The U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) submitted an extension of its Communications Assets Survey and Mapping (CASM) tool registration information collection to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review, seeking to maintain a nationwide database that helps emergency communications personnel inventory and share communications equipment, capabilities and training information. In a notice published in the Federal Register, CISA seeks an additional 30 days of public comment through Dec. 7 on the information collection, which was previously opened for a 60-day comment period in August without receiving any submissions.
The Department of Homeland Security’s Emergency Communications Division (ECD) provides CASM as a secure, free database for federal, state, local, territorial and tribal emergency personnel to support public safety communications planning and coordination during emergencies. The voluntary system includes modules covering emergency communications assets, equipment capabilities and locations, as well as personnel contact information and communications unit training.
CISA said the proposed extension would continue the existing collection without changes, with an estimated 56 annual respondents and a total reporting burden of 341 hours annually. The agency estimates an annual respondent burden cost of $19,981 and a government burden cost of $3 million. Access requests require users to provide contact details, the reason for access, the type of data requested, and the required access level, with approval routed through their organization’s designated authority.
The OMB is particularly interested in comments that evaluate whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the agency’s functions, including whether the information will have practical utility. It also seeks comments that evaluate the accuracy of the agency’s estimate of the burden of the proposed collection, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions used.
The office is also looking for comments that enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected. Finally, it wants comments that suggest ways to minimize the burden on respondents, including through appropriate automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques, such as permitting electronic submission of responses.
Winfield P. Werntz, acting chief information officer at DHS’ CISA, detailed that the CASM tool is the primary resource nationwide for the emergency communications community to inventory and share asset and training information for planning public safety communications operability and interoperability.
The ECD provides the CASM tool as a secure and free nationwide database to contain communications capabilities for use by federal, state, local, territorial, and tribal (SLTT) emergency personnel. CASM allows federal employees and SLTT statewide interoperability coordinators (SWIC) to inventory emergency communication equipment and resources. Information entered is voluntary and used by SWIC to support tactical planning and coordination during emergencies. ECD does not utilize the information entered into CASM. ECD only provides, maintains, and stores the information entered in the CASM database and only has administrative access to the information entered.
The CASM consists of voluntary modules covering different types of emergency communications capabilities. The assets module holds information about emergency equipment, including what the equipment can do and where it is located. The personnel module holds each person’s name, contact details, and communications unit (COMU) training, which allows statewide interoperability coordinators to track their personnel’s training. All information is collected electronically, and users can enter and access it online or through a mobile app. The collection does not affect small businesses or other small entities.
The database supports the Emergency Communications Division’s statutory mandate to conduct nationwide outreach, helping emergency response providers and government officials keep communicating during natural disasters, terrorist attacks, and other man-made disasters. Without CASM, the division would have no built-in way for states to maintain a centralized, secure database of emergency assets and equipment. The information is protected under the Privacy Act of 1974 and kept private or anonymous to the extent the law allows.
Werntz said that the collection takes place annually and affects emergency communications personnel, with an estimated 56 respondents each year. Each respondent is expected to spend about 5 minutes (0.08 hours) on registration and 30 minutes (0.5 hours) on each module. In total, the collection is estimated to impose 341 burden hours annually, for $19,981 to respondents. The annual cost to the government is estimated at $3,000,000.
