FCC Votes to Streamline Disaster Information Reporting System

UPDATE The FCC voted to review its system for collecting data on network outages and restoration during major disasters. Begun in 2007, the information collected through Disaster Information Reporting System (DIRS) allows emergency management officials to more efficiently prioritize disaster response efforts. While DIRS reports are valuable, they take time to produce, potentially drawing resources away from responding to an ongoing disaster, say agency officials.

The Notice of Proposed Rulemaking begins a review of DIRS to modernize the system for reporting and proposes changes to reduce the reporting burdens providers during disasters, while increasing the utility of the reports. This includes simplifying reporting requirements, limiting DIRS reporting obligations to facilities-based providers, and promoting federal and state agencies’ ability to obtain direct access to the FCC Network Outage Reporting System (NORS) and DIRS filings by eliminating unnecessary access requirements.

The Commission also adopted an accompanying Order on Reconsideration that clarifies the situations in which NORS requirements are suspended during DIRS activations. It maintains requirements to send outage notifications to 911 and 988 officials during DIRS activations to ensure officials can receive timely information about outages and in turn, enable the public to reach these critical services during a disaster.

Because commissioners voted on the item early, it’s been removed from the agenda for tomorrow’s monthly FCC meeting.

By Leslie Stimson, Inside Towers Washington Bureau Chief

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