[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 80 (Thursday, April 27, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19380-19381]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-08468]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

[Docket No. DHS-2017-0010]


National Protection and Programs Directorate, Office of Emergency 
Communications, SAFECOM Nationwide Survey

AGENCY: National Protection and Programs Directorate, DHS.

[[Page 19381]]


ACTION: 60-Day notice and request for comments; New Information 
Collection Request: 1670-NEW.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), National Protection 
and Programs Directorate (NPPD), Office of Cybersecurity and 
Communications (CS&C), Office of Emergency Communications (OEC), will 
submit the following Information Collection Request to the Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB) for review and clearance in accordance with 
the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.

DATES: Comments are encouraged and will be accepted until June 26, 
2017. This process is conducted in accordance with 5 CFR 1320.1.

ADDRESSES: Written comments and questions about this Information 
Collection Request should be forwarded to DHS/NPPD/CS&C/OEC, 245 Murray 
Lane SW., Mail Stop 0640, Arlington, VA 20598-0640. Emailed requests 
should go to [email protected]. Written comments should reach the contact 
person listed no later than June 26, 2017. Comments must be identified 
by ``DHS-2017-0010'' and may be submitted by one of the following 
methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. 
Follow the instructions for submitting written comments.
     Email: [email protected]. Please include the docket number 
DHS-2017-0010 in the subject line of the message.
    Instructions: All submissions received must include the words 
``Department of Homeland Security'' and the docket number for this 
action. Comments received will be posted without alteration at http://www.regulations.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In 2006, Congress passed Public Law 109-295, 
which created the Office of Emergency Communications (OEC) headed by a 
Director of Emergency Communications. Responsibilities of the Director 
include assisting the Secretary in developing and implementing a 
program to support and promote the ability of emergency response 
providers and relevant government officials to continue to communicate 
in the event of natural disasters, acts of terrorism, and other man-
made disasters; and ensure, accelerate, and attain interoperable 
emergency communications nationwide.
    Title 6 U.S.C. 571(c)(4) requires the DHS Secretary through the OEC 
Director to conduct extensive, nationwide outreach to support and 
promote the ability of emergency response providers and relevant 
government officials to continue to communicate in the event of natural 
disasters, acts of terrorism, and other man-made disasters. In order to 
perform this statutory regulation it is important to understand the 
variety of technology being used today. Additionally, 6 U.S.C. 573 
requires the DHS Secretary to conduct a baseline assessment of the 
first responder emergency communications capabilities at least every 
five years.
    These authorities in addition to DHS's responsibilities through 
E.O. 13618 in the area of national security/emergency providers' 
communications require a renewed examination of baseline emergency 
communications capabilities.
    The Office of Emergency Communication's SAFECOM Nationwide Survey 
(SNS) purpose is to gather information to assess available 
capabilities, identify gaps and needs for emergency response providers 
to effectively communicate during all types of natural or man-made 
hazards. In order to ascertain this information the SNS will deploy 
four distinctive surveys across the nation addressing emergency 
response entities at each level of government: Federal, State and 
Territorial, Tribal, and Local. The SNS is built on a foundation of 
core elements identified by OEC and its stakeholders as ``must haves'' 
in order to achieve open and secure communications operability, 
interoperability and continuity. These elements are interdependent 
critical success factors that must be addressed to plan for and 
implement public safety communications capability. As such, these 
elements are Governance, Standard Operating Procedures, Training and 
Exercises, Technology, Usage and Security. The survey will encompass 
questions regarding each major element in order to determine a 
jurisdiction's level of operability, interoperability and continuity 
and thus their overall emergency communications capability level. 
Governance questions will pertain to matters related to leadership, 
decision making groups, agreements, funding and strategic planning. The 
element of Standard Operating Procedures will focus on questions 
related to procedures, doctrine, and practices. Training and Exercises 
questions will focus on needs, scope, frequency, execution and lessons 
learned. The Technology element questions are centered on 
infrastructure, functionality, performance, and redundancy. Usage 
questions will address frequency of use, end user proficiency, and 
resource capacity. The last element, Security, will contain question on 
identification, protection, detection, response, and recovery.
    OMB is particularly interested in comments that:
    1. Evaluate whether the proposed collection of information is 
necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, 
including whether the information will have practical utility;
    2. Evaluate the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of 
the proposed collection of information, including the validity of the 
methodology and assumptions used;
    3. Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to 
be collected; and
    4. Minimize the burden of the collection of information on those 
who are to respond, including through the use of appropriate automated, 
electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or 
other forms of information technology, e.g., permitting electronic 
submissions of responses.

Analysis

    Agency: Department of Homeland Security, National Protection and 
Programs Directorate, Office of Cybersecurity and Communications, 
Office of Emergency Communications.
    Title: The Department of Homeland Security, Office of Emergency 
Communications SAFECOM Nationwide Survey.
    OMB Number: 1670-NEW.
    Frequency: Once every five years.
    Affected Public: Federal, state, local, and private sector 
emergency response personnel.
    Number of Respondents: 3,002 annually.
    Estimated Time per Respondent: 30 minutes.
    Total Burden Hours: 1,501 annual burden hours.
    Total Burden Cost (capital/startup): $0.
    Total Recordkeeping Burden: $0.
    Total Burden Cost (operating/maintaining): $120,831.68.

    Dated: April 21, 2017.
Ryan Comber,
Acting Chief Information Officer.
[FR Doc. 2017-08468 Filed 4-26-17; 8:45 am]
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