Form 720 FEMA Local Officials Questionnaire

Local Officials - 2014

FEMA Local Officials Questionnaire - 2014

(last updated July 11^th, 2014)

Contents

Introduction Text 2

Screening Questions 2

Awareness of community flood risk 3

Sharing flood risk information with the community: Types and Methods 4

How can FEMA help Local Officials communicate flood risk information? 5

Community Level Mitigation Actions Taken 7

Community Characteristics and Demographics 10

Introduction Text

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is conducting this brief survey of local officials to better understand local flood risk awareness as well as flood risk outreach efforts within communities.

Your responses will remain anonymous and will only be reported in aggregate. You will never be identified by name unless you request that someone from FEMA contact you about your response. If at any time you do not feel comfortable answering a question, you may choose not to answer.  This interview is authorized by Office of Management and Budget Control No. 1090-0007 which expires on March 31, 2015.  This interview will take approximately 10-15 minutes. 

[After respondent clicks through to take survey, s/he will be asked the following]

SQ.A.) What is a zip code within your community? [5 digit code validated against communities]

SQ.B.) Which of the following is your community? [Always include option “My community is not listed”]

Screening Questions

SQ.1) What is your primary job title?

1. Mayor

2. City Administrator/Manager

3. Floodplain Manager

4. Land Use Planner

5. Emergency Manager

6. First Responder (e.g., Firefighter/Police/EMS)

7. County/Parish Executive

8. Council Chairperson

9. Tribal Official

10. Other (Specify)

11. I am not a US government official/employee (end survey)

SQ.2) How many years have you served in your current capacity?

1. Less than one year

2. 1-3 years

3. 4-10 years

4. More than 10 years

5. I am no longer in this role (end survey)

SQ.3) What is your gender?

1. Male

2. Female

3. Prefer not to answer

Awareness of community flood risk

1. What is the population’s level of awareness of the community’s flood risk?

2. Has your community had a federally declared disaster in the last ten years?

   1. Yes

   2. No

   3. Don’t know

If No or Don’t know, skip to 4)

3. Please briefly describe when (month/year) and what kind of federally declared disaster(s) impacted your community in the last five years? [OPEN ENDED]

4. Did any of the disasters you described above involve flood damage?

   1. Yes

   2. No

5. When was the last time your community was impacted by a flood, regardless of whether it was associated with a federally declared disaster? [DROP DOWN MENU OF YEARS, INCLUDING 2014 AND GOING BACK UNTIL 1950]

6. Do you believe that your community is at risk for flooding?

1. Yes

2. No

3. Don’t know

Sharing flood risk information with the community: Types and Methods

g. How has the population shared flood risk information with the community?

7. What communication channels do you and/or your colleagues rely on most to keep the community informed about natural hazard risk?

   1. Television

   2. Radio

   3. Mail

   4. Newspaper

   5. Email

   6. Social Media

   7. Internet (excluding Social Media and Email)

   8. Text

   9. Phone

   10. Community gatherings/interactions

8. What communication channels do you and/or your colleagues rely on most to keep the community informed about flood risk?

   1. Television

   2. Radio

   3. Mail

   4. Newspaper

   5. Email

   6. Social Media

   7. Internet (excluding Social Media and Email)

   8. Text

   9. Phone

   10. Community gatherings/interactions

   11. My community is not at risk of flooding

9. Please describe any partners within your community that you and/or your colleagues rely on to keep residents informed about their flood risk. [OPEN ENDED]

How can FEMA help Local Officials communicate flood risk information?

h. How can FEMA make it easier for the population to communicate flood risk information to community residents?

10. How satisfied are you with FEMA’s efforts to help you understand and communicate flood risks to your citizens? [Please use a 10-point scale, where 1 means “not very satisfied” and 10 means “very satisfied.”]

11. How well do FEMA’s efforts to help your community understand and communicate its flood risks compare to your expectations? [Please use a 10-point scale where 1 means “did not meet your expectations” and 10 means “exceeds your expectations.”]

12. How do FEMA’s efforts to help your community understand and communicate its flood risks compare with the ideal effort? [Please use a 10-point scale where 1 means “very far from the ideal” and 10 means “very close to the ideal.”]

13. Please rate your perceptions of FEMA overall on a 10 point scale where 1 is “poor” and 10 is “excellent.”

14. Please indicate the strength of your relationship with FEMA overall on a 10 point scale where 1 is “poor” and 10 is “excellent.”

15. What could FEMA do to make it easier for you to share flood risk information with your citizens? (Select one.)

[NOTE TO SURVEY PROGRAMMER: PLEASE RANDOMIZE THE ORDER OF THIS LIST FOR EVERY RESPONDENT.]

1. Help me develop a community outreach plan regarding flood risk

2. Help me launch a High Water Mark campaign to draw attention to how high flood waters have come in the past

3. Provide customizable letters or brochures I can send to the community

4. Provide information to add to our community web site

5. Provide training on how to use social media to communicate about flood risk

6. Provide materials for communicating with the media, including draft press releases

7. Provide talking points and PowerPoint presentations for speaking with the community

8. Provide publications that building owners could use as guidance for reducing the risk of flooding

9. Provide visualizations of flooding risks and impacts

10. Provide educational materials for school programs

11. Other (specify)

16. Has FEMA conducted a Risk MAP project in your community since you have been in office?

1. Yes

2. No (Skip to Q19)

3. Don’t know (Skip to Q19)

IF Q15 = YES CONTINUE TO Q16 otherwise skip to Q19

17. Please rate FEMA’s effectiveness at communicating the objectives and anticipated outcomes of the Risk MAP project. [Use a 10-point scale, where 1 is “poor” and 10 is “excellent.”]

18. Please rate FEMA’s effectiveness at keeping your community informed of the progress of your Risk MAP project. [Use a 10-point scale, where 1 is “poor” and 10 is “excellent.”]

19. Please rate the effectiveness of the information and tools that FEMA provided to help you communicate the Risk MAP project’s outcomes to other local officials and your citizens. [Use a 10-point scale, where 1 is “poor” and 10 is “excellent.”]

Community Characteristics and Demographics

20. Do you know whether your community participates in the Community Rating System (CRS)?

    1. Yes, my community participates in CRS

    2. No, my community does not participate in CRS

    3. I am not sure whether my community participates in CRS

21. Do you know whether your community participates in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP)?

    1. Yes, my community participates in NFIP

    2. No, my community does not participate in NFIP

    3. I am not sure whether my community participates in NFIP

22. Do you know whether FEMA has conducted a flood mapping study in your community since you have been in office?

1. Yes, FEMA has conducted a flood mapping study in my community since I have been in office

2. No, FEMA has not conducted a flood mapping study in my community since I have been in office

3. I am not sure whether FEMA has conducted a flood mapping study in my community since I have been in office

23. How familiar are you with geographic information system (GIS) capabilities?

    1. I have had opportunities to use GIS capabilities in my current job

    2. I have had opportunities to use GIS capabilities in the past, but not in my current job

    3. I have never used GIS capabilities

    4. I have never heard of geographic information system (GIS) capabilities

If response to Q29 is “I have had opportunities to use GIS capabilities in the past, but not in my current job” or “I have never used GIS capabilities”, ask Q30. Otherwise skip to Identify The Respondent’s Community.

24. Does your local government have access to geographic information system (GIS) capabilities?

    1. Yes

    2. No

    3. I am not sure

25. What is the population of your community?

1. Under 1,000

2. 1,000 – 4,999

3. 5,000 – 9,999

4. 10,000 – 49,999

5. 50,000 – 99,999

6. 100,000 – 199,999

7. 200,000 – 499,999

8. 500,000 - 1,000,000

9. Above 1,000,000

26. What is the average annual household income in your community?

1. 1. Less than $10,000

2. Between $10,000 and $19,999

3. Between $20,000 and $29,999

4. Between $30,000 and $39,999

5. Between $40,000 and $49,999

6. Between $50,000 and $59,999

7. Between $60,000 and $69,999

8. Between $70,000 and $79,999

9. Between $80,000 and $89,999

10. Between $90,000 and $99,999

11. Between $100,000 and $149,999

12. Between $150,000 and $249,999

13. $250,000 or more

14. Don’t Know

15. Prefer not to provide this information

27. Is your community predominantly rural or predominantly urban?

1. Rural

2. Urban

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