FCC May Revise Rules Concerning Disruption to Comms During Disasters

Information on NPRM for disaster comms to be (tentatively) considered at Sept 30, 2021 FCC Open Meeting.

Concerning: Resilient Networks; Amendments to Part 4 of the Commission’s Rules Concerning Disruptions to Communications; New Part 4 of the Commission’s Rules Concerning Disruptions to Communications Notice of Proposed Rulemaking - PS Docket Nos. 21-346 and 15-80; ET Docket No. 04-35.

FCC to propose steps to improve the reliability and resiliency of communications networks during emergencies.

Disruptions can prevent or delay the transmission of 911 calls, first responder communications, Emergency Alert System (EAS) and Wireless Emergency Alert (WEA) messages, and other potentially life-saving information.

Disruptions may involve many or all communications networks – including wireline, wireless, cable, satellite, or broadcast facilities.

FCC seeks comment on measures to help ensure that communications services remain operational when disasters strike. We consider whether elements of the Wireless Network Resiliency Cooperative Framework (Framework) – a voluntary agreement developed by the wireless industry in 2016 to provide mutual aid in the event of a disaster – could be improved to enhance the reliability of communication networks.

FCC will also ask whether the public would benefit from codifying some or all of the Framework into FCC rules.

Next, FCC seeks comment on how the Commission can better promote situational awareness during disasters through its Disaster Information Reporting System (DIRS) and Network Outage Reporting System (NORS).

Finally, FCC will explore communications resilience strategies to address one of the primary reasons for service disruptions: electric power outages.

Fact Sheet

 

The comments on this should be fun to watch. I can almost guarantee there will be hamster input from the delusional crowd

I guess I need to add those Docket numbers on the RSS feed.

 

Just have a good relationship with Mother Nature.

Then all is good.

 

The 911 system has been a mess for at least 20+ years. With hardline phones, the 911 operator gets a good location fix. It gets more complicated with cell phones and VOIP phones. In a disaster, the 911 call center (Public Service Answering Point or PSAP) doesn't know that it can't be reached by a certain percentage of callers, and the callers don't know when service might be restored.

Callers might get a fast busy signal or no connection at all. The service providers and covered 911 service providers (AT&T, T-Mobile, etc.) have a responsibility to inform (via email or phone) the PSAP of the outage, the areas affected, etc. They also have a responsibility to quickly inform consumers when the PSAP is unreachable, and when it might be reachable again.

Obviously, if lines are down, this is a big problem.

FCC proposes that outage notifications by originating service providers and covered 911 service providers (the phone carriers), should include the following, where available:

+The name of the service provider offering the notification;
+The name of the service provider(s) experiencing the outage;
+The date and time when the incident began (including a notation of the relevant time zone);
+The type of communications service(s) affected;
+The geographic area affected by the outage;
+A service provider’s expectations for how the outage will affect the PSAP (e.g., dropped calls or missing metadata);
+The expected date and time of restoration, including a notation of the relevant time zone;
+ The best-known cause of the outage; and
+ Whether it's the provider’s initial notification to the PSAP, an update, or the provider’s final assessment of the outage.

In item 18 of the FCC Fact Sheet, the FCC mentions parameters where Cajun Navy Relief (CNR) excels:

"We also have observed that when PSAPs receive actionable 911 outage notifications, they are empowered to use reverse 911, post on social media platforms, work with local media to run on-screen text crawls, and use other tools at their disposal to notify the public of alternative means to reach their emergency services."

CNR is a 501(c)3 organization that has undergone training from both FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

August 29, 2021 Hurricane Ida:

"We have boaters. We have a medical team. We actually have another team coming in. Impact Northwest is coming in from Seattle, Washington. They will be arriving [in] the area today and will be deploying with us as well," according to Cajun Navy Relief (CNR) president Colleen Udell. CNR has more than 100 volunteers who are "actively working the storm" right now and a volunteer network of more than 3,000 people who they can "tap into at any time."

"There are volunteers from all walks of life. We have crane operators. We have elevator engineers. We have everyday people. You pick a career, we have somebody [who] works in it. We have nurses that have been working [on] the COVID floors. We have individuals that do wildlife rescue. We even have a volunteer [who] is in the U.K. [and] has been helping us out.," Udell said.

In order to coordinate emergency relief efforts – especially as power and cellphone towers are rendered inactive – CNR and its volunteers use apps, including Zello and Glympse.

In addition, the CNR team utilizes a varied array of websites, have contacts in meteorology and remain in touch with Louisiana and GOHSEP (Governor's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness) officials.

Impact of IDA and local CNR volunteers

I monitored the CNR Zello channel throughout the Hurricane Ida disaster, and monitored their distribution of food and water, their setup of mobile kitchens offering free hot meals, water rescues, weather reports, local government reports, local mediareports, and estimates of power and phone restoration, all seamlessly integrated in their Zello channel.

Where phones were down, and streets were impassable, rescue teams were able to deliver food, water, and medicine, and get health and welfare messages in and out of the affected areas. Using GMRS, FRS, CB, and Zello, they had it covered. This seems to be a model for how modern emcomm should work where volunteers (and professionals) are concerned.


https://www.facebook.com/CajunNavyRelief/
https://www.instagram.com/cajunnavyrelief/
https://twitter.com/CajunNavyRelief
info@cajunnavyrelief.com

 

Using GMRS, FRS, CB, and Zello, they had it covered. This seems to be a model for how modern emcomm should work where volunteers (and professionals) are concerned.

Seems they have no use for amateur radio. Just like our local EOC.

73, Chuck
N0NC

 

Let me sum up what will be said here (I asked the Magic 8-Ball)...

• Hams are old, fat, smelly, and useless.
• They just get in the way at EOCs and during emergencies.
• EMAs have no interest in our help.
• All we are good for is riding Little Rascals while wearing fluorescent vests bedecked with Bo Funks.

Did I leave ANYTHING out?

 

The Hard Hat....With a camera for the POD Cast

 

and they say we provide service in an emergency........they do not need hams there are so many other ways to communicate info...especially when the mindset of hams is that there are an essential part of emergency communications.

hams that say we are needed is only an excuse to feel that we are needed and feel important.

 

So why do EMAs want more ham volunteers rather than fewer?

 

A solution desperately looking for a problem. Fun fact... "solution" is only worth 8 points in Scrabble.

 

Aside from the modern approach by CNR, mentioned earlier, here are some solutions under discussion.
See also: the working group already established to tackle the problems encountered:

https://tinyurl.com/tktnmwp9 << ECFS comments

https://www.ahcusa.org/ << All Hazards Consortium

https://www.resilienceexch.org/series-info-a << Hazards Resilience Exchange

https://resilienceexch.org/virtual-summit-jan-2022-a# << January 2022 Summit

 

You forgot to mention…”When all else fails.”

 

I will be anxiously awaiting a YouTuber’s unboxing and review of this item!

 

That's something some like to make fun of, anyhow. Mostly those who live somewhere where a "disaster" is "Elmo sprained his ankle at the dadgum 4th of July sack race!"