Generic template

Request for Approval under the “Generic Clearance for the Collection of
Routine Customer Feedback” (OMB Control Number: 0923-0047)
TITLE OF INFORMATION COLLECTION: Wildfire Guide Assessment Interview
PURPOSE:
The purpose of this proposed information collection is to collect feedback from stakeholders on
the use and perceptions of Wildfire Smoke: A Guide for Public Health Officials, a document most
recently updated in 2016. The information collected will be used to inform the update of the
guide and to develop additional supplemental materials to best meet the needs of stakeholders.
Wildfire Smoke: A Guide for Public Health Officials, hereafter referred to as the Wildfire Guide,
was first developed in 2001 by the California Air Resources Board and the California
Department of Public Health to help with preparation for smoke events, response to smoke
events, and communication about wildfire smoke and health with the public [1]. It was revised in
2008 and again in 2016 with input from numerous state and federal partners such as the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S. Forest
Service, and the California Department of Public Health [1]. The 2016 version is currently being
revised based on feedback from state environmental and public health agencies [1].
Supplemental fact sheets have also been developed and distributed.

DESCRIPTION OF RESPONDENTS:
Participants will include health officials in state, local, or tribal departments or agencies (e.g.,
health departments, air quality agencies) and Air Resource Advisors that have a role related to
the public health risks or wildfires and/or prescribed burns. Employees from relevant federal
agencies such as the U.S. Forest Service or Bureau of Land Management will also be included if
eligible.
To be eligible for an interview, the individual must have read or used at least part of the 2016
version of the Wildfire Guide. Interviewees will be identified and recruited through a variety of
means such as communication with stakeholders and partners and reaching out directly to
departments and agencies to identify eligible participants. The interviews will be conducted by
phone, and recorded if agreed to by the interviewee.
The goal is to include a representative group of participants from state, local, and tribal
departments from the different climate regions of the United States and air resource advisors. 30
state, 30 local and 30 tribal participants and 10 air resource advisors will be included if enough
eligible participants are identified. There are nine climate regions within the contiguous United
States identified through climate analysis by National Centers for Environmental Information
scientists [2] plus Alaska and Hawaii. If there are enough eligible participants found in each of
the climate regions, the goal is to include 3 state, 3 local and 3 tribal participants from each. The
goal is also to include 3 participants who are State Forestry employees and 6 federal employees.
TYPE OF COLLECTION: (Check one)
[] Customer Comment Card/Complaint Form
[ ] Usability Testing (e.g., Website or Software

[ ] Customer Satisfaction Survey
[ ] Small Discussion Group

[] Focus Group

[X] Other: Individual Interviews (One to three individuals
during one call may be interviewed).

CERTIFICATION:
I certify the following to be true:
1. The collection is voluntary.
2. The collection is low-burden for respondents and low-cost for the Federal Government.
3. The collection is non-controversial and does not raise issues of concern to other federal
agencies.
4. The results are not intended to be disseminated to the public.
5. Information gathered will not be used for the purpose of substantially informing influential
policy decisions.
6. The collection is targeted to the solicitation of opinions from respondents who have
experience with the program or may have experience with the program in the future.

Alisha Etheredge -S Digitally signed by Alisha Etheredge -S

Date: 2019.04.26 11:39:17 -04'00'
Name: ______________________________________________________________________

To assist review, please provide answers to the following question:
Personally Identifiable Information:
1. Is personally identifiable information (PII) collected? [X] Yes [ ] No
2. If Yes, is the information that will be collected included in records that are subject to the
Privacy Act of 1974? [ ] Yes [X] No
3. If Applicable, has a System or Records Notice been published? [ ] Yes [X] No
Gifts or Payments:
Is an incentive (e.g., money or reimbursement of expenses, token of appreciation) provided to
participants? [ ] Yes [X] No
BURDEN HOURS
Category of Respondent
State, local or tribal governments
Totals

No. of
Participation
Respondents Time
110
60/60

Burden
110 hours
110 hours

FEDERAL COST: The estimated annual cost to the Federal government is $12,925.90. This
reflects approximately 560 hours of salary (GS-07 equivalent) for one staff person to design the
facilitator’s guide, implement the individual interviews, and draft an internal report of results,
and a second staff person to review and code a subset of the interviews to check for consistency
and reliability.
The annual cost associated with respondent burden hours is approximately $3672.00 (determined
using a median wage of $34.20 per hour based on information from the Bureau of Labor
Statistics Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2018, https://www.bls.gov/ooh/lifephysical-and-social-science/environmental-scientists-and-specialists.htm).

If you are conducting a focus group, survey, or plan to employ statistical methods, please
provide answers to the following questions:
The selection of your targeted respondents
1. Do you have a customer list or something similar that defines the universe of potential
respondents and do you have a sampling plan for selecting from this universe?
[ ] Yes [X] No
If the answer is yes, please provide a description of both below (or attach the sampling plan)? If
the answer is no, please provide a description of how you plan to identify your potential group of
respondents and how you will select them?
Participants will be identified and recruited through a variety of means such as communication
with stakeholders and partners and reaching out directly to health departments and air quality
agencies to identify eligible participants. The recruitment email (Attachment A) will be sent to
several list serves hosted by partner organizations such as (but not limited to) the Association for
State and Territorial Health Officials, National Association for County and City Health Officials,
and National Association for Clean Air Agencies, and directly to health departments, air quality
agencies and other potentially eligible participants. Interested individuals, if eligible, will be
included in order of their response to the request for participants, with a goal of 30 state, 30
local, and 30 tribal employees, 10 Air Resource Advisors and six federal employees from
relevant agencies such as the US Forest Service or Bureau of Land Management. If the target
numbers for a specific category is reached, participants in the other categories that have not
reached their target numbers will be given priority for interviews. Additionally, participants will
be included in each of the climate regions of the United States if eligible participants are found.
The eligibility criteria for participating in this project include: 1) Has read or used at least part of
the 2016 version of the Wildfire Guide; and 2) Is a state, local, tribal, or federal employee who
has some responsibility related to wildfires, or an Air Resource Advisor. An email will be sent
to schedule eligible participants (Attachment A).
When respondents agree to participate in the individual interviews, personal identifying
information (PII) will be collected (name and email address only); however, collected PII is
needed to follow-up with respondents regarding date, time, and location of the interview. The
PII will not be linked to responses and will not be retained after completion of the project.
Administration of the Instrument
1. How will you collect the information? (Check all that apply)
[ ] Web-based or other forms of Social Media
[X] Telephone
[ ] In-person
[ ] Mail
[ ] Other, Explain
2. Will interviewers or facilitators be used? [X] Yes [ ] No
The interviews will be collected by telephone and Skype, and recorded if the participant agrees.
Please make sure that all instruments, instructions, and scripts are submitted with the
request.

Attachment A – Email Invites for Wildfire Guide Interview
Attachment B – Wildfire Guide Assessment Interview Guide
1.
United States Environmental Protection Agency. Wildfire Smoke: A Guide For Public
Health Officials. Washington D.C.2016.
2.
Karl TR, Koss WJ. Regional and National Monthly, Seasonal, and Annual Temperature
Weighted by Area 1895-1983. Asheville, NC: National Climatic Data Center; 1984. p. 38.