The FCC has released a series of Public Notices in preparation for Hurricane Harvey. The first of these notes that the Commission will be available to address emergency communications needs twenty-four hours a day throughout the weekend. Emergency communications providers, including broadcasters, cable service providers, wireless and wireline service providers, satellite service providers, emergency response managers and first responders, and others needing assistance to initiate, resume, or maintain communications operations during the weekend, can contact the FCC Operations Center for assistance at 202-418-1122 or by e-mail at FCCOPCenter@fcc.gov.
The Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau, in coordination with the International, Media, Wireline Competition, and Wireless Telecommunications Bureaus, have also announced procedures to help communications services initiate, resume, and maintain operations in the areas affected by Hurricane Harvey. Further, the Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau has announced the activation of the Disaster Information Reporting System (DIRS). 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.
