to NTIA's Office of Public 
Affairs at (202) 482-7002.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    In 1998, Vice President Gore's National Partnership for Reinventing 
Government (NPR) brought together representatives from more than a 
dozen Federal agencies to form an inter-agency working group to explore 
ways of improving the Nation's hazard warning systems to save lives. 
This group is working to do this by finding combined solutions to give 
people better, faster, and more effective hazard warnings. As a result 
of its efforts, the inter-agency working group published Saving Lives 
With an All-Hazard Warning Network in December 1999. This report made 
several important observations about the current warning system and the 
future needs for effective warnings.
    Currently, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 
(NOAA) Weather Radio is the most direct way to warn people about all 
impending

[[Page 40081]]

hazards. Recent technological advances, however, have fostered new and 
innovative methods of bringing hazard warnings to the public. To reach 
the maximum number of people, we must utilize all available 
communications technologies--both current and emerging--to deliver 
better, faster, more affordable, and more effective hazard warnings. 
Partnerships between government agencies and public and private parties 
will help to ensure that these life saving hazard warnings are provided 
through various means of communication available to consumers. These 
communications technologies include both wireline and wireless 
telephone services, Internet, paging, broadcast television and radio, 
both satellite and cable television, and emerging technologies.

Questions for Public Comment

    Interested parties are requested to submit written comments on any 
issue of fact, law, or policy that may inform the U.S. Department of 
Commerce on hazard warnings. Specifically, comments are requested on 
the questions below. These questions are designed to assist the public 
and should not be construed as a limitation on the issues on which 
public comments may be submitted. Comments should cite the number of 
the question(s) being addressed. Please provide copies of any studies, 
research and other empirical data referenced in the comments.
    1. Is it technologically feasible today to deliver hazard warnings: 
to wireless devices, such as cell phones and pagers; over the Internet 
to users who are online; to standard telephones in the form of a call 
warning; to broadcast television; to satellite services; to cable 
television; and to emerging and developing technologies?
    2. What are the tradeoffs among technology options?
    3. What are the economic impediments, if any, to the use of any of 
the technologies that might be used to disseminate hazard warnings?
    4. What are the legal impediments, if any, to the use of any of the 
technologies that might be used to disseminate hazard warnings?
    5. What legal measures, if any, should be taken to foster the 
delivery of hazard warnings?
    6. What economic and technological policy measures, if any, should 
be taken to foster the dissemination of hazard warnings?

PUBLIC PARTICIPATION: The All-Hazard Warning Roundtable is open to the 
public on a first-come, first-served basis and physically accessible to 
people with disabilities. To facilitate entry into the Department of 
Commerce building, please have a photo identification available and/or 
a U.S. Government building pass if applicable. Any member of the public 
wishing to attend and requiring special services, such as a sign 
language interpretation or other ancillary aids, should contact Jeng 
Mao, Public Safety Program, U.S. Department of Commerce, at least five 
(5) working days prior to the All-Hazard Warning Roundtable, at either 
telephone number (202) 501-0342 or electronic mail at 
[email protected]>.

Gregory L. Rohde,
Assistant Secretary for Communications and Information.
[FR Doc. 00-16405 Filed 6-28-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-60-P