Privacy Threshold Analysis (PTA)

Privacy Office
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Washington, DC 20528
202-343-1717, [email protected]
www.dhs.gov/privacy

Privacy Threshold Analysis
Version number: 01-2014
Page 1 of 7

PRIVACY THRESHOLD ANALYSIS (PTA)
This form is used to determine whether
a Privacy Impact Assessment is required.

Please use the attached form to determine whether a Privacy Impact Assessment (PIA) is required under
the E-Government Act of 2002 and the Homeland Security Act of 2002.
Please complete this form and send it to your component Privacy Office. If you do not have a component
Privacy Office, please send the PTA to the DHS Privacy Office:
Senior Director, Privacy Compliance
The Privacy Office
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Washington, DC 20528
Tel: 202-343-1717
[email protected]

Upon receipt from your component Privacy Office, the DHS Privacy Office will review this form. If a
PIA is required, the DHS Privacy Office will send you a copy of the Official Privacy Impact Assessment
Guide and accompanying Template to complete and return.
A copy of the Guide and Template is available on the DHS Privacy Office website,
www.dhs.gov/privacy, on DHSConnect and directly from the DHS Privacy Office via email:
[email protected], phone: 202-343-1717.

Privacy Office
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Washington, DC 20528
202-343-1717, [email protected]
www.dhs.gov/privacy

Privacy Threshold Analysis
Version number: 01-2014
Page 2 of 7

PRIVACY THRESHOLD ANALYSIS (PTA)
SUMMARY INFORMATION
Project or
Program Name:

Qualitative Feedback on U.S. Fire Administration’s Analytical Reports
(FEMA form 519-0-2)

Component:

Federal Emergency
Management Agency (FEMA)

Office or
Program:

U.S. Fire Administration

Xacta FISMA
Name (if
applicable):

Click here to enter text.

Xacta FISMA
Number (if
applicable):

Click here to enter text.

Type of Project or
Program:

Form or other Information
Collection

Project or
program
status:

Development

Date first
developed:
Date of last PTA
update

October 21, 2014

Pilot launch
date:

December 1, 2014

Click here to enter a date.

Pilot end date:

Click here to enter a date.

ATO Status (if
applicable)

Choose an item.

ATO
expiration date
(if applicable):

Click here to enter a date.

PROJECT OR PROGRAM MANAGER
Name:

Meredith Lawler

Office:

National Fire Data Center,
NFP, USFA

Title:

Fire Program Specialist

Phone:

(301) 447-1421

Email:

[email protected]

INFORMATION SYSTEM SECURITY OFFICER (ISSO) (IF APPLICABLE)
Name:

Click here to enter text.

Phone:

Click here to enter text.

Email:

Click here to enter text.

Privacy Office
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Washington, DC 20528
202-343-1717, [email protected]
www.dhs.gov/privacy

Privacy Threshold Analysis
Version number: 01-2014
Page 3 of 7

SPECIFIC PTA QUESTIONS
1. Reason for submitting the PTA: New PTA
This new PTA documents the U.S. Fire Administration’s (USFA’s) National Fire Data Center’s (NFDC)
development and use of FEMA Form (FF) 519-0-2 Qualitative Feedback on U.S. Fire Administration’s
Analytical Reports. This form is included in FEMA’s Office of Management and Budget (OMB)
Information Collection Resource (ICR) No. 1660-0130. Generally, the USFA’s NFDC collects data from
a variety of sources to provide information and analyses on the status and scope of fire-related issues
within the United States. USFA’s NFDC uses this data to compose and disseminate analytical/statistical
reports that highlight current and emerging trends in fires, including what causes fires, where they occur,
and who is impacted most by fires. USFA NFDC reports and sources of information for the various
reports are covered by separate OMB ICR numbers as applicable. In order to evaluate the usefulness and
quality of these analytical/statistical reports, USFA’s NFDC will use responses provided by report readers
via FF 519-0-2 to determine the need for continued or improvements of analytical reports. Readers of
USFA’s NFDC reports who access the USFA’s website, will be able to voluntarily complete a web-based
version of FF 519-0-2. Individual’s access, completion, and submission of this on-line form are voluntary
and anonymous.

2. Does this system employ any of the
following technologies:
If you are using any of these technologies and
want coverage under the respective PIA for that
technology please stop here and contact the DHS
Privacy Office for further guidance.

Closed Circuit Television (CCTV)
Social Media
Web portal 1 (e.g., SharePoint)
Contact Lists
None of these

3. From whom does the Project or
Program collect, maintain, use, or
disseminate information?
Please check all that apply.

This program does not collect any personally
identifiable information 2
Members of the public
DHS employees/contractors (list components):
Contractors working on behalf of DHS

1

Informational and collaboration-based portals in operation at DHS and its components that collect, use, maintain, and share
limited personally identifiable information (PII) about individuals who are “members” of the portal or “potential members” who
seek to gain access to the portal.
2
DHS defines personal information as “Personally Identifiable Information” or PII, which is any information that permits the
identity of an individual to be directly or indirectly inferred, including any information that is linked or linkable to that individual,
regardless of whether the individual is a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident, visitor to the U.S., or employee or contractor to
the Department. “Sensitive PII” is PII, which if lost, compromised, or disclosed without authorization, could result in substantial
harm, embarrassment, inconvenience, or unfairness to an individual. For the purposes of this PTA, SPII and PII are treated the
same.

Privacy Office
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Washington, DC 20528
202-343-1717, [email protected]
www.dhs.gov/privacy

Privacy Threshold Analysis
Version number: 01-2014
Page 4 of 7

Employees of other federal agencies

4. What specific information about individuals is collected, generated or retained?
This FEMA project does not collect any personal identifiable information. All of the responses by
individuals are anonymous.

4(a) Does the project, program, or system
retrieve information by personal identifier?
4(b) Does the project, program, or system
use Social Security Numbers (SSN)?
4(c) If yes, please provide the specific legal
basis and purpose for the collection of
SSNs:
4(d) If yes, please describe the uses of the
SSNs within the project, program, or
system:
4(e) If this project, program, or system is
an information technology/system, does it
relate solely to infrastructure?

No. Please continue to next question.
Yes. If yes, please list all personal identifiers
used:
No.
Yes.
Click here to enter text.

Click here to enter text.

No. Please continue to next question.
Yes. If a log kept of communication traffic,
please answer the following question.

For example, is the system a Local Area Network
(LAN) or Wide Area Network (WAN)?
4(f) If header or payload data 3 is stored in the communication traffic log, please detail the data
elements stored.
Click here to enter text.

5. Does this project, program, or system
connect, receive, or share PII with any
other DHS programs or systems 4?
3

No.
Yes. If yes, please list:

When data is sent over the Internet, each unit transmitted includes both header information and the actual data being sent. The
header identifies the source and destination of the packet, while the actual data is referred to as the payload. Because header
information, or overhead data, is only used in the transmission process, it is stripped from the packet when it reaches its
destination. Therefore, the payload is the only data received by the destination system.
4
PII may be shared, received, or connected to other DHS systems directly, automatically, or by manual processes. Often, these
systems are listed as “interconnected systems” in Xacta.

Privacy Office
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Washington, DC 20528
202-343-1717, [email protected]
www.dhs.gov/privacy

Privacy Threshold Analysis
Version number: 01-2014
Page 5 of 7

Click here to enter text.
6. Does this project, program, or system
connect, receive, or share PII with any
external (non-DHS) partners or
systems?
6(a) Is this external sharing pursuant to
new or existing information sharing
access agreement (MOU, MOA, LOI,
etc.)?
7. Does the project, program, or system
provide role-based training for
personnel who have access in addition
to annual privacy training required of
all DHS personnel?
8. Per NIST SP 800-53 Rev. 4, Appendix
J, does the project, program, or system
maintain an accounting of disclosures
of PII to individuals who have
requested access to their PII?
9. Is there a FIPS 199 determination? 4

No.
Yes. If yes, please list:
Click here to enter text.
Choose an item.
Please describe applicable information sharing
governance in place:

No.
Yes. If yes, please list:

No. What steps will be taken to develop and
maintain the accounting: No PII is collected by this
project.
Yes. In what format is the accounting
maintained:
Unknown.
No.
Yes. Please indicate the determinations for each
of the following:

4

Confidentiality:
Low
Moderate

High

Undefined

Integrity:
Low

Moderate

High

Undefined

Availability:
Low
Moderate

High

Undefined

FIPS 199 is the Federal Information Processing Standard Publication 199, Standards for Security Categorization of Federal
Information and Information Systems and is used to establish security categories of information systems.

Privacy Office
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Washington, DC 20528
202-343-1717, [email protected]
www.dhs.gov/privacy

Privacy Threshold Analysis
Version number: 01-2014
Page 6 of 7

PRIVACY THRESHOLD REVIEW
(TO BE COMPLETED BY COMPONENT PRIVACY OFFICE)
Component Privacy Office Reviewer:

LeVar J. Sykes

Date submitted to Component Privacy
Office:

October 23, 2014

Date submitted to DHS Privacy Office:

November 3, 2014

Component Privacy Office Recommendation:
Please include recommendation below, including what new privacy compliance documentation is needed.
FEMA Privacy recommends that this project be considered a non-privacy sensitive system and that the
“PTA is sufficient at this time.”

(TO BE COMPLETED BY THE DHS PRIVACY OFFICE)
DHS Privacy Office Reviewer:

Eric M. Leckey

PCTS Workflow Number:

1051244

Date approved by DHS Privacy Office:

November 4, 2014

PTA Expiration Date

November 4, 2017
DESIGNATION

Privacy Sensitive System:
Category of System:
Determination:

No

If “no” PTA adjudication is complete.

Form/Information Collection
If “other” is selected, please describe: Click here to enter text.
PTA sufficient at this time.
Privacy compliance documentation determination in progress.
New information sharing arrangement is required.
DHS Policy for Computer-Readable Extracts Containing Sensitive PII
applies.
Privacy Act Statement required.
Privacy Impact Assessment (PIA) required.
System of Records Notice (SORN) required.
Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) Clearance may be required. Contact

Privacy Office
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Washington, DC 20528
202-343-1717, [email protected]
www.dhs.gov/privacy

Privacy Threshold Analysis
Version number: 01-2014
Page 7 of 7

your component PRA Officer.
A Records Schedule may be required. Contact your component Records
Officer.
PIA:
SORN:

Choose an item.
If covered by existing PIA, please list: Click here to enter text.
Choose an item.

If covered by existing SORN, please list: Click here to enter text.
DHS Privacy Office Comments:
Please describe rationale for privacy compliance determination above.
The purpose of this PTA is to review FEMA’s use of the Qualitative Feedback on U.S. Fire
Administration’s Analytical Reports Form (FEMA Form 519-0-2), document the review, and annotate
privacy compliance coverage. This is non-privacy sensitive and the information collected is anonymous
data. Accordingly, the PTA is sufficient and no additional privacy compliance coverage is required at this
time.