Notice2023-19103
Agency Information Collection Activities: Incident Communications Activity Report (ICAR)
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
September 5, 2023
Issuing agencies
Homeland Security Department
Abstract
The Emergency Communications Division (ECD within the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) is issuing a 30-day notice and request for comments to for the following information collection request (ICR) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and clearance in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 88 Issue 170 (Tuesday, September 5, 2023)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 170 (Tuesday, September 5, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 60698-60700]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2023-19103]
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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
[Docket No. CISA-CISA-2022-0012]
Agency Information Collection Activities: Incident Communications
Activity Report (ICAR)
AGENCY: Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA),
Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
ACTION: 30-Day Notice and request for comments; New collection (Request
for a new OMB Control Number, 1670-NEW.
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SUMMARY: The Emergency Communications Division (ECD within the
Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) is issuing a
30-day notice and request for comments to for the following information
collection request (ICR) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB)
for review and clearance in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act
of 1995.
DATES: Comments are encouraged and will be accepted until October 5,
2023.
ADDRESSES: Written comments and recommendations for the proposed
information collection should be sent within 30 days of publication of
this notice to <a href="http://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain">www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain</a>. Find this particular
information collection by selecting ``Currently under 30-day Review--
Open for Public Comments'' or by using the search function.
The Office of Management and Budget is particularly interested in
comments which:
1. Evaluate whether the proposed collection of information is
necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency,
including whether the information will have practical utility;
2. Evaluate the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of
the proposed collection of information, including the validity of the
methodology and assumptions used;
3. Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to
be collected; and
4. Minimize the burden of the collection of information on those
who are to respond, including through the use of appropriate automated,
electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or
other forms of information technology, e.g., permitting electronic
submissions of responses.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Wes Rogers, 202-897-8132,
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#3a4d5f491448555d5f48497a5953495b145e5249145d554c"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="f3849680dd819c94968180b3909a8092dd979b80dd949c85">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: CISA previously published this information
collection request (ICR) in the Federal Register on October 20, 2022
for a 60-day public comment period. One comment was received from the
Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association (CTIA) during the 60
Day FRN comment period for the Incident Communications Activity Report.
The response to this comment has been addressed within the contents of
this 30-DAY FRN. The purpose of this notice is to allow additional 30-
days for public comments.
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA)
Emergency Communications Division (ECD) is mandated by The
Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Act of 2018, 6 U.S.C. 652(f)
under Sections (9) carry out emergency communications responsibilities,
in accordance with sub-chapter XIII; (10) carry out cybersecurity,
infrastructure security, and emergency communications stakeholder
outreach and engagement and coordinate that outreach and engagement
with critical infrastructure Sector Risk Management Agencies, as
appropriate; and (11) provide education, training, and capacity
development to Federal and non-Federal entities to enhance the security
and resiliency of domestic and global cybersecurity and infrastructure
security;.
This information collection is requested to be completed by ECD
stakeholders--including state and local emergency communications
professionals--through The Incident Communications Activity Report
(ICAR) form. The ICAR was developed with the intention of capturing and
documenting the emergency communications activity and utilization of
public safety communications technologies controlled by state or local
emergency response officials organized to provide command and
coordination for an incident, planned event, or exercise. As a result,
CISA/ECD seeks to execute a standard request from the Paper Reduction
Act (PRA) to review, analyze, and revise current Incident Communication
Activity.
The Emergency Communications Division (ECD) is a division within
the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure
[[Page 60699]]
Security Agency (CISA) which serves under the direction of the
Department of Homeland Security (DHS). ECD coordinates with National
Security and Emergency Preparedness (NS/EP) communications stakeholders
to enable use of technical assistance and information sharing to reduce
communications system impacts or vulnerabilities. CISA has authority to
perform assessments and evaluations for federal and non-federal
entities, with consent and upon request. CISA leverages several
different authorities, including but not limited to Presidential Policy
Directive--21 (PPD-21), the National Infrastructure Protection Plan
(NIPP) Voluntary Partnership Framework, and Sec. 871 of the Homeland
Security Act of 2002 to fullfill the Department's responsibility to
``[c]onduct comprehensive assessments of the vulnerabilities of
the Nation's critical infrastructure in coordination with the Sector
Rick Management Agencies and in collaboration with SLTT [State,
Local, Tribal, and Territorial] entities and critical infrastructure
owners and operators.''
The one comment CISA received is from CTIA--The Wireless
Association[supreg] (``CTIA'') (), which represents the U.S. wireless
communications industry and companies throughout the mobile ecosystem
that enable Americans to lead a 21st century connected life. The
association's members include wireless carriers, device manufacturers,
suppliers, as well as apps and content companies. CTIA advocates for
government policies that foster continued wireless innovation and
investment. CTIA's comment states:
``CISA should refrain from directing state and local public
safety officials from opining on the general availability of
commercial ``cellular'' services during a disaster event through
Incident Communications Activity Reports.''
The ICAR does not collect information regarding any system
availability, therefore it does not collect information regarding
commercial system availability or performance. As a result, the 30-day
FRN does not include the previous identification of public safety
communications technologies and has also been updated within all
applicable areas to read:
``emergency communications activity and utilization of public safety
communications technologies controlled by state or local emergency
response officials.''
The information collected will provide on-the-ground data on
emergency communications activity and utilization of public safety
communications technologies controlled by state or local emergency
response officials organized to provide command and coordination for an
incident, planned event, or exercise.
The information captured focuses on a number of key areas: incident
complexity, command and coordination systems, and all-hazards
information and communications technology positions, resources (e.g.
voice and data systems, interoperability techniques, and planning
references), challenges and general conditions encountered during the
incident.
ICAR will be submitted electronically by the emergency responder
with overall information and communications technology responsibilities
within the identified command and coordination organization, for a
reporting period.
This information will inform other jurisdictions on best practices
while permitting data-driven decisions on future policy improvements.
CISA, in support of the National Council of Statewide Interoperability
Coordinators (NCSWIC) and the CISA interoperable-communications program
known as SAFECOM, will collect data through a two-page report to
capture the emergency communications activity and utilization of public
safety communications technologies controlled by state or local
emergency response officials organized to provide command and
coordination for an incident, planned event, or exercise.
CISA's goal is to identify lessons learned to drive strategy and
improve existing or offer new technical assistance within the scope of
emergency communications activity for Incidents, Planned Events, or
Exercises. The ICAR is completed by the person with overall information
and communications technology responsibilities with the identified
command and coordination organization, for the indicated reporting
period.
The reporting period is flexible to meet agency or jurisdictional
program needs. The report is designed to accommodate a single report
for the incident or event duration, or multiple reports for smaller
time periods within the same incident or event. State, local,
territorial, or tribal incident communications organizational and
technical challenges and best practices will be captured. Collecting
and summarizing this data will drive our nationwide response, drive
strategy, and goal development--subsequently improving existing and/or
offer new Technical Assistance options to stakeholders.
The ICAR is an electronically submitted form to populate the data
sets which will be loaded, stored, and analyzed in the Division's data
analytics system. Electronic data collection enables an efficient and
straightforward submission process to submit, reducing the time and
effort for the submitter while also reducing errors.
ICAR form is voluntarily submitted using a Microsoft Teams Form
link. The ICAR form will require a total effort of approximately five
minutes for completion. The ICAR form will be completed per incident.
Leveraging the MS Forms and a fillable PDF there will be no printing of
forms needed, no preparing and sending emails or memos per incident.
Participants will be able to input free form information in addition to
drop down type questions.
The Office of Management and Budget is particularly interested in
comments which:
1. Evaluate whether the proposed collection of information is
necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency,
including whether the information will have practical utility;
2. Evaluate the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of
the proposed collection of information, including the validity of the
methodology and assumptions used;
3. Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to
be collected; and
4. Minimize the burden of the collection of information on those
who are to respond, including through the use of appropriate automated,
electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or
other forms of information technology, e.g., permitting electronic
submissions of responses.
Analysis
Agency: Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA),
Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
Title: Incident Communications Activity Report (ICAR).
OMB Number: 1670-NEW.
Frequency: per incident on a voluntary basis.
Affected Public: State, Local, territorial and Tribal public safety
communications personnel.
Number of Respondents: 450.
Estimated Time per Respondent: 0.083 hours.
Total Burden Hours: 37.5 hours.
Total Burden Cost (capital/startup): $0.
[[Page 60700]]
Total Burden Cost (operating/maintaining): $2,131.15.
Robert J. Costello,
Chief Information Officer, Department of Homeland Security,
Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency.
[FR Doc. 2023-19103 Filed 9-1-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 9110-9P-P
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