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PUBLIC NOTICE

Federal Communications Commission

News Media Information 202 / 418-0500

445 12th St., S.W.

Internet: http://www.fcc.gov

Washington, D.C. 20554

TTY: 1-888-835-5322

DA 12-1733

Released October 29, 2012

THE FCC’S PUBLIC SAFETY & HOMELAND SECURITY BUREAU ANNOUNCES 

THE ACTIVATION OF THE DISASTER INFORMATION REPORTING SYSTEM IN 

RESPONSE TO HURRICANE SANDY

The Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau (PSHSB) of the Federal Communications 
Commission (Commission) has announced the activation of the Disaster Information Reporting 
System (DIRS) in response to Hurricane SANDY.  DIRS is a voluntary, web-based system that 
communications providers, including wireless, wireline, broadcast, cable and Voice over Internet 
Protocol providers, can use to report communications infrastructure status and situational 
awareness information during times of crisis.
The Commission requests that communications providers expeditiously submit and update 
information through DIRS regarding, inter alia, the status of their communications equipment, 
restoration efforts, power (i.e., whether they are using commercial power, generator or battery), 
and access to fuel, if they provide service to any areas listed below.  Communications providers 
can accomplish this by accessing DIRS at https://www.fcc.gov/nors/disaster/ or under e-filing on 
the Commission’s main webpage (www.fcc.gov) or PSHSB webpage (www.fcc.gov/pshs).  
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 NORS 
obligations are suspended for the duration of the DIRS activation in the counties where DIRS has 
been activated.  

Reports are requested beginning 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday, October 30, 2012, 
and every day after that by 10:00 a.m. 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.  We encourage all communications providers that 
have not already logged onto DIRS to input their contact information, to do so as soon as 
possible.

COUNTIES OF INTEREST FOR THIS ACTIVATION INCLUDE:

Connecticut: 

Fairfield, Hartford, Litchfield, Middlesex, New Haven, New London, Tolland, 
Windham

District of Columbia 

Delaware: 

Kent, New Castle, Sussex

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Maryland: 

Allegany, Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Baltimore City, Calvert, Caroline, Carroll, 
Cecil, Charles, Dorchester, Frederick, Garrett, Harford, Howard, Kent, Montgomery, Prince 
George's, Queen Anne's, Somerset, St. Mary's, Talbot, Washington, Wicomico, Worcester

Massachusetts: 

Barnstable, Bristol, Dukes, Plymouth

New Jersey

: Atlantic, Bergen, Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Essex, Gloucester, 
Hudson, Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, Monmouth, Morris, Ocean, Passaic, Salem, Somerset, 
Sussex, Union, Warren

New York

: Bronx, Kings, Nassau, New York, Queens, Richmond, Suffolk, Westchester

Pennsylvania

: Adams, Bedford, Berks, Blair, Bucks, Cameron, Carbon, Centre, Chester, 
Clearfield, Clinton, Columbia, Cumberland, Dauphin, Delaware, Elk, Frannklin, Fulton, 
Huntingdon, Juniata, Lancaster, Lebanon, Lehigh, Luzerne, Lycoming, Mifflin, Monroe, 
Montgomery, Montour, Northampton, Northumberland, Perry, Philadelphia, Potter, Schuylkill, 
Snyder, Tioga, Union, York

Rhode Island: 

Bristol, Kent, Newport, Providence, Washington

Virginia

: Accomack, Alexandria City, Arlington, Caroline, Charles City, Chesapeake City, 
Clarke, Essex, Fairfax, Fairfax City, Falls Church City, Fauquier, Gloucester, Hampton City, Isle 
of Wight, James City, King and Queen, King George, King William, Lancaster, Loudoun, 
Manassas City, Manassas Park City, Mathews, Middlesex, New Kent, Newport News City, 
Norfolk City, Northampton, Northumberland, Portsmouth City, Poquoson City, Prince William, 
Richmond, Spotsylvania, Stafford, Suffolk City, Surry, Virginia Beach City, Westmoreland, 
Williamsburg City, York

West Virginia

: Berkeley, Jefferson, Morgan
For further information, please contact:
John Healy (202) 391-2486, (215) 847-8094, or john.healy@fcc.gov
Jeff Goldthorp (202) 418-1096, (202) 253-1595 (cell), jeffery.goldthorp@fcc.gov
Julia Tu (202) 418-0731, 202-321-4399, 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
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