[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 244 (Tuesday, December 19, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 79366-79367]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-32215]



[[Page 79366]]

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FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY


Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request

ACTION:  Notice and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The Federal Emergency Management Agency, as part of its 
continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites 
the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity 
to comment on a proposed, new information collection. In accordance 
with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)), 
this notice seeks comments concerning the use of a survey to collect 
data for the development of a national fire department database.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) receives 
many requests from fire service organizations and the general public 
for information related to fire departments, including total number of 
departments, number of stations per department, population protected, 
and number of firefighters. The USFA also has a need for this 
information to guide programmatic decisions, produce mailing lists for 
USFA publications, and serve as a baseline from which to eventually 
sample fire loss data. Recommendations for the creation of the fire 
department database came out of a Blue Ribbon Panel's review of the 
USFA--initiated by FEMA Director James Lee Witt in the spring of 1998. 
The report included a review of the structure, mission and funding of 
the USFA, future policies, programmatic needs, course development and 
delivery, and the role of the USFA to reflect changes in the fire 
service. The panel included 13 members of the U.S. fire community. As a 
result of those recommendations, the USFA is working to identify all 
fire departments in the United States to develop and populate a 
national database that will include information related to 
demographics, capabilities and activities of fire departments 
Nationwide.

Collection of Information

    Title. National Fire Department Census.
    Type of Information Collection. New.
    Abstract. Many data products and reports exist that contain 
fragmented or estimated information about fire department demographics, 
and capabilities, but there is no single reference source today that 
aggregates this data to provide a complete and accurate profile of fire 
departments in the United States. The U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) 
receives many requests for information related to fire departments, 
including total number of departments, number of stations per 
department, population protected, apparatus and equipment status. The 
USFA is working to identify all fire departments in the United States 
to develop and populate a national database that will include 
information related to demographics, capabilities and activities. The 
database will be used by USFA to guide programmatic decisions, provide 
the Fire Service and the public with information about fire 
departments, to produce mailing lists for USFA publications and other 
materials, and serve as a baseline from which to sample fire loss data.
    Affected Public: Federal, State, local government, volunteer, and 
industrial fire departments.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours.

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                                     Number of   Frequency                                         Annual burden
                                                of response         Hours per response (C)        hours (A  x  B
                                   respondents      (B)                                                x  C)
---------------------------------------(A)----------------------------------------------------------------------
FEMA forms.......................       33,000            1  25 Minutes (.42)                             13,860
                                  ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Total........................       33,000            1  25 Minutes (.42)                             13,860
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    Estimated Cost. The estimated costs to the government will be 
contracted direct labor and associated overhead costs of $433,500. 
There would be no costs to the respondent other than the minimal direct 
labor cost of a single firefighter or emergency service worker taking a 
small amount of time to complete the survey and this would be 
applicable only to those fire departments and emergency service 
agencies with career employees. The majority of the respondents will be 
from volunteer fire departments for which no direct labor costs will be 
incurred. The estimate of respondent costs for those career departments 
is computed as follows: Estimated number of surveys multiplied by the 
national average hourly rate of a firefighter of $18.65 multiplied by 
.42 (representing the estimated 25 minutes it takes to complete the 
survey) and multiply that by .25 which represents the percentage of 
respondents who are career (paid) personnel. Using this equation, total 
estimated costs to respondents of $64,622 is derived (33,000 estimated 
surveys  x  $18.65 = $615,450  x  .42 = $258,489  x  .25 = $64,622). 
The average cost per survey is a minimal $1.96. The respondents are 
under no obligation to complete the survey and may refuse to do so or 
stop at any time so the average cost to the respondent of $1.96 could 
easily not be incurred by refusing to fill out the survey.
    Comments: Written comments are solicited to (a) evaluate whether 
the proposed data collection is necessary for the proper performance of 
the agency, including whether the information shall have practical 
utility; (b) 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; (c) enhance the 
quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and 
(d) 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 
submission of responses. Comments should be received within 60 days of 
the date of this notice.

ADDRESSES: Interested persons should submit written comments to Muriel 
B. Anderson, Chief, Records Management Branch, Program Services 
Division, Operations Support Directorate, Federal Emergency Management 
Agency, 500 C Street, SW, Room 316, Washington, DC 20472. Telephone 
number (202) 646-2625. FAX number (202) 646-3524 or e:mail 
[email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Bradley S. Pabody, Fire Program 
Specialist, United States Fire Administration, National Fire Data 
Center, (301) 447-1340 for additional information. Contact Ms. Anderson 
at (202) 646-2625 for copies of the proposed collection of information


[[Page 79367]]


    Dated: December 12, 2000.
Reginald Trujillo,
Director, Program Services Division, Operations Support Directorate.
[FR Doc. 00-32215 Filed 12-18-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6718-01-P