DA 18-1045
Released: October 11, 2018

THE FCC’S PUBLIC SAFETY & HOMELAND SECURITY BUREAU EXTENDS THE DISASTER INFORMATION REPORTING SYSTEM FOR HURRICANE MICHAEL

The FCC is extending its disaster data collection to nine additional counties for HURRICANE MICHAEL.
On October 9, 2018, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC or Commission) activated its Disaster Information Reporting System (DIRS) to receive information on the status of communications equipment in 5 counties in Alabama, 21 counties in Florida, and 75 counties in Georgia. The FCC’s Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau Announces the Activation of the Disaster Information Reporting System in Response to Hurricane Michael, Public Notice, DA 18-1037 (rel. Oct. 9, 2018).
  FEMA has asked the Commission to extend the data collection to nine additional counties in Georgia. 
The Commission requests that communications providers that provide service to any areas listed below expeditiously submit and update information through DIRS regarding, inter alia, the status of their communications equipment, restoration efforts, and power (i.e., whether they are using commercial power or back-up power).  Communications providers can access DIRS at https://www.fcc.gov/nors/disaster/.  Providers that have not previously done so will be asked to first provide contact information and obtain a User ID when they access DIRS.  Communications providers are reminded that for providers that participate in DIRS, the separate Network Outage Reporting System obligations are suspended for the duration of the DIRS activation with respect to outages in the counties where DIRS has been activated.  Reports are requested by 10:00 a.m. EDT, Friday, October 12, 2018, and every day after that by 10:00 a.m. EDT until DIRS is deactivated. 
Communications providers that serve an area listed below and that have already provided contact information in DIRS will be sent an e-mail requesting that they provide the above-referenced status information through DIRS.  The Commission encourages all communications providers that have not already logged onto DIRS to input their contact information do so as soon as possible.
THE ADDITIONAL COUNTIES OF INTEREST FOR THIS ACTIVATION INCLUDE:
Georgia:  Charlton, Clinch, Echols, Lanier, Lowndes, Marion, Pierce, Stewart, Ware

For further information, please contact: 
John Healy (215) 847-8094, or john.healy@fcc.gov
Julia Tu (202) 418-0731, (202) 321-4399 (cell), julia.tu@fcc.gov
Michael Caiafa (202) 418-1311, (202) 277-5690 (cell), michael.caiafa@fcc.gov
David Ahn (571) 232-8487 (cell), (202) 418-0853, david.ahn@fcc.gov
FCC Operations Center (202) 418-1122 FCCOperationCenter@fcc.gov 

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