[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 71 (Thursday, April 15, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19948-19950]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-06974]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

[Docket No. NHTSA-2021-0027]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Notice and Request for 
Comment; National 911 Profile Database

AGENCY: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 
Department of Transportation (DOT).

ACTION: Notice and request for comments on a request for extension of a 
currently-approved information collection.

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SUMMARY: The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) 
invites public comments about our intention to request approval from 
the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for an extension of a 
currently-approved information collection. Before a Federal agency can 
collect certain information from the public, it must receive approval 
from OMB. Under procedures established by the Paperwork Reduction Act 
of 1995, before seeking OMB approval, Federal agencies must solicit 
public comment on proposed collections of information, including 
extensions and reinstatement of previously approved collections. This 
document describes a collection of information for which NHTSA intends 
to seek OMB approval on the National 911 Profile Database.

DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before June 14, 2021.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments identified by the Docket No. NHTSA-
2021-0027 through any of the following methods:
     Electronic submissions: Go to the Federal eRulemaking 
Portal at http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the online instructions 
for submitting comments.
     Fax: (202) 493-2251.
     Mail or Hand Delivery: Docket Management, U.S. Department 
of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, West Building, Room W12-
140, Washington, DC 20590, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through 
Friday, except on Federal holidays. To be sure someone is there to help 
you, please call (202) 366-9322 before coming.
    Instructions: All submissions must include the agency name and 
docket number for this notice. Note that all comments received will be 
posted without change to http://www.regulations.gov, including any 
personal information provided. Please see the Privacy Act heading 
below.
    Privacy Act: Anyone is able to search the electronic form of all 
comments received into any of our dockets by the name of the individual 
submitting the comment (or signing the comment, if submitted on behalf 
of an association, business, labor union, etc.). You may review DOT's 
complete Privacy Act Statement in the Federal Register published on 
April 11, 2000 (65 FR 19477-78) or you may visit https://www.transportation.gov/privacy.
    Docket: For access to the docket to read background documents or 
comments received, go to http://www.regulations.gov or the street 
address listed above. Follow the online instructions for accessing the 
dockets via internet.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For additional information or access 
to background documents, contact Ms. Laurie Flaherty, Coordinator, 
National 911 Program, Office of Emergency Medical Services, National 
Highway Traffic Safety Administration, U.S. Department of 
Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, NPD-400, Room W44-322, 
Washington, DC 20590. Ms. Flaherty's phone number is (202) 366-2705 and 
her email address is [email protected]. Please identify the 
relevant collection of information by referring to its OMB Control 
Number.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 
(44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), before an agency submits a proposed 
collection of information to OMB for approval, it must first publish a 
document in the Federal Register providing a 60-day comment period and 
otherwise consult with members of the public and affected agencies 
concerning each proposed collection of information. The OMB has 
promulgated regulations describing what must be included in such a 
document. Under OMB's regulation (at 5 CFR 1320.8(d)), an agency must 
ask for public comment on the following: (a) 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; (b) 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; (c) how to enhance 
the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; 
(d) how to minimize the burden of the collection of information on 
those who are to respond, including the use of appropriate automated, 
electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or 
other forms of information technology, e.g. permitting electronic 
submission of responses. In compliance with these requirements, NHTSA 
asks for public comments on the following proposed collection of 
information for which the agency is seeking approval from OMB.
    Title: National 911 Profile Database.
    OMB Control Number: 2127-0679.
    Type of Request: Request for extension of a currently-approved 
information collection.
    Type of Review Requested: Regular
    Requested Expiration Date of Approval: 3 years from date of 
approval.
    Summary of the Collection of Information: The National 911 Program 
is housed within NHTSA's Office of Emergency Medical Services, which 
has a mission to provide coordination in assessing, planning, 
developing, and promoting comprehensive, evidence-based emergency 
medical services and 911 systems. Pursuant to 47 U.S.C. 942, 
Coordination of 911, E911, and Next

[[Page 19949]]

Generation 911 implementation, the National 911 Program exists to 
coordinate 911 efforts, collect and create resources for State and 
local 911 agencies, and to oversee a grant program, specifically to 
upgrade the nation's outdated 911 infrastructure.
    NHTSA is requesting an extension of its information collection, 
carried out under 47 U.S.C. 942 (a)(3)(B), to continue to collect and 
aggregate information from State-level reporting entities that can be 
used to measure the progress of 911 authorities across the country in 
upgrading and enhancing their existing operations and migrating to more 
advanced--digital, internet-Protocol-enabled--emergency networks. The 
data will be maintained in a ``National 911 Profile Database.'' The 
National 911 Profile Database maintains State-specific and benchmarking 
data, which is later analyzed by the 911 Program for trends and 
findings. Collecting and sharing nationwide 911 statistics helps the 
911 community better understand the state of the industry. The National 
911 Profile Database enables voluntary submission of data by State and 
territorial 911 agencies via annual data submission. The information to 
be collected includes data useful for evaluating the status of 911 
programs across the country, along with their progress in implementing 
upgraded and advanced systems and capabilities. The data elements 
involved will fall within two major categories: baseline and progress 
benchmarks.
     ``Baseline'' data elements reflect the current status and 
nature of 911 operations from State to State. These elements are 
largely descriptive in nature, are intended to provide a general view 
of existing 911 services across the country, and are grouped within 
five categories: Total 911 Calls and Call Type, Number of Public Safety 
Answering Points (PSAPs) and Equipment Positions, Emergency Medical 
Dispatch and Operations, Call-Handling Quality Assurance, and Minimum 
Training Requirements.
     ``Progress benchmarks'' reflect the status of State 
efforts to implement advanced next generation 911 systems and 
capabilities. As titled, these data elements are largely implementation 
or deployment benchmarks against which progress can be measured, and 
include: Planning, Procurement, Transition, Operations, and Maturity 
Level.
    Description of the Need for the Information and Proposed Use of the 
Information:
    To support NHTSA's mission to save lives, the National 911 Program 
develops, collects, and disseminates information concerning practices, 
procedures, and technology used in the provision of 911 services; and 
to support 911 Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs) and related State 
and local public safety agencies' 911 technological and operational 
upgrades.
    The technology impacting 911 services continues to evolve 
substantially. Both public and private sectors have increasingly 
focused on addressing the need to upgrade and enhance the technology 
utilized by 911 services across the Nation. In addition, it is 
essential that emergency responders are able to coordinate and 
collaborate with 911 agencies via comprehensive and seamless emergency 
communication systems as they update their own part of the emergency 
communications network. This information collection supports efforts to 
upgrade 911 services by providing up-to-date information to State and 
local public safety entities to allow them to adequately gauge progress 
towards implementing more current and advanced 911 systems in a 
comparative fashion. While the National 911 Program will benefit from 
this information, it is anticipated that the greatest benefit will 
accrue to the State and local public safety community faced with the 
challenge of migrating to the next generation of 911 services and 
technology as they strive to respond to emergencies.
    The National 911 Profile Database is used to follow the progress of 
911 authorities in enhancing their existing systems and implementing 
next-generation networks to more current functionality. The data in 
this national profile has been used and will continue to be used to 
accurately measure and depict the current status and capabilities of 
911 systems across the United States, as well as progress made in 
implementing advanced technologies and operations--known as Next 
Generation (NG) 911. Assessments, based upon the data collected, will 
help draw attention to key roadblocks as well as solutions in NG911 
implementation processes. Analysis of the data will also help target 
possible future activities and resources consistent with the goals of 
the program. The information collected will be available in aggregated 
form to national, Federal, State and local stakeholders in the public 
safety community. This information collection supports NHTSA's mission 
to save lives, prevent injuries and reduce economic costs due to road 
traffic crashes by ensuring emergency responses to crashes of all 
nature (e.g. planes, trains, and automobiles) and maximizing the 
chances of survival for crash victims.
    Affected Public: State 911 agency administrators.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: Maximum number of responses: 56.
    Frequency: Annual.
    Number of Responses: Maximum number of responses: 56.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: NHTSA estimates that 
submitting responses to the questions included in the proposed survey 
instrument utilizing the Web-based tool would require an average of 98 
hours per State entity to collect, aggregate and submit. Estimating the 
maximum number of respondents at 56 (the fifty States, the District of 
Columbia, and five U.S. Territories), this would result in a total 
burden of 5,488 hours (98 hours x 56 respondents).
    The total labor costs associated with the burden hours are 
estimated by finding the average hourly wage and multiplying by the 
number of burden hours. Respondents will be State, territory, and 
tribal government management personnel. To estimate reasonable staff 
expenses to respond to this information collection, the Agencies 
reviewed the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Outlook 
Handbook and determined that the Administrative Services Manager 
description closely aligns with the positions of recipient staff 
responsible for completing this request. BLS lists the average hourly 
wage as $46.45.\1\ Further, BLS estimates that State and local 
government wages represent 61.8% of total labor compensation costs.\2\ 
Therefore, NHTSA estimates the hourly labor costs to be $75.16 (46.45 / 
0.618). The total labor cost based on the estimated burden hours is 
estimated at $412,478. The table below provides a summary of the 
estimated burden hours and the labor costs associated with those burden 
hours.
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    \1\ May 2019 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates 
by ownership, Federal, State, and local government, including 
government-owned schools and hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service, 
at https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/999001.htm#11-0000 (BLS code 11-
3010).
    \2\ Table 1 at https://www.bls.gov/news.release/ecec.t01.htm.

[[Page 19950]]



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                                                                                      Estimated
                                                   Annual hours    Average hourly    annual labor   Total estimated
             Number of respondents                per respondent    compensation       cost per      annual burden    Total estimated annual labor costs
                                                                                      respondent         hours
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56.............................................              98            75.16        $7,365.68            5,488              $412,478.08 or $412,478
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    Estimated Total Annual Burden Cost: There are no capital, start-up, 
or annual operation and maintenance costs involved in the collection of 
information. The respondents would not incur any reporting costs from 
the information collection beyond the labor costs associated with the 
burden hours to gather the information, prepare it for reporting and 
then populate the Web-based data collection tool. The respondents also 
would not incur any recordkeeping burden or recordkeeping costs from 
the information collection.
    Public Comments Invited: You are asked to comment on any aspects of 
this information collection, including (a) whether the proposed 
collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of 
the functions of the Department, including whether the information will 
have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the Department's estimate 
of the burden of the proposed information collection; (c) ways to 
enhance the quality, utility and clarity of the information to be 
collected; and (d) ways to minimize the burden of the collection of 
information on respondents, including the use of automated collection 
techniques or other forms of information technology.

    Authority: The Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995; 44 U.S.C. 
Chapter 35, as amended; 49 CFR 1.49; and DOT Order 1351.29.

    Issued in Washington, DC.
Nanda Narayanan Srinivasan,
Associate Administrator, Research and Program Development.
[FR Doc. 2021-06974 Filed 4-14-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-59-P