[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 179 (Monday, September 17, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 52879-52880]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-18296]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

[DA 07-3871]


The Federal Communications Commission's Public Safety and 
Homeland Security Bureau Launches Disaster Information Reporting System

AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission.

ACTION: Notice.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: In the Public Notice, the Federal Communications Commission's 
(Commission's) Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau (PSHSB) 
announces the launch of the newly designed and automated Disaster 
Information Reporting System (DIRS). DIRS is a voluntary, efficient, 
web-based system that communications providers can use to report 
communications infrastructure status and situational awareness 
information during times of crisis. This will better streamline the 
reporting process and enable communications providers to share network 
status information with the Commission quickly and efficiently.

DATES: The Commission launched DIRS on September 11, 2007.

ADDRESSES: Federal Communications Commission, 445 12th Street, SW., 
Room TW-A325, Washington, DC 20554.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jeffery Goldthorp, Chief, 
Communications Systems Analysis Division, Public Safety and Homeland 
Security Bureau, Federal Communications Commission at (202) 418-1096 or 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This is a summary of the PSHSB's action in 
DA 07-3871, released on September 11, 2007. The complete text of this 
document is available for inspection and copying during normal business 
hours in the FCC Reference Information Center, Portals II, 445 12th 
Street, SW., Room CY-A257, Washington, DC 20554. This document may also 
be purchased from the Commission's duplicating contractor, Best Copy 
and Printing, Inc., in person at 445 12th Street, SW., Room CY-B402, 
Washington, DC 20554, via telephone at (202) 488-5300, via facsimile at 
(202) 488-5563, or via e-mail at [email protected]. Alternative formats 
(computer diskette, large print, audio cassette, and Braille) are 
available to persons with disabilities by sending an e-mail to 
[email protected] or calling the Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau 
at (202) 418-0530, TTY (202) 418-0432. This document is also available 
on the Commission's Web site at http://www.fcc.gov.

Synopsis of the Public Notice

    The Commission's PSHSB launched a newly designed and automated 
Disaster Information Reporting System (DIRS) on September 11, 2007. 
DIRS is a voluntary, efficient, web-based system that communications 
companies, including wireless, wireline, broadcast, and cable 
providers, can use to report communications infrastructure status and 
situational awareness information during times of crisis. This will 
better streamline the reporting process and enable communications 
providers to share network status information with the Commission 
quickly and efficiently.
    The creation and implementation of this new system builds on the 
Commission's longstanding commitment to promoting the safety of life 
and property through the use of wire and radio communication, as 
required by the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, and complements 
the efforts of the Department of Homeland Security's National 
Communications System (NCS) in support of NCS's role as the primary 
agency for Emergency Support Function-2 (ESF-2) (Communications) of the 
National Response Plan. Establishment of this database addresses many 
of the recommendations submitted by the Independent Panel Reviewing the 
Impact of Hurricane Katrina on Communications Networks regarding the 
collection of disaster-related outage and other situational awareness 
information.
    DIRS includes data templates for different communications sectors 
(i.e., wireless, wireline, broadcast, and cable). Participating 
communications providers will initially log onto the system to input 
their emergency contact information. Once this is done, participating 
communications providers that serve areas affected by disasters will be 
able to voluntarily submit information regarding, inter alia, the 
status of their communications equipment, restoration efforts, power 
(i.e., whether they are using commercial power, generator or battery), 
and access to fuel.
    Because the information that communications companies input to DIRS 
is sensitive, for national security and/or commercial reasons, DIRS 
filings shall be treated as presumptively confidential upon filing. 
DIRS filings voluntarily report weaknesses in and damage to the 
national communications infrastructure. The release of this sensitive 
information to the public could potentially facilitate terrorist 
targeting of critical infrastructure and key resources. Further, the 
DIRS filings contain internal confidential information that constitutes 
trade secrets and commercial or financial information. Public 
availability of these reports, which contain information the filers 
themselves do not routinely make public, could competitively harm the 
filers by revealing information about the types and deployment of their 
equipment and the traffic that flows across their networks. DIRS 
filings will, however, be shared with the NCS on a confidential basis.
    On July 21, 2007, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) 
approved the DIRS information collection under OMB Control Number 3060-
1003. This OMB approval expires on July 31, 2010. As the Commission 
noted in its OMB submission, DIRS is a voluntary program, separate from 
the mandatory reporting requirements that apply to certain 
communications providers under part 4 of the Commission's rules, 47 CFR 
part 4.
    The Commission requests that communications providers (wireline 
carriers, wireless carriers, broadcasters, and cable system operators) 
that choose to participate in DIRS provide contact information for any 
and all individuals in each company who would be providing information 
on the status of communications equipment in the event of a disaster. 
Contact information includes contact name, company name, phone number, 
cell phone number, Blackberry/pager number, and e-mail address. This 
information will be secured by the Commission and protected from public 
release. Communications providers can accomplish this by accessing DIRS 
at https://www.fcc.gov/nors/disaster/ and

[[Page 52880]]

obtaining a User ID. Such providers can also access DIRS under e-filing 
on the Commission's main webpage or on the PSHSB Web page.
    When this disaster data collection system is activated in response 
to a crisis, all contacts in DIRS will be sent an e-mail letting them 
know the disaster area and the communications providers that are 
requested to provide data on the status of their communications 
equipment.

Federal Communications Commission.
Derek K. Poarch,
Bureau Chief, Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau.
 [FR Doc. E7-18296 Filed 9-14-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6712-01-P