Though the federal government closed Monday and Tuesday, many employees at FEMA and the FCC remained hard at work.
The FCC’s Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau activated its Disaster Information Reporting System in response to Hurricane Sandy.
DIRS is a voluntary, web-based system that broadcasters and other communications providers can use to report communications infrastructure status and situational awareness information during a crisis.
The commission has asked communications providers to report the status of restoration efforts, and whether they’re on commercial power, a generator or battery, as well as their fuel access.
The FCC is especially interested in receiving reports from Connecticut, the District of Columbia, Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Virginia and West Virginia.
Access DIRS here.