[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 204 (Tuesday, October 22, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 64896-64897]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-26796]


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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, revision of a currently approved 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 Census form 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, and produce mailing lists 
for USFA publications. 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. In the first year of this effort, information was collected 
from 16,000 fire departments leaving an estimated 17,000 fire 
departments still to respond.
    Collection of Information.
    Title: National Fire Department Census.
    Type of Information Collection: Revision of a currently approved 
collection.
    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, and produce mailing lists for USFA publications and other 
materials.
    Affected Public: Federal, State, local or Tribal government; not-
for-profit institutions; volunteer; and, industrial fire departments.

[[Page 64897]]



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                                     Number of                                                     Annual burden
           FEMA forms               respondents    Frequency of       Hours per response  (C)      hours  (A x B
                                        (A)        response  (B)                                       x C)
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                                          17,000               1  25 Minutes (.42)..............           7,083
                                 -----------------
      Total.....................          17,000               1  25 Minutes (.42)..............           7,083
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    Estimated Cost: The estimated costs to the government will be 
contracted direct labor and associated overhead costs of $50,000. 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 census form 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 census forms 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 
census form) 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 $33,290 is derived (17,000 
estimated census forms x $18.65 = $317,050 x .42 = $133,161 x .25 = 
$33,290). The average cost per census form is a minimal $1.96. The 
respondents are under no obligation to complete the census form 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 census form.
    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, Information Resources 
Management Division, Information Technology Services Directorate, 
Federal Emergency Management Agency, 500 C Street, SW., Room 316, 
Washington, DC 20472, or email [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Contact Gayle Kelch, Statistician, 
United States Fire Administration, National Fire Data Center (301) 447-
1154 for additional information. Contact Ms. Anderson at, email 
[email protected]. for copies of the proposed collection 
of information.

    Dated: October 15, 2002.
Edward W. Kernan,
Division Director, Information Resources Management Division, 
Information Technology Services Directorate.
[FR Doc. 02-26796 Filed 10-21-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6718-01-P