0295 SS 011608rev

SUPPORTING STATEMENT
EMERGENCY BEACON REGISTRATIONS
OMB CONTROL NO. 0648-0295

A. JUSTIFICATION
1. Explain the circumstances that make the collection of information necessary.
The United States, Canada, France and Russia operate the Search and Rescue Satellite-Aided Tracking
(COSPAS*/SARSAT), a satellite system with equipment that can detect and locate ships, aircraft and
individuals in distress if an emergency radio beacon is being carried. This system is used to detect both
analog, 121.5/243 MHZ, and digitally encoded signals in the 406.010-406.100 MHz range, coming
from these emergency beacons. The 121.500/243 MHz signals are virtually indistinguishable from one
beacon to the next, but the 406.010-406.100 MHz beacons transmit a unique identifier, making possible
the ability to combine previously collected data associated with that beacon and transmit this vital data
along with the beacon’s position to the appropriate rescue coordination center.
Persons buying 406.010-406.100 MHz emergency radio beacons are required to register them with
NOAA prior to installation. These requirements are contained in Federal Communications
Commission (FCC) regulations at 47 CFR 80.1061, 47 CFR 87.199 and 47 CFR 95.1402.
The registration data is used to facilitate a rescue and to suppress the costly consequences of false
alarms, which if unsuppressed would initiate the launch of a rescue mission and thereby deplete
limited resources and possibly result in the loss of lives. This is accomplished through the use of the
data provided to the rescue forces from the data base maintained by the NOAA’s United States
Mission Control Center (USMCC) for Search and Rescue, to verify via a phone call or radio broadcast
to the “distressed” element or an alternate party provided in the registration data. Other data provides
rescuers with descriptive material of the element in distress. The registration information must be kept
up-to-date. Vessel and aircraft owners must notify NOAA if the vessel, aircraft, or beacon changes
ownership.
Four registration forms are used. The EPIRB (Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon) form is
used for nautical beacons. The ELT (Emergency Locator Transmitter) form is used for aircraft beacons.
The PLB (Personal Locator Beacon) is used to register portable beacons carried by individuals. Ship
Security Alerting System (SSAS) beacons are carried aboard ships, are similar to EPIRBs and are used
in the event of an emergency situation such as piracy or terrorism.
2. Explain how, by whom, how frequently, and for what purpose the information will be used.
The information is required prior to the date the beacon is expected to be put in service. The
information will be entered into the data base within 48 hours of receipt. Verification of the

,

*Cosmicheskaya Systyema Poiska Aariynyich Sudov which loosely translates into: “The Space
System for the Search of Vessels in Distress”.

information is required on a two (2) year recurring cycle or until the beacon is reported to have been
removed from service and deactivated. Currently, approximately 195, 500 registrations are active,
including approximately 35,000 new registrations in the past year, and the same number of new
registrations is expected in each of the next three years.
Each entry is intended to provide rescue forces with information to assist them to either avoid the
launch of a rescue mission, as in the case of an unintended beacon activation, sometimes referred to as
a false alert, or rapidly and efficiently execute a rescue, whether it be on land or sea. In the case of the
PLB, some rather specific questions are asked concerning whether the person plans to use the beacon,
while hunting, fishing, or hiking. This information also helps an emergency team to know what to
look for in an emergency: someone in the mountains hunting, hurt on a trail, near a stream or lake, etc.
3. Describe whether, and to what extent, the collection of information involves the use of
automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological techniques or other forms of
information technology.
Respondents may either: 1) obtain the forms electronically via the Internet at
https://beaconregistration.noaa.gov, download, complete, sign and mail or fax or 2) register directly on
the website, in which case the signature requirement is waived.
4. Describe efforts to identify duplication.
The beacons, for which the FCC has mandated registration with NOAA, are essentially specialized
radio transmitters. The information, as collected from the operators of these transmitters, does not exist
in its entirety anywhere else but in the NOAA data base maintained by the USMCC. Purchasers are not
required by law to complete a beacon manufacturer’s owner warranty registration and such
registrations, in any case, would not include all purchasers nor necessarily all the vital information
required in the mandated registration.
5. If the collection of information involves small businesses or other small entities, describe the
methods used to minimize burden.
The collection will not have a significant impact on small entities such as a small businesses,
organizations, or government bodies.
6. Describe the consequences to the Federal program or policy activities if the collection is not
conducted or is conducted less frequently.
The consequences of not having the information could delay the rescue of individuals in danger.
Rescues that are delayed could result in the loss of lives. The information provided in the registration
forms allow rescue center personnel to rapidly sort out the true or most likely true emergency
situations from the non-emergency activations and respond accordingly.
7. Explain any special circumstances that require the collection to be conducted in a
manner inconsistent with OMB guidelines.
This collection is consistent with OMB guidelines.

8. Provide a copy of the PRA Federal Register notice that solicited public comments on the
information collection prior to this submission. Summarize the public comments received in
response to that notice and describe the actions taken by the agency in response to those
comments. Describe the efforts to consult with persons outside the agency to obtain their views on
the availability of data, frequency of collection, the clarity of instructions and recordkeeping,
disclosure, or reporting format (if any), and on the data elements to be recorded, disclosed, or
reported.
A Federal Register Notice, published on October 25, 2007, solicited public comment on this
renewal. No comments were received.
Meetings are held on an annual basis, or more frequently if needed, with the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG)
and the U.S. Air Force (USAF) and the beacon manufacturers, in order to ensure all parties’ awareness
of, or agreement to, program or product changes.
9. Explain any decisions to provide payments or gifts to respondents, other than
remuneration of contractors or grantees.
No payments or gifts are made.
10. Describe any assurance or confidentiality provided to respondents and the basis for
assurance in statute, regulation, or agency policy.
No assurance of confidentiality is provided to respondents.
11. Provide additional justification for any questions of a sensitive nature, such as sexual
behavior and attitudes, religious beliefs, and other matters that are commonly considered private.
No sensitive questions are asked.
12. Provide an estimate in hours of the burden of the collection of information.
The number of annually anticipated new respondents is 35,000. Currently there are 195,020
registrations (including 35,000 new ones in the past year). With renewal required every two years,
we expect half (97,510) of the currently registered entities to renew in the next three years. Thus,
each year we estimate 132,510 (97,510 + 35,000) registrations.
The average response time per registration is 15 minutes or less. The total annual response time
estimated is 33,125 hours (132,510 x 15 minutes/60 minutes).
The estimate is based on the time it would take to enter readily available information such as name,
address, telephone number, radio call sign, type of vessel/aircraft, etc.

13. Provide an estimate of the total annual cost burden to the respondents or record-keepers
resulting from the collection.
The annualized cost to respondents is $20,102 for postage. Sixty-three per cent of respondents are
estimated to submit registration forms electronically. The remaining thirty-seven per cent (49,029) mail
or fax the forms, with the average estimated cost of $0.41. The overall average cost per response,
including on line submissions, would be $0.15.
14. Provide estimates of annualized cost to the Federal government.
The annualized cost to the Federal government is $246,700:
Data entry and mail handling: $200,000
Mailing envelopes: $4,800
Postage: $40,700
Hardware and expendables: $1,200.
15. Explain the reasons for any program changes or adjustments reported in Items 13 or 14 of
the OMB 83-I.
Previously, 20,000 responses and respondents were counted in the calculations for this collection of
information. Those were new responses only – the person calculating the burden did not include
renewal of existing registrations. Based on increased activity, we are now estimating an additional
15,000 registrations per year, and also including the renewal registrations. Thus, of the 112,510
response increase, 15,000 is due to increased activity, and 97,510 is based on renewals of current
registrations, not counted previously. Hours have increased in proportion to the additional responses: an
additional 28,125.
Miscellaneous costs have increased overall due to increased responses counted, but also, a greater
percentage of registrations are on line. In the previous submission, costs were based on the 20,000 new
registrations only, and fifty per cent of those (10,000) were submitted on line. The average cost per the
10,000 was $0.80 (calculations not shown), and thus, averaged over all responses, $0.40. Of the
132,510 annual submissions (new and renewing) now estimated, sixty-three are submitted on line,
leaving thirty-seven per cent (49,029) paying postage or fax costs. We are assuming an average cost of
$0.41 per each of the 49,029, or an average over the 132,510 responses of $0.15. The difference
between the currently estimated total cost of $20,102 and $8,000 is due to: 1) A total increase in mailed
or faxed registrations, from 10,000 to 49,029 and 2) to an adjusted average cost for mailed or faxed
registrations, from $0.80 to $0.41. The additional 39,029 mailed or faxed registrations at the previously
estimated cost of $0.80 would have increased the total cost by $31,223. However, decreasing the
average cost to $0.41 balanced this increase by a decrease of $19,085 , leaving a net increase of
$12,138.
16. For collections whose results will be published, outline the plans for tabulation and
publication.
There is no intention to publicly disseminate or publish the information collected. The sole intended
purpose for collecting the information is to assist rescue forces to efficiently and effectively carry out
their life saving mission.

17. If seeking approval to not display the expiration date for OMB approval of the
information collection, explain the reasons why display would be inappropriate.
N/A.
18. Explain each exception to the certification statement identified in Item 19 of the OMB 83I.
There are no exceptions.
B. COLLECTIONS OF INFORMATION EMPLOYING STATISTICAL METHODS
This collection does not employ statistical methods.