0419 Supporting Statement_SR Supporter 2011_092011rev

SUPPORTING STATEMENT

STORMREADY^{® ,} TSUMANIREADY^TM, STORMREADY/TSUNAMIREADY™, AND STORMREADY^® SUPPORTER APPLICATION FORMS

OMB CONTROL NO. 0648-0419

A. JUSTIFICATION

This request is for a revision of this information collection. The title will change from “StormReady and TsunamiReady/StormReady Application Forms” to “StormReady, TsunamiReady, StormReady/TsunamiReady, and StormReady Supporter Application Forms.” The StormReady Supporter program is a new recognition for this collection.

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

This information collection supports Public Law 109-424, the Tsunami Warning and Education Act, specifically Section 5, which describes the development of a “community-based tsunami hazard mitigation program to improve tsunami preparedness of at-risk areas in the United States and its territories.”

The National Weather Service (NWS) established the StormReady program in 1999 to help counties, cities and towns implement procedures to reduce the potential for disastrous, weather-related, consequences. By participating in this program, local agencies earn recognition for their jurisdiction by meeting guidelines established by the NWS in partnership with federal, state, and local emergency management professionals. Information and details on the StormReady program are located at www.stormready.noaa.gov.

The NWS added the TsunamiReady designation to the program in 2002 to enable communities that were vulnerable to tsunamis to improve public awareness and preparedness. These are communities located along the coastal areas of the contiguous U.S., Alaska, Hawaii, and the Caribbean. Information and details about the TsunamiReady program are located at www.tsunamiready.noaa.gov.

Businesses, schools, non profit organizations and other non-governmental entities often establish severe weather safety plans and actively promote severe weather safety awareness activities. Many of these entities do not have the resources necessary to fulfill all the eligibility requirements to achieve the full StormReady recognition. Therefore, the NWS established the StormReady Supporter program to recognize entities that promote the principles and guidelines of the StormReady program, but do not meet the eligibility requirements for a full StormReady recognition.

2. Explain how, by whom, how frequently, and for what purpose the information will be used. If the information collected will be disseminated to the public or used to support information that will be disseminated to the public, then explain how the collection complies with applicable NOAA Information Quality Guidelines.

StormReady Supporter is a voluntary program offered to provide guidance and incentive to entities that strive to improve their respective hazardous weather operations. Entities will use the application to apply for a one-time StormReady Supporter recognition. The government will use the information collected by the StormReady Supporter application to determine whether an entity has met the necessary guidelines to receive a StormReady Supporter recognition.

Recognition as StormReady Supporter participant entitles an entity to the following benefits:

1) two StormReady Supporter identification signs; 2) authorization to use the StormReady logo; 3) instructions for acquiring additional identification signs; and 4) inclusion on the StormReady Supporter Website at http://www.stormready.noaa.gov/supporter.htm .

StormReady Supporter guidelines are less extensive and detailed than the full StormReady recognition. Unlike the full StormReady recognition, StormReady Supporter guidelines are not based on the size of the population and not subject to renewal every three years.

Each guideline on the application helps to determine if the applying entity meets the requirements necessary to become a StormReady Supporter. Specifically:

Guideline 1: Warning Reception. Includes check boxes to indicate which types of warning reception are in place.

Guideline 2: Communication/Relay of Warning. Includes check boxes to indicate which types of communication/relay of warnings are in place.

Guideline 3: Evacuation Plan. Includes boxes to indicate that a written evacuation plan is in place.

Guideline 4: Sheltering Location. Includes check boxes to indicate where the shelter is located.

Guideline 5: Preparedness. Includes check boxes to indicate which types of preparedness plans have been completed.

None of the information on the application is distributed to the public. The only information made public is the name of the recognized entity and the date of its recognition. The information is disseminated to the public via the Web and complies with applicable NOAA Information Quality Guidelines:

Utility. Each newly recognized entity is added to a graphical map of the individual states on the U.S. map located on the StormReady Supporter Web site (http://www.stormready.noaa.gov/supporter.htm). Posting the information on the Web site provides the entity with public recognition of their status and enables the public to see what entities are recognized as StormReady Supporters. It also keeps an accurate, up-to-date count of the number of recognized entities.

Integrity. The procedures for recognizing an entity as a StormReady Supporter adheres to OMB Circular A-130. The Web site is updated as each new entity is recognized. The procedures for recognizing entities posted on the Web site are outlined in the StormReady/TsunamiReady Operations Manual. The Webmaster is the only person authorized to make any changes to the site.

Objectivity. The recognitions are verified by the NWS field official who provides the name of the entity and date of recognition to the program manager and the Webmaster.

As explained in the preceding paragraphs, the information gathered has utility. NOAA NWS will retain control over the information and safeguard it from improper access, modification, and destruction, consistent with NOAA standards for confidentiality, privacy, and electronic information.  See response to Question 10 of this Supporting Statement for more information on confidentiality and privacy. The information collection is designed to yield data that meet all applicable information quality guidelines.

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.

The StormReady Supporter application form is available in Word and fillable PDF format via the Web at http://www.stormready.noaa.gov/supporter.htm. Applicants will submit the forms either via email or via paper copy to the local warning coordination meteorologist.

4. Describe efforts to identify duplication.

This is a unique federal program. There are no other known programs that collect the information requested on the applications.

5. If the collection of information involves small businesses or other small entities, describe the methods used to minimize burden.

Application for StormReady Supporter recognition is voluntary and collection will not have a significant impact on small entities.

6. Describe the consequences to the Federal program or policy activities if the collection is not conducted or is conducted less frequently.

The program is designed to help entities prepare for hazardous weather situations by providing a checklist of items they need to do to help adequately prepare. If the NWS could not collect the information requested on the application form, it would be unable to provide applications to entities seeking to be recognized and would deny them the tangible benefits of a StormReady Supporter recognition.

7. Explain any special circumstances that require the collection to be conducted in a manner inconsistent with OMB guidelines.

None.

8. Provide information on 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 July 1, 2011 (76 FR 38618) solicited public comment on this request for revision. No comments were received.

9. Explain any decisions to provide payments or gifts to respondents, other than remuneration of contractors or grantees.

No payments or gifts will be provided to applicants. Each StormReady Supporter entity receives two signs to identify it as a program participant.

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

Data collected through this form are considered public information.

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.

The StormReady Supporter application form does not contain any sensitive questions as described in the PRA guidance.

12. Provide an estimate in hours of the burden of the collection of information.

In addition to the current annualized responses and burden for existing applications of 240 applications and 480, there will be an additional estimated 25 StormReady Supporter and 25 hours, for a total of 265 responses and 505 hours per year.

Number of new and renewal StormReady, TsunamiReady and StormReady/Tsunami Ready applicants expected	240 per year
Frequency of response for each respondent	Once every six years
Total number of responses expected	720 over 3 years, annualized to 240
Average response time per respondent	2 hours
Total annual burden	480 hours
Number of respondents for StormReady Support Application	25
Frequency of response for each respondent	One time, no renewal required
Average response time per respondent	1 hour
Total annual response time	25 hours
Total annual burden for all types of applicants/applications	505 hours

These estimates are based on the experience of numerous communities over the course of the program.

13. Provide an estimate of the total annual cost burden to the respondents or record-keepers resulting from the collection (excluding the value of the burden hours in Question 12 above).

No start-up, capital, or operations related costs are expected from this collection. The form can be prepared without any special equipment and no monitoring or sampling activities are required. Information collected by the application form provides a description of existing capabilities and infrastructure. Record keeping of these items is considered a part of customary and usual business of a community’s emergency manager.

The only cost an applicant must bear is the price of postage, if they choose to use standard mail; however, approximately 80% of applicants use the electronic form. Using an estimate of $2.00 for postage per application, and assuming that 20% of applicants (53 of 265) mail in the forms, this would equate to a total annual cost of $106.

14. Provide estimates of annualized cost to the Federal government.

The cost to the government of administering the StormReady program is limited to the hours that local Meteorologists-In-Charge (MIC) and Warning Coordination Meteorologists (WCM) spend at local Advisory Board Meetings and conducting site reviews of applicant communities. Local advisory board meetings typically occur once a quarter and take about 2 hours to complete. One MIC and one WCM attend. Site reviews take an average of 3-4 hours of a WCM=s time.

The total annual cost to the government is covered by the annual salaries of the government employees administering the program since the activities conducted in association with this program are considered to be a part of the regular duties of all Meteorologists-In-Charge and Warning Coordination Meteorologists. Using the assumptions in the table below, the dollar cost of administering the program is estimated to be $79,243.20.

Because StormReady Supporter applications are not reviewed by the local advisory boards or renewed, there are no additional costs for this aspect of the program.

Base hourly rate of an MIC*	$46.65
Base hourly rate of a WCM*	$39.48
Duration of Local Advisory Board meeting	2 hours
Cost to government of Local Advisory Board meeting: 2 ($46.65+ $39.48)	$172.26
Duration of site visit	4 hours
Cost to government of site visit: 4 ($39.48)	$157.92
Cost to government per application* $172.26 + $157.92	$330.18
Total annual cost to the government 240 x ($330.18)	$79,243.20

Note: Based on the average salary of MICs and WCMs

15. Explain the reasons for any program changes or adjustments.

Program change: The increase of 25 hours reflects the estimated annual number of StormReady Supporter applications. There is an addition of $10 in postage costs for these submissions.

Adjustment: There is an overall decrease in total postage costs due to the increased percentage of submissions via email, resulting in a decrease in $12 (and thus a net decrease of $2).

16. For collections whose results will be published, outline the plans for tabulation and publication.

The individual pieces of information collected are not published. The NWS maintains a Web page identifying the communities that are recognized as StormReady, TsunamiReady, StormReady/TsunamiReady, or StormReady Supporter.

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.

The expiration date will be displayed on all application forms.

18. Explain each exception to the certification statement.

No exceptions identified.

B. COLLECTIONS OF INFORMATION EMPLOYING STATISTICAL METHODS

This collection does not employ statistical methods.