DA 18-904
Released August 31, 2018

PUBLIC SAFETY & HOMELAND SECURITY BUREAU ANNOUNCES TEST OF THE DISASTER INFORMATION REPORTING SYSTEM FOR BROADCASTERS

The Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau (PSHSB) of the Federal Communications Commission will conduct a voluntary test of the Disaster Information Reporting System (DIRS) for broadcasters on September 13-14, 2018.  The purpose of this exercise is to help users become familiar with the system and ready to file DIRS reports when a real disaster strikes.  DIRS is a voluntary, web-based system that communications providers, including broadcasters, can use to report communications infrastructure status and situational awareness information during times of crisis.

On September 13, 2018, at 10:00 a.m. EDT, PSHSB will send a DIRS 2018 EXERCISE activation letter to broadcasters registered in DIRS.  To simulate an actual disaster, the letter will request that broadcasters participating in this exercise file a first set of reports by 3:00 p.m. EDT that day.  PSHSB will also ask broadcasters to update their reports by 11:00 a.m. EDT on September 14, 2018. 

PSHSB encourages broadcasters that have not already registered in DIRS to do so now.  To register or participate in the test:

· The URL for DIRS is https://www.fcc.gov/nors/disaster/.
· If you do not have a login, there is a link on the login page that will allow you to get a User ID and password.  
· When you create a new account, please use your company name instead of station name under Reporting Company.  By using your company name, you will only need one account to input information on any station owned by your company.   
· If you have a User ID but do not remember your password, please use the forgotten password link on the login page.  
· If you have a User ID and a password, please use them to log into DIRS and update your contact information.  
· There is a User Manual available at the DIRS website.  

When DIRS is activated during disasters, broadcasters report information, including whether stations are transmitting, the power status and locations of transmitters, whether the stations are transmitting from alternate locations, and whether stations have functioning generators.  The DIRS template for broadcast station information is shown below:



DIRS is set up to auto-populate the geographic information.  Once you enter your call sign, DIRS will look up the information stored in the system and populate the latitude, longitude, city, state, and facility ID for the call sign.	

DIRS has drop down menus for Status, Power Status of the Transmitter, Generator Available, and Fuel – choose the appropriate entries. 

	While participation in this exercise is voluntary, PSHSB encourages broadcasters to take this opportunity to prepare for actual emergencies. 

If you have any problems accessing DIRS, inputting information into DIRS, or need any other type of assistance, please contact Julia Tu at 202-418-0731, Michael Caiafa at 202-418-1311, David Ahn at 202-418-0853, or John Healy at 215-847-8094.



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