Draft Phone Script

Attachment VI: Draft Phone Script

Hello, my name is (insert name) and I am calling from (insert data collection agency name). We are working with the Bureau of Justice Statistics, a Bureau within the United States Department of Justice, to conduct an important data collection, called the Firearms Inquiry Statistics Program, or FIST, to provide national estimates of the total number of firearm purchase applications received and denied pursuant to the Brady Act and similar state laws.

We have identified your agency as being responsible for conducting (insert type of background check).

We (insert mode of transmission) two surveys to your agency but have not received a response, so I am calling to follow up to see if you received them and have any questions about the data reporting requirements or program purchase.

(Caller can continue to discuss the history of FIST if the agency contact is not familiar with the data collection and/or has not received the survey).

Your participation in this national initiative is critical to ensure the reliability of these estimates. We would appreciate if you would complete and return the brief survey so your responses can be represented in the national estimates. We anticipate that the survey will take less than 15 minutes to complete and we are more than happy to walk you through it and discuss any questions you may have. This data collection is so important because it highlights the application and denial rates for firearm background checks being conducted throughout the country.

(Caller can leave contact information if leaving a message and/or continue to discuss the data collection procedures).

We and the Bureau of Justice Statistics sincerely appreciate your time and efforts on this important initiative.

(Content should be tailored to the individual agency’s responsibilities)