Incident Communications Activity Report (ICAR), 63792-63793 [2022-22791]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 202 (Thursday, October 20, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 63792-63793]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-22791]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

[Docket No. CISA-2022-0012]


Incident Communications Activity Report (ICAR)

AGENCY: Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), 
Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

ACTION: 60-Day notice and request for comments; new collection (request 
for a new OMB Control Number, 1670-NEW.

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SUMMARY: DHS CISA Emergency Communications Division (ECD) will submit 
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 December 19, 
2022.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, identified by docket number CISA-
2022-0012, by one of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: https://www.regulations.gov. 
Please follow the instructions for submitting comments.
     Mail: CISA strongly prefers comments to be submitted 
electronically. Written comments and questions about this Information 
Collection Request should be forwarded to CISA/ECD, ATTN Mark Carmel: 
CISA--Mailstop 0612, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, 
4200 Wilson Blvd., Arlington, VA 20598-0612.
    Instructions: All submissions received must include the words 
``Department of Homeland Security'' and a corresponding docket number 
for this action. Comments received will be posted without alteration at 
https://www.regulations.gov, including any personal information 
provided.
    Comments submitted in response to this notice may be made available 
to the public through relevant websites. For this reason, please do not 
include confidential comments, such as sensitive personal information 
or proprietary information. Please note that responses to this public 
comment request containing any routine notice about the confidentiality 
of the communication will be treated as public comments that may be 
made available to the public notwithstanding the inclusion of the 
routine notice.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For specific questions related to 
collection activities, please contact Wes Rogers at 202-897-8132 or at 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 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 of any organized 
incident management command and coordination structure established 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 Security Agency (CISA) which 
serves

[[Page 63793]]

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. This authority is 
consistent with 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 information collected will provide on-the-ground data on 
emergency communications activity of any organized incident management 
command and coordination structure established 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 Counsel 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 of any organized incident 
management command and coordination structure established 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 communications and public safety technologies communications 
challenges and best practices will be captured. Public safety 
communications technologies would include--Cellular, Tactical 
Information Technology, Emergency Alert Systems, Land Mobile Radio, 
Satellite, 9-1-1 and emergency communications centers. Collecting and 
summarizing this data will drive our nationwide response, drive 
strategy, and goal development--subsequently improving existing and/or 
offer new Technical Assistance option 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.
    We will send the ICAR form out using a Microsoft Teams Form link 
via email. The ICAR form will require a total effort of approximately 
five minutes for completion. The ICAR form will be completed per 
incident. The recipients are individuals we deal with on a regular 
basis and are in constant contact with them. 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 a couple drop 
down type questions which will be asked.
    This is a NEW of an information collection.
    OMB is particularly interested in comments that:
    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.
    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: Department of Homeland Security, Cybersecurity and 
Infrastructure Security Agency.
    Title of Collection: Incident Communications Activity Report 
(ICAR).
    OMB Control Number: 1670-NEW.
    Frequency: per incident on a voluntary basis.
    Affected Public: State, Local, territorial and Tribal public safety 
communications personnel.
    Number of Annualized Respondents: 450.
    Estimated Time per Respondent: 0.083 hours.
    Total Annualized Burden Hours: 37.5 hours.
    Total Annualized Respondent Opportunity Cost: $2,131.15.
    Total Annualized Respondent Out-of-Pocket: $0.
    Total Annualized Government Cost: $25,563.

Robert Costello,
Chief Information Officer, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security 
Agency, Department of Homeland Security.
[FR Doc. 2022-22791 Filed 10-19-22; 8:45 am]
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