Narrative of changes for 2009 Supporting Statement 1660-0054 6-22-09

Januaury 5, 2009

Supporting Statement for

Paperwork Reduction Act Submissions

OMB Control Number: 1660 - 0054

Title: Assistance to Firefighters Grant Applications.

Form Number(s): FEMA Form 080-2, FEMA Form 080-3, FEMA Form 080-4, FEMA Form 080-5, FEMA Form 080-6, FEMA Form 080-7, FEMA Form 080-8, and FEMA Form 080-10.

No forms or form numbers previously existed. In addition, this collection was discontinued and we added two other grant programs to it as completely new additions, AFG and SAFER, which were never part of what was approved before the collection that they attempted to do was discontinued. 

It was also one transferred from back and forth from agency to agency as Collection 3067-0285 back to a 1660 number as it is now so there is a lack of old documentation on it like we regularly have.  We have neither an old supporting statement nor old form numbers in the folder for it, for example to compare it to. 

Some of the below I will highlight in red as it is new but there is no prior supporting statement to compare it to. The AFG part of the application existed but there were no form numbers for this part of the grant application.

General Instructions

A Supporting Statement, including the text of the notice to the public required by 5 CFR 1320.5(a)(i)(iv) and its actual or estimated date of publication in the Federal Register, must accompany each request for approval of a collection of information. The Supporting Statement must be prepared in the format described below, and must contain the information specified in Section A below. If an item is not applicable, provide a brief explanation. When Item 17 or the OMB Form 83-I is checked “Yes,” Section B of the Supporting Statement must be completed. OMB reserves the right to require the submission of additional information with respect to any request for approval.

Specific Instructions

A. Justification

1. Explain the circumstances that make the collection of information necessary.

Identify any legal or administrative requirements that necessitate the collection. Attach a copy of the appropriate section of each statute and regulation mandating or authorizing the collection of information. Provide a detailed description of the nature and source of the information to be collected.

Information sought under this submission will comprise the applications for Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program (AFG), Fire Prevention and Safety (FPS) grants, and Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grants. The authorizing legislation allows FEMA to fund fire department activities in as many as fourteen different areas. The authority for AFG and FPS is derived from the Federal Fire Protection and Control Act of 1974 (15 U.S.C. §§ 2229 et seq.), as amended. The authority for Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) is derived from 15 U.S.C. 2201 et seq. The information collected is grant application information which is necessary to assess the needs of the applicants as well as the benefits to be obtained from the use of funds. The information collected through the program’s application is the minimum necessary to evaluate grant applications and is necessary for FEMA to comply with mandates delineated in the law. The collection includes details concerning the applicants’ demographics, capabilities, and operational resources as well as details specific to their request.

2. Indicate how, by whom, and for what purpose the information is to be used. Except for a new collection, indicate the actual use the agency has made of the information received from the current collection. Provide a detailed description of how the information will be shared, if applicable, and for what programmatic purpose.

The following FEMA Forms are used to collect fire grant applications:

FEMA Form 080-2, AFG Application (General Questions and Narrative) - This form, which has two parts, is used to obtain general information regarding the applicant such as name, address, banking information, contact information, and type of organization.

Part 1, includes questions regarding the general characteristics of the applicant’s community such as zoning and population protected. Finally, it provides information about the applicant such as the types of vehicles in their fleet, the number of firefighters, and the number and types of incidents the department responds to.

Part 2, is the narrative where the applicant provides detailed information regarding the projects detail, the project budget, the financial need of the applicant, the cost/benefit of the project, and the effect that the grant will have on the daily operations of the grantee.

FEMA Form 080-3, Activity Specific Questions for AFG Vehicle Applicants – This form obtains the information from the applicant regarding the vehicle that the applicant wishes to purchase as well as information about the vehicle that will be replaced by the new vehicle.

FEMA Form 080-4, Activity Specific Questions for AFG Operations and Safety Applications – This form obtains information about the specific items that the applicant wishes to purchase with the grant funds if awarded. The questions are activity specific, thus applicants seeking training funds will answer questions about their training project; applicants seeking funds for equipment will answer questions about their equipment needs; applicants seeking funds for modifications for facilities will answer questions regarding their modification project; and, applicants seeking funds for wellness and fitness projects will answer questions regarding their wellness and fitness program.

FEMA Form 080-5, Activity Specific Questions for Fire Prevention and Safety Applicants – This form obtains information about the applicant’s existing fire prevention program as well as the program that the applicant is seeking to implement with the grant funds if awarded.

FEMA Form 080-6, Fire Prevention and Safety Research and Development Application (Questions and Narrative) – This form obtains information about the applicant’s planned research project, the anticipated results of the research project, and the plans for dissemination of the results of the project.

FEMA Form 080-7, Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (General Questions for All Applicants) – This form is used to obtain general information regarding the applicant such as name, address, banking information, contact information, and type of organization. It also includes questions regarding the general characteristics of the applicant’s community such as zoning and population protected. Finally, it obtains information regarding the staffing levels and needs of the applicant, the number of firefighters, and the number and types of incidents the department responds to.

FEMA Form 080-8, Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response Hiring of Firefighters Application (Questions and Narrative) – This form obtains information from the applicant regarding their staffing status, their current response rates, their projected response rates if awarded as well as the staffing level on their first-out engine. The second part is the narrative where the applicant provides detailed information regarding the staffing needs of the department, the financial need of the applicant, the benefits that would be realized if the staffing funds were awarded, the policies and practices of the applicant regarding minority recruitment, the applicants ability to maintain the staffing hired by the grant and the applicant’s policies and practices regarding their allowance of their paid members to volunteer as a firefighter in other jurisdiction during their days off.

FEMA Form 080-10, Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response Recruitment and Retention of Volunteer Firefighters Application (Questions and Narrative) – This form obtains information from the applicant regarding their current staffing levels, the turnover in volunteers, their success in recruiting new volunteers, their ideal staffing levels, and their projected results if awarded. The second part is the narrative where the applicant provides detailed information regarding the staffing needs of the department, the financial need of the applicant, the benefits that would be realized if the staffing funds were awarded, and the policies and practices of the applicant regarding minority recruitment.

Instructions and guidance on how to complete these forms can be found on the FEMA website at http://www.firegrantsupport.com/afg/guidance/ and applications can be accessed on the following FEMA website https://portal.fema.gov/famsVuWeb/home.

The information is collected via a web-based application. We do have paper forms available in the event an applicant cannot enter their information though our web application. However, that is rare and we estimate 100% of the ones we receive will be electronically received. Over the last four years, we have received approximately 100,000 individual applications and only two were received in paper form. We anticipate the application period for FIRE Grants will begin in early March 2010 and end in early April 2010; the tentative application period for SAFER will begin in late May 2010 and end in late June 2010; and the tentative application period for FPS will begin in early September 2010 and end in early October 2010.

FEMA uses this information to ensure that FEMA’s responsibilities under the legislation can be fulfilled, accurately and efficiently. For example, FEMA must ensure that funds are distributed to urban, suburban and rural fire departments and Emergency Medical Service (EMS) organizations and to assure that no more than two percent of the appropriation is awarded to EMS organizations. FEMA must ensure that the funds are distributed among career and volunteer/combination departments proportionally equal to the percentage of the nation’s population that those fire departments protect. Also, FEMA must ensure that fire departments provide non-federal cash match for the FIRE Grants.

The information collected is used to objectively evaluate each of the anticipated applicants to determine which of the applicants’ proposals in each of the activities are the closest to the established program priorities. FEMA also uses the information to determine eligibility and whether the proposed use of funds meets the requirements and intent of the legislation.

This information will not be shared beyond the scope of the program.

The Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program provides that the Director of FEMA may make grants to fire departments only if the applicant agrees to use the funds for one or more of the 14 specific purposes listed below.

1) to hire additional firefighters

2) to train firefighters

3) to create rapid intervention teams

4) to certify fire inspectors

5) to establish wellness and fitness programs

6) to fund emergency medical services

7) to acquire firefighting vehicles

8) to acquire firefighting equipment

9) to acquire personal protective equipment

10) to modify fire stations

11) to enforce fire codes

12) to fund fire prevention programs

13) to educate the public about arson prevention

14) to provide incentives for the recruitment and retention of volunteer firefighters.

Since the original authorization in 2001 and continuing through the reauthorization in 2005, we, for all intents and purposes, funded all of the listed activities except for hiring of firefighters and recruitment and retention activities (items 1 and 14 above in italics). These two activities are now funded, however, and see the SAFER section below. All other activities were funded either directly or indirectly via the 12 activities delineated as illustrated below. The specific activities that are funded are:

1. training (#2 above), which can include: creating rapid intervention teams (#3 above) and EMS (#6 above),

2. wellness/fitness (#5),

3. firefighting vehicles (#7), which can include: firefighting equipment (#8); training (#2); and wellness/fitness (#5),

4. firefighting equipment (#8), which can include: creating rapid intervention teams (#3); and EMS (#6),

5. personal protective equipment (#9), which can include: creating rapid intervention teams (#3); and EMS (#6),

6. modify facilities (# 10), and

7. fire prevention (#12), which can include: fire inspector training (#4); enforcing fire codes (#11); educating the public (#13); and training (#2).

Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG)

The Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program's objective is to provide funding directly to fire departments and nonaffiliated EMS organizations for the purpose of protecting the health and safety of the public and first responder personnel against fire and fire-related hazards. Over the last eight years this program has provided grant funding directly to individual first-responder organizations on a competitive basis.

In the AFG application, there are two “program” areas: “Operations and Safety,” which includes training, wellness, equipment, personal protective equipment and modifications, and “Vehicles.” We also have a separate funding opportunity in FPS

Fire Prevention and Safety (FPS) Grants

One of the 12 eligible activities is FPS. Fire departments and National, State, Regional and Local organizations are eligible to apply for assistance under FPS. FPS grants provide funding for an array of prevention activities aimed at protecting the health and safety of the public and firefighting personnel. Grant funds are available to fire departments as well as national, state, local, or regional organizations that specialize in prevention activities.

Due to more wide-ranging span of eligibility, we have a separate application period for interested parties seeking grants for Fire Prevention and Safety (FPS) activities. Fire prevention and safety activities includes public education and awareness, enforcement of fire codes, arson prevention and detection, as well as research and development into areas that would protect firefighters from fire and fire related hazards. New to the FPS program in FY 2005 were research and development projects that would have an impact on the health and/or safety of firefighters.

Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) Grants

In 2005 when the AFG was reauthorized, Congress created a new funding opportunity – a program called Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) which provided funding to implement the two activities that we had not, theretofore, elected to fund. The SAFER program provides funding for the hiring of new firefighters and the recruitment and retention of volunteer firefighters. These two activities are items 1 and 14 on the list of eligible/fundable AFG activities above.

The SAFER objective is to provide funding directly to fire departments for the purpose of increasing the number of firefighters to help communities meet industry minimum standards and attain 24-hour staffing to provide adequate protection from fire and fire-related hazards, and to fulfill traditional missions of fire departments that antedate the creation of the FEMA grant funds are available in two activities: Hiring Firefighters and Recruitment and Retention of Volunteer Firefighters. As with the applications for AFG and FP&S, the grant application for SAFER is necessary in order for FEMA to effectively implement this competitive grant program.

The FY 2010 appropriation calls for the SAFER program to provide $210,000,000 in grant funding to be distributed directly to individual fire departments on a competitive basis. The law allows FEMA to provide funds to pay the salaries and benefits of newly hired firefighters with decreasing Federal contributions over the span of five years. The law also allows FEMA to provide funding to volunteer and combination fire departments to create or expand a recruitment and retention program for volunteer firefighters. The funding is available for up to four years depending on the original proposal submitted by the grantee.

The information collected through the program’s application is the minimum necessary to evaluate grant applications authorized under these three grant programs or is necessary for FEMA to comply with mandates delineated in the law.

3. Describe whether, and to what extent, the collection of information involves the use of automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or other forms of information technology, e.g., permitting electronic submission of responses, and the basis for the decision for adopting this means of collection. Also describe any consideration of using information technology to reduce burden.

FEMA will use a web-based application, the FEMA Integrated Security and Access Control System, for these grant programs. We anticipate this fiscal year (FY 2010) the application period will begin in early March 2010, and end in early April 2010, and the application period for FPS will begin on early September 2010, and end in early October 2010.

It is FEMA’s intention to have each application evaluated and ranked automatically by the automated system prior to review by a panel of subject-matter experts. The experts are representatives from the nine major fire service organizations that are nominated by their respective organizations to provide advice and recommendations regarding the implementation of the AFG, FP&S, and SAFER programs. The nine organizations are:

· Congressional Fire Services Institute (CFSI);

· International Association of Arson Investigators (IAAI);

· International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC);

· International Association of Firefighters (IAFF);

· International Society of Fire Service Instructors (ISFSI);

· National Association of State Fire Marshals (NASFM);

· National Fire Protection Association (NFPA);

· National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC); and

· North American Fire Training Directors (NAFTD).

Paper applications will be available and accepted, but any eligible applications submitted in paper will be converted into electronic form in order to be consistent in the evaluation process.

4. Describe efforts to identify duplication. Show specifically why any similar information already available cannot be used or modified for use for the purposes described in Item 2 above.



The U.S. Fire Administration has an incident reporting system that is used to compile fire-related statistics. The system is called National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS), is approved under OMB No.1660-0069 and participation in it is completely voluntary. The NFIRS is a fire incident collection instrument and does not involve a fire department’s fiscal concerns or operational needs; therefore, there is little information that would overlap our collection which is primarily financially and operationally based. NFIRS, based on its voluntary nature, is not an accurate accounting of all of the functions performed on a yearly basis by a grant applicant. Due to this incomplete data, basing a grant application on the information available in the NFIRS would incorrectly restrict awards to deserving respondents. But, to the extent possible, the information in NFIRS will be used for those applicants that have participated in the past in lieu of requiring those applicants to resubmit the same information.

5. If the collection of information impacts small businesses or other small entities (Item 5 of OMB Form 83-I), describe any methods used to minimize.

This information collection does not have an impact on small businesses or other small entities.

6. Describe the consequence to Federal/FEMA program or policy activities if the collection of information is not conducted, or is conducted less frequently as well as any technical or legal obstacles to reducing burden.

The purpose of this collection of information is to a basis to evaluate grant applications in order to make grant awards that allow for the protection of the health and safety of the public and firefighting personnel throughout the nation against fire and fire-related hazards, provide funds for firefighter safety research and provide assistance to EMS organizations. If the information collection is not conducted, there would be no basis under which the applications for assistance could be evaluated, thus funds available for the programs’ purposes cannot be awarded and the benefits of the activities associated with each of the grant purposes would not be achieved.

The information is necessary in order for FEMA to assess the financial needs of the applicants as well as the projected benefits to be obtained from the use of the grant funds.

7. Explain any special circumstances that would cause an information collection to be conducted in a manner:

(a) Requiring respondents to report information to the agency more often than quarterly.



There is no requirement for respondents to report more often than quarterly.

(b) Requiring respondents to prepare a written response to a collection of information in fewer than 30 days after receipt of it.



There is no requirement to provide a written response to the collection in less than 30 days after receipt of it.

(c) Requiring respondents to submit more than an original and two copies of any document.



There is no requirement to submit more than an original and two copies of any document.

(d) Requiring respondents to retain records, other than health, medical, government contract, grant-in-aid, or tax records for more than three years.



There is no requirement to retain records for more than three years.

(e) In connection with a statistical survey, that is not designed to produce valid and reliable results that can be generalized to the universe of study.



There is no statistical survey involved with this collection.

(f) Requiring the use of a statistical data classification that has not been reviewed and approved by OMB.

There is not use of statistical data classification in this collection.

(g) That includes a pledge of confidentiality that is not supported by authority established in statute or regulation, that is not supported by disclosure and data security policies that are consistent with the pledge, or which unnecessarily impedes sharing of data with other agencies for compatible confidential use.



There is no pledge of confidentiality that is not supported by authority established in statute or regulation for this data collection.

(h) Requiring respondents to submit proprietary trade secret, or other confidential information unless the agency can demonstrate that it has instituted procedures to protect the information’s confidentiality to the extent permitted by law.



There is no requirement for respondents to submit proprietary trade secret, or other confidential information for this data collection.

8. Federal Register Notice:



(a) Provide a copy and identify the date and page number of publication in the Federal Register of the agency’s notice soliciting comments on the information collection prior to submission to OMB. Summarize public comments received in response to that notice and describe actions taken by the agency in response to these comments. Specifically address comments received on cost and hour burden.



A 60-day Federal Register Notice inviting public comments was published on 3/13/2009, Volume 74, Number 48, pp. 10954. No comments were received. Please see attached copy of the published notice included in this package.

 (b) Describe 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.

FEMA consults on a regular basis with a panel of subject matter experts from national and international fire service organizations. Many of these experts are, or have been, chiefs of fire departments in their own communities, therefore, they were sensitive to the burdens the collection may have on the applicants. These experts, by consensus, developed the form, format, and content of the grant program’s applications. The panel agreed that the data collected is the absolute minimum necessary in order to evaluate the applications fairly and equitably.

(c) Describe consultations with representatives of those from whom information is to be obtained or those who must compile records. Consultation should occur at least once every three years, even if the collection of information activities is the same as in prior periods. There may be circumstances that may preclude consultation in a specific situation. These circumstances should be explained.

Annually, FEMA convenes with a panel of expert reviewers to review the grant programs’ processes and priorities as well as the grant applications to endorse and/or modify the necessity of the information collected and develop criteria for each of the eligible activities.

9. Explain any decision to provide any payment or gift to respondents, other than remuneration of contractors or grantees.

There are no payments or gifts to respondents for this data collection.

10. Describe any assurance of confidentiality provided to respondents. Present the basis for the assurance in statute, regulation, or agency policy.



There are no assurances of confidentiality provided to the respondents for this information collection.

11. Provide additional justification for any question of a sensitive nature (such as sexual behavior and attitudes, religious beliefs and other matters that are commonly considered private). This justification should include the reasons why the agency considers the questions necessary, the specific uses to be made of the information, the explanation to be given to persons from whom the information is requested, and any steps to be taken to obtain their consent.

There are no questions of a sensitive nature required in this data collection.

 12. Provide estimates of the hour burden of the collection of information. The statement should: PLEASE NOTE: All changes are detailed in Question 15 (below).



 (a) Indicate the number of respondents, frequency of response, annual hour burden, and an explanation of how the burden was estimated. Unless directed to do so, agencies should not conduct special surveys to obtain information on which to base hour burden estimates. Consultation with a sample (fewer than 10) of potential respondents is desired. If the hour burden on respondents is expected to vary widely because of differences in activity, size, or complexity, show the range of estimated hour burden, and explain the reasons for the variance. Generally, estimates should not include burden hours for customary and usual business practices.

The AFG program office conducted a survey in 2008 to determine a more accurate burden rate for each collection included in this request. The information provided below incorporates the results of that survey.

Assistance to Firefighters Grants

This grant application is the same but time estimates below have changed.

There are three forms in the AFG application (FF 080-2 for general questions and the narrative, FF 080-3 for activity-specific questions involving vehicle requests, and FF 080-4 for activity-specific questions involving operations requests). Each is completed separately and is determined to be a separate form. According to the survey, it takes 8.6 hours to complete the components of an AFG Grant Application.  It takes 6.6 hours to complete the general questions required for all applicants and the narrative (2.6 hours for the general questions and 4 hours for the narrative).  In addition, it takes applicants 2 hours to complete either the activity-specific questions for vehicle acquisition or for operations and safety.  

Fire Prevention and Safety

There are three forms in the FPS application (FF 080-2 for general questions and the narrative, FF 080-5 for activity-specific questions involving fire prevention requests, and FF 080-6 for activity-specific questions involving research and development requests). Each is completed separately and is a separate form. For the FPS funding opportunity, there are two components.  There are the fire prevention and safety applications and the research and development applications. According to the survey, it takes the 2,450 fire prevention applicants 8.6 hours to fill out the application (2.6 hours for the general questions, 4.0 hours for the narrative, and 2.0 hours for the activity-specific questions). In addition, the survey showed that it takes the 50 research-and-development applicants 24.1 hours to complete an application (2.6 hours for the general questions, 7.5 hours for the activity specific questions, and 14.0 hours for the narrative).

SAFER

In 2008, FEMA received 1,500 applications under the SAFER grant process. There are three forms involved in the SAFER application (FF 080-2 for general questions and the narrative, FF 080-8 for activity-specific questions involving the hiring of firefighter requests, and FF 080-10 for activity-specific questions involving recruitment and retention of volunteer requests). According to the survey, it takes the 1,500 SAFER applicants 10.1 hours to fill out the application (2.6 hours for the general questions, 5.0 hours for the narrative, and 2.5 hours for the activity-specific questions whether the activity is hiring or recruitment and retention).

 (b) If this request for approval covers more than one form, provide separate hour burden estimates for each form and aggregate the hour burdens in Item 13 of OMB Form 83-I.

(c) Provide an estimate of annualized cost to respondents for the hour burdens for collections of information, identifying and using appropriate wage rate categories. The cost to the respondents of contracting out or paying outside parties for information collection activities should not be included here. Instead this cost should be included in Item 13.

Annual Hour Burden

Table A.12: Estimated Annualized Burden Hours and Costs
Type of Respon- dent	Form Name / Form Number	No. of Respon- dents	No. of Responses per Respon-dent	Avg. Burden per Response (in hours)	Total Annual Burden (in hours)	Avg. Hourly Wage Rate*	Total Annual Respon- dent Cost
State, Local, or Tribal Govern-ment	FF 080-2 AFG Application (General Questions and Narrative)	24,700	1	6.6	163,020	$44.24	$7,212,004.80
Not-for-profit institu-tions	FF 080-2 AFG Application (General Questions and Narrative)	300	1	6.6	1,980	$38.50	$76,230.00
State, Local, or Tribal Govern-ment	FF 080-3 Activity Specific Questions for AFG Vehicle Applicants	8,000	1	2.0	16,000	$44.24	$707,840.00
State, Local, or Tribal Govern-ment	FF 080-4 Activity Specific Questions for AFG Operations and Safety Applications	13,000	1	2.0	26,000	$44.24	$1,150,240.00
	AFG Subtotal	46,000			207,000
State, Local, or Tribal Govern-ment	FF 080-5 Activity Specific Questions for Fire Prevention and Safety Applicants	2,150	1	2.0	4,300	$44.24	$190,232.00
Not-for-profit institu-tions	FF 080-5 Activity Specific Questions for Fire Prevention and Safety Applicants	300	1	2.0	600	$38.50	$23,100.00
Not-for-profit institu-tions	FF 080-6 Fire Prevention and Safety Research and Development Application (Questions and Narrative)	50	1	21.5	1,075	$38.50	$41,387.50
	FPS Subtotal	2,500			5,975
State, Local, or Tribal Govern-ment	FF 080-7 Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (General Questions All Applicants)	1,470	1	2.0	2,940	$44.24	$130,065.60
Not-for-profit institu-tions	FF 080-7 Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (General Questions All Applicants	30	1	2	60	$38.50	$2,310.00
State, Local, or Tribal Govern-ment	FF 080-8 Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response Hiring of Firefighters Application (Questions and Narrative)	1,000	1	7.5	7,500	$44.24	$331,800.00
State, Local, or Tribal Govern-ment	FF 080-10 Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response Recruitment and Retention of Volunteer Firefighters Application (Questions and Narrative)	470	1	7.5	3,525	$44.24	$155,946.00
Not-for-profit institu-tions	FF 080-10 Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response Recruitment and Retention of Volunteer Firefighters Application (Questions and Narrative)	30	1	7.5	225	$38.50	$8,662.50
	SAFER Subtotal	3,000			14,250
Grand Total		51,500			227,225		$10,029,818.40

* Note: The “Avg. Hourly Wage Rate” for each respondent includes a 1.4 multiplier to reflect a fully-loaded wage rate.

Instruction for Wage-rate category multiplier: Take each non-loaded “Avg. Hourly Wage Rate” from the BLS website table and multiply that number by 1.4. For example, a non-loaded BLS table wage rate of $42.51 would be multiplied by 1.4, and the entry for the “Avg. Hourly Wage Rate” would be $59.51.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics website (www.bls.gov) the wage rate category for 1^st Line Supervisor/Manager Firefighting and Prevention Worker is estimated to be $31.60 per hour, and the wage rate category for University Level Environmental Research Scientists is estimated to be $27.50 per hour, therefore, the estimated burden hour cost to respondents is estimated to $10,029,818.40 annually when multiplied by 227,225 total annual burden hours.

13. Provide an estimate of the total annual cost burden to respondents or recordkeepers resulting from the collection of information. The cost of purchasing or contracting out information collection services should be a part of this cost burden estimate. (Do not include the cost of any hour burden shown in Items 12 and 14.) Costs are updated to more accurately reflect those associated with this collection.

The cost estimates should be split into two components:

a. Operation and Maintenance and purchase of services component. These estimates should take into account cost associated with generating, maintaining, and disclosing or providing information. Include descriptions of methods used to estimate major cost factors including system and technology acquisition, expected useful life of capital equipment, the discount rate(s), and the time period over which costs will be incurred.

There are no operational and/or maintenance costs for this collection. Equipment (such as computers) is already owned by the applicants or readily available at no cost.

b. Capital and Start-up-Cost should include, among other items, preparations for collecting information such as purchasing computers and software, monitoring sampling, drilling and testing equipment, and record storage facilities.

14. Provide estimates of annualized cost to the federal government. Also, provide a description of the method used to estimate cost, which should include quantification of hours, operational expenses (such as equipment, overhead, printing and support staff), and any other expense that would have been incurred without this collection of information. You may also aggregate cost estimates for Items 12, 13, and 14 in a single table. Note change to cost to the Federal Government below.

Annual Cost to the Federal Government
Item	Cost ($)
Contract Costs (Include survey development, implementation, analysis and reporting)	3,850,000
Staff Salaries (two hours per day of the Project Officer’s time calculated at the GS-14 level, 49.22 per hour x 2 hrs. per day = 49.22 x 2 x 5 days a week x 52 weeks = 25,594.40 )	25,594.40
Total	$3,875,594.40

The chart above provides details about the approximate cost to the Government of this data collection:

Contract costs/operational costs are estimated at $3,875,594.40 per year. These costs include staffing, maintaining the electronic database, and report generation. There are 11 full-time contractor staff who oversee the database management and report generation under this endeavor, and the IT maintenance for the online web form application is included in the $3.89 million contractor costs detailed above, as the largest expense.

Staff salaries are estimated at 25,594.40 per year. They include approximately two hours per day of the Project Officer’s time calculated at the GS-14 level (step 1).

15. Explain the reasons for any program changes or adjustments reported in Items 13 or 14 of the OMB Form 83-I in a narrative form. Present the itemized changes in hour burden and cost burden according to program changes or adjustments in Table 5. Denote a program increase as a positive number, and a program decrease as a negative number. See descriptions below each chart for changes.

A "Program increase" is an additional burden resulting from an federal government regulatory action or directive. (e.g., an increase in sample size or coverage, amount of information, reporting frequency, or expanded use of an existing form). This also includes previously in-use and unapproved information collections discovered during the ICB process, or during the fiscal year, which will be in use during the next fiscal year.

A "Program decrease", is a reduction in burden because of: (1) the discontinuation of an information collection; or (2) a change in an existing information collection by a Federal agency (e.g., the use of sampling (or smaller samples), a decrease in the amount of information requested (fewer questions), or a decrease in reporting frequency).

"Adjustment" denotes a change in burden hours due to factors over which the government has no control, such as population growth, or in factors which do not affect what information the government collects or changes in the methods used to estimate burden or correction of errors in burden estimates.

Itemized Changes in Annual Burden Hours
Data collection Activity/Instrument	Program Change (hours currently on OMB Inventory)	Program Change (New)	Difference	Adjustment (hours currently on OMB Inventory)	Adjustment (New)	Difference
FF 080-2 AFG Application (General Questions and Narrative)	0	$7,288,234.80	+$7,288,234.80
FF 080-3 Activity Specific Questions for AFG Vehicle Applicants	0	$707,840.00	+$707,840.00
FF 080-4 Activity Specific Questions for AFG Operations and Safety Applications	0	$1,150,240.00	+$1,150,240.00
AFG Subtotal	0
FF 080-5 Activity Specific Questions for Fire Prevention and Safety Applicants	0	$213,332.00	+$213,332.00
FF 080-6 Fire Prevention and Safety Research and Development Application (Questions and Narrative)	0	$41,387.50	+$41,387.50
FPS Subtotal	0
FF 080-7 Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (General Questions All Applicants)	0	$132,375.60	+$132,375.60
FF 080-8 Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response Hiring of Firefighters Application (Questions and Narrative)	0	$331,800.00	+$331,800.00
FF 080-10 Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response Recruitment and Retention of Volunteer Firefighters Application (Questions and Narrative)	0	$164,608.50	+$164,608.50
SAFER Subtotal	0
Grand Total	0		$10,029,818.40

Explain:

AFG

The AFG program included previously approved collection tools, but the entire collection OMB No. 1660-0054 was discontinued due to no request for approval beyond the prior expiration date of December 31, 2005 and as such, there is no burden in the inventory for any of the collection tools. The following forms are part of the AFG program:

FEMA Form 080-2, AFG Application (General Questions and Narrative) – There is a program increase of 165,000 hours due to the reinstatement of this collection. This form was previously not assigned a form number and was named “General Questions for All Applicants.”

FEMA Form 080-3, Activity Specific Questions for AFG Vehicle Applicants – There is a program increase of 16,000 hours due to the reinstatement of this collection. This form was previously not assigned a form number and was named “Vehicle Acquisition.”

FEMA Form 080-4, Activity Specific Questions for AFG Operations and Safety Applications – There is a program increase of 26,000 hours due to the reinstatement of this collection. This form was previously not assigned a form number and was named “Firefighting Operations and Safety.”

FP&S

FEMA Form 080-5, Activity Specific Questions for Fire Prevention and Safety Applicants – There is a program increase of 4,900 hours due to the reinstatement of this collection. This form was previously not assigned a form number and was named “Fire Prevention Programs.”

FEMA Form 080-6, Fire Prevention and Safety Research and Development Application (Questions and Narrative) – There is a program increase of 1,075 hours due to the reinstatement of this collection. This form was previously not assigned a form number and was named “Fire Prevention Programs.”

SAFER

The SAFER grant program has been added to this collection, and all burden hours are program adjustments as there has not previously been a request for approval of this information collection. The addition of the burden hours result from approval of funding for the two activities that the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program previously included in the list of activities but were never awarded due to a lack of funds. The following forms are part of the SAFER program:

FEMA Form 080-7, Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (General Questions All Applicants) – This is a new form and there is a program change of a positive 3,000 hours.

FEMA Form 080-8, Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response Hiring of Firefighters Application (Questions and Narrative) – This is a new form and there is a program change of a positive 7,500 hours.

FEMA Form 080-10, Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response Recruitment and Retention of Volunteer Firefighters Application (Questions and Narrative) – This is a new form and there is a program change of a positive 3,750 hours.

Additionally, the prior approval for this collection contained the following forms. The burden for the use of these forms in association with the AFG, FP&S and SAFER programs has been calculated and approved for use in collection OMB No. 1660-0025 or the forms are Standard Forms. Because this is a reinstatement, there is no burden change to report in the above table. The following is a list of these forms:

SF-424, Application Facesheet

FEMA Form 20-20, Budget Non-Construction

FEMA Form 20-16, Summary of Assurances

SF-LLL, Lobbying Disclosure

SF-270, Payment Document

SF-1199a, Direct Deposit Form

SF 20-10, Financial Status Report

Final Performance Report (as required by the Articles of Agreement)

The burden for the former form, Emergency Medical Services, in now encompassed in the following forms FEMA Form 080-2, FEMA Form 080-3, and FEMA Form 080-4. Because this is a form that was not previously assigned a form number, there is no burden change to report in the above table.

Itemized Changes in Annual Cost Burden
Data collection Activity/Instrument	Program Change (cost currently on OMB Inventory)		Program Change (New)	Difference	Adjustment (cost currently on OMB Inventory)	Adjustment (New)	Difference
FF 080-2 AFG Application (General Questions and Narrative)	0	$7,212,004.80		$7,212,004.80
FF 080-3 Activity Specific Questions for AFG Vehicle Applicants	0	$76,230.00		$76,230.00
FF 080-4 Activity Specific Questions for AFG Operations and Safety Applications	0	$707,840.00		$707,840.00
AFG Subtotal	0	$1,150,240.00		$1,150,240.00
FF 080-5 Activity Specific Questions for Fire Prevention and Safety Applicants	0
FF 080-6 Fire Prevention and Safety Research and Development Application (Questions and Narrative)	0		$190,232.00	$190,232.00
FPS Subtotal	0		$23,100.00	$23,100.00
FF 080-7 Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (General Questions All Applicants)	0		$41,387.50	$41,387.50
FF 080-8 Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response Hiring of Firefighters Application (Questions and Narrative)	0		$331,800.00	+$331,800.00
FF 080-10 Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response Recruitment and Retention of Volunteer Firefighters Application (Questions and Narrative)	0		$164,608.50	+$164,608.50
SAFER Subtotal	0
Grand Total	0		$10,029,818.40	+$10,029,818.40

Explain:

AFG

The AFG program included previously approved collection tools, but the entire collection OMB No. 1660-0054 was discontinued due to no request for approval beyond the prior expiration date of December 31, 2005 and as such, there is no burden in the inventory for any of the collection tools. The following forms are part of the AFG program:

FEMA Form 080-2, AFG Application (General Questions and Narrative) – There is a program increase of $5,205,882 due to the reinstatement of this collection. This form was previously not assigned a form number and was named “General Questions for All Applicants.”

FEMA Form 080-3, Activity Specific Questions for AFG Vehicle Applicants – There is a program increase of $505,600 due to the reinstatement of this collection. This form was previously not assigned a form number and was named “Vehicle Acquisition.”

FEMA Form 080-4, Activity Specific Questions for AFG Operations and Safety Applications – There is a program increase of $821,600 due to the reinstatement of this collection. This form was previously not assigned a form number and was named “Firefighting Operations and Safety.”

FP&S

FEMA Form 080-5, Activity Specific Questions for Fire Prevention and Safety Applicants – There is a program increase of $152,380 due to the reinstatement of this collection. This form was previously not assigned a form number and was named “Fire Prevention Programs.”

FEMA Form 080-6, Fire Prevention and Safety Research and Development Application (Questions and Narrative) – There is a program increase of $29,562.50 due to the reinstatement of this collection. This form was previously not assigned a form number and was named “Fire Prevention Programs.”

SAFER

The SAFER grant program has been added to this collection, and all burden hours are program adjustments as there has not previously been a request for approval of this information collection. The addition of the burden hours result from approval of funding for the two activities that the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program previously included in the list of activities but were never awarded due to a lack of funds. The following forms are part of the SAFER program:

FEMA Form 080-7, Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (General Questions All Applicants) – This is a new form and there is a program change of a positive $94,554.

FEMA Form 080-8, Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response Hiring of Firefighters Application (Questions and Narrative) – This is a new form and there is a program change of a positive $237,000.

FEMA Form 080-10, Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response Recruitment and Retention of Volunteer Firefighters Application (Questions and Narrative) – This is a new form and there is a program change of a positive $117,577.50.

Additionally, the prior approval for this collection contained the following forms. The burden for the use of these forms in association with the AFG, FP&S and SAFER programs has been calculated and approved for use in collection OMB No. 1660-0025 or the forms are Standard Forms. Because this is a reinstatement, there is no burden change to report in the above table. The following is a list of these forms:

SF-424, Application Facesheet

FEMA Form 20-20, Budget Non-Construction

FEMA Form 20-16, Summary of Assurances

SF-LLL, Lobbying Disclosure

SF-270, Payment Document

SF-1199a, Direct Deposit Form

SF 20-10, Financial Status Report

Final Performance Report (as required by the Articles of Agreement)

The burden for the former form, Emergency Medical Services, in now encompassed in the following forms FEMA Form 080-2, FEMA Form 080-3, and FEMA Form 080-4. Because this is a form that was not previously assigned a form number, there is no burden change to report in the above table.

16. For collections of information whose results will be published, outline plans for tabulation and publication. Address any complex analytical techniques that will be used. Provide the time schedule for the entire project, including beginning and ending dates of the collection of information, completion of report, publication dates, and other actions.



This information collection will not be published for statistical purposes.

17. If seeking approval not to display the expiration date for OMB approval of the information collection, explain reasons that display would be inappropriate.

FEMA will display the expiration date for OMB approval of this information collection.



18. Explain each exception to the certification statement identified in Item 19 “Certification for Paperwork Reduction Act Submissions,” of OMB Form 83-I.

There is no statistical survey methodology in this grant application, and no Part B is included.

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