PUBLIC NOTICE Federal Communications Commission 445 12th St., S.W. Washington, D.C. 20554 News Media Information 202 / 418-0500 Fax-On-Demand 202 / 418-2830 TTY 202 / 418-2555 Internet: http://www.fcc.gov ftp.fcc.gov DA 10-1459 Released: August 6, 2010 MEDIA BUREAU AND PUBLIC SAFETY AND HOMELAND SECURITY BUREAU ENCOURAGE TELEVISION AND RADIO BROADCASTERS TO ENROLL IN THE FCC’S DISASTER INFORMATION REPORTING SYSTEM THIS HURRICANE SEASON Washington, DC – The Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC’s) Media Bureau and Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau (PSHSB) today encouraged radio and television broadcasters who have not yet voluntarily enrolled in the Commission’s Disaster Information Reporting System (DIRS) to do so. The FCC further encouraged radio and television broadcasters who are now enrolled in DIRS to update their contact information on a routine basis. Broadcasters’ participation in DIRS is especially important during hurricane season. The DIRS program provides the FCC with situational awareness about which licensed broadcast stations are operating during, and immediately following, a disaster or large-scale emergency; and it enables the Commission to act swiftly to help those broadcasters that are off-the-air restore operations and provide important emergency-related information and updates to the public. In more detail, the Commission requests that each broadcaster participating in DIRS obtain an individual DIRS User ID for all employees who may provide information on the status of their company’s communications equipment in the event of a disaster. When a qualified user applies for a DIRS User ID, he or she must provide the following: a 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. When a major disaster is declared, participating broadcasters serving all or part of the disaster area will be asked to submit information regarding the status of their station(s). In addition, broadcasters needing assistance can convey those needs to the FCC and its federal partners via DIRS. The FCC developed the Disaster Information Reporting System (DIRS) to collect information about communications infrastructure status and situational awareness during times of crisis and to provide immediate assistance to broadcasters working to maintain or restore their operations in disasters or large-scale emergencies. DIRS is a voluntary, web-based system. Using DIRS streamlines the reporting process and allows broadcasters to share station status with the Commission, the Department of Homeland Security (including FEMA) and other federal agencies authorized to participate in Emergency Support Function 2 (ESF-2) activities1 quickly and efficiently. Broadcasters can access DIRS at: 1 Public Notice, ÐIRS Reporting Data To Be Shared With Federal ESF-2 Agencies,” 73 Fed. Reg. 56585 (September 29, 2008). 2 http://www.fcc.gov/DIRS to enroll in DIRS and to obtain a User ID. DIRS can also be accessed under e- filing on the Commission’s main webpage (www.fcc.gov) or on the PSHSB webpage (www.fcc.gov/pshs/). When disaster data collection is activated in response to a crisis, all contacts in DIRS will receive an e- mail informing them of the DIRS activation and requesting status information. The Media Bureau and PSHSB would like to acknowledge the nearly 800 broadcasters nationwide who are now enrolled in DIRS for their participation, and reiterate the request that those who have not yet enrolled do so as soon as possible given the forecast for significant hurricane activity this summer and fall. For questions about DIRS, contact: John Healy by email: John.Healy@fcc.gov, or phone: 202-418-2448. -FCC-