DIRS Deactivated for Irma; Pai and Clyburn Praise AM
The FCC deactivated the Disaster Information Reporting System for Hurricane Irma at the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s request, said a Public Safety Bureau in a public notice Monday. That leaves Monday’s DIRS report the final one for Irma (see 1709180034),…
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the PN said. The FCC “anticipates that, within the next couple of days, FEMA will likely request activation of DIRS for Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands,” the PN said, and a separate notice will be issued. FCC Chairman Ajit Pai praised the dependability of AM radio in disasters but conceded that the band is perceived as outdated. “Whenever these emergencies hit, listenership goes through the roof,” Pai said in a radio interview in iHeartMedia’s Miami headquarters during a visit to Irma-damaged Florida with Commissioner Mignon Clyburn. “You guys do a terrific job giving people the information when they need it,” he said. Younger listeners don’t gravitate to AM, and “time is not on the side of the AM dial,” Pai said, but he said he and Clyburn are working to improve things for AM. “A bipartisan majority at the FCC” believes in AM radio, Pai said. It's “critically important” for broadcasters to have an FCC that supports them, Clyburn said. Broadcasters should know that the FCC is thinking about their issues and the emergency services they provide, she said. Clyburn and Pai also toured a public safety building, and met with a Florida public service commissioner and staff from the FCC’s Miami Field Office, said a news release. They spoke with a team restoring cell towers and other wireless infrastructure damaged during the storm, it said. “The lessons learned during our visit will help the FCC’s continued work to improve the performance of communications networks in future emergencies,” Pai said in the release, praising emergency and wireless workers, plus broadcasters. There's “much more work to be done in the days and weeks ahead, including in the U.S. Virgin Islands, where more than 50% of cell sites remain out of service,” said Clyburn in the release. “Working with my colleagues, Members of Congress, as well as state and local officials, we can translate these lessons into policies that ensure our nation’s communications networks and 9-1-1 systems remain reliable and resilient during disasters.” The FCC added a briefing on its response to the recent hurricanes to the agenda for the Sept. 26 commissioners' meeting, said a notice. The briefing will be done by Public Safety Bureau staff, the notice said.