Federal Communications Commission "FCC/DA XX-XXX" DA 22-1031 Released: September 30, 2022 PUBLIC SAFETY AND HOMELAND SECURITY BUREAU ANNOUNCES THE LAUNCH OF OUTAGE INFORMATION SHARING AND PROVIDES GUIDANCE TO AGENCIES ON APPLYING FOR ACCESS PS Docket No. 15-80 Effective today, Federal, state, Tribal nation, territorial, and District of Columbia agencies may begin applying for read-only access to the reports filed in the Federal Communications Commission’s (Commission’s) Network Outage Reporting System (NORS) and Disaster Information Reporting System (DIRS). Service providers’ reporting processes are required to conform the reporting requirements for NORS and DIRS filings specified in the Second Report and Order as of the September 30, 2022 date. See Amendments to Part 4 of the Commission’s Rules Concerning Disruptions to Communications, PS Docket No. 15-80, Second Report and Order, 36 FCC Rcd 6136, 6183, paras. 151-152 (2021) (Second Report and Order). This marks the culmination of the Commission’s efforts to provide access to critical outage and network status information that will improve these agencies’ situational awareness, enhance their ability to respond more rapidly to outages, and to help save lives, while safeguarding the confidentiality of this information. Id. To facilitate easy access to the tools needed for agencies to take advantage of this opportunity, the Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau (Bureau) has launched an Outage Information Sharing webpage, available at https://www.fcc.gov/outage-information-sharing, to serve as a central hub from which stakeholders may obtain information, such as forms related to the information sharing framework, In this respect, the Bureau announces that the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has approved the information collection associated with the framework as described in the Second Report and Order. OMB Control # 3060-0484, ICR Reference Number 202206-3060-012, Notice of Office of Management and Budget Action (Aug. 15, 2022). See also, Second Report and Order, 36 FCC at 6136, paras. 151-152. user guides, FAQs, and links to the Bureau’s previously-recorded stakeholder workshop. This also includes links to training materials that agencies may use in satisfying the training obligations for their staff. The Bureau developed and sought input on draft training materials earlier this year, and utilized input from a variety of stakeholders to update and clarify the materials for agency use. See, Second Report and Order at para. 105; Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau Seeks Comment on Exemplar Training Materials Related to the Commission’s Sharing of Network Outage Reporting System and Disaster Information Reporting System Data with Participating Agencies, DA 22-822, Public Notice (2022). To apply, an agency must send a complete application packet to NORS_DIRS_Information_Sharing@fcc.gov. This includes: (1) a signed statement from an agency official, on the agency’s official letterhead, including the official’s full contact information and formally requesting access to NORS and DIRS filings; (2) a description of why the agency has a need to access NORS and DIRS filings and how it intends to use the information in practice; (3) if applicable, a request to exceed the proposed presumptive limits on the number of individuals (i.e., user accounts) permitted to access NORS and DIRS filings with an explanation of why this is necessary; (4) a completed copy of a Participating Agency Certification Form; and (5) a demonstration of the agency’s “need to know” by citing to statutes or other regulatory authority that establishes it has official duties making it directly responsible for emergency management and first responder support functions. Step-by-step instructions on how to apply can be found at: · https://www.fcc.gov/file/23868/download (English) · https://www.fcc.gov/file/23869/download (Spanish) Commission staff will review the form and contact the agency if additional information is needed. Once approved, an agency must create dedicated email accounts that it will use to access the systems (a maximum of five). The email addresses must be registered in the FCC’s COmmission REgistration System (CORES), available at https://apps.fcc.gov/cores/userLogin.do. Once registered in CORES, an agency may request NORS and/or DIRS access for those the email addresses by logging into each database and requesting access at: https://apps2.fcc.gov/fccUserReg/pages/createAccount.htm (NORS) and https://www.fcc.gov/nors/disaster/prod/AddNewUser.cfm (DIRS). Agencies must then send an e-mail to FCC staff at NORS_DIRS_Information_Sharing@fcc.gov that lists the e-mail addresses for which they have requested access. Commission FCC staff will validate the addresses and grant access. Agencies are reminded of the confidentiality obligations associated with the NORS and DIRS information itself, as well as the need to maintain the integrity and security of the agency’s log in accounts. Second Report and Order, 36 FCC at 6148-52, 6180-83, paras. 43-55, 143-150; 47 CFR § 4.2. The Commission has taken measures in this regard where feasible, and will continue to evaluate additional opportunities to enhance the security of the system and the sharing relationship consistent with the technological capabilities of each system. See Second Report and Order, 36 FCC at 6154, para. 61; Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau Seeks Comment on Potential Safeguards in Connection with Sharing of Network Outage Reporting System and Disaster Information Reporting System Data, DA 22-62, Public Notice, 87 FR 6865 (2022). In this respect, the Bureau has implemented additional notations in relevant headers to highlight the confidential nature of the documents. For further information related to this Public Notice, contact Saswat Misra, Attorney Advisor, Cybersecurity & Communications Reliability Division, Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau, (202) 418–0944 or via e-mail at Saswat.Misra@fcc.gov. For general assistance with respect to information sharing contact NORS_DIRS_Information_Sharing@fcc.gov. 2