Federal Flood Insurance Payouts - FEMA

Dear Mr. Sparks:

This acknowledges receipt and received of your October 08, 2015 Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)/Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), received in our office on October 08, 2015. You are seeking of any database describing disbursement of federal flood insurance to states, counties, municipalities, or other governmental entity.
Due to the increasing number of FOIA requests received by this office, we may encounter some delay in processing your request. Per Section 5.5(a) of the DHS FOIA regulations, 6 C.F.R. Part 5, the Department processes FOIA requests according to their order of receipt. Although FEMA’s goal is to respond within 20 business days of receipt of your request, the FOIA does permit a 10-day extension of this time period. As your request seeks numerous documents that will necessitate a thorough and wide-ranging search, DHS/FEMA will invoke a 10-day extension for your request, as allowed by Title 5 U.S.C. § 552(a)(6)(B). If you care to narrow the scope of your request, please contact our office. We will make every effort to comply with your request in a timely manner; however, there are currently 1028 open requests ahead of yours.
You have requested a fee waiver. The DHS FOIA Regulations at 6 CFR § 5.11(k)(2), set forth six factors FEMA is required to evaluate in determining whether the applicable legal standard for a fee waiver has been met: (1) Whether the subject of the requested records concerns ''the operations or activities of the government;'' (2) Whether the disclosure is ''likely to contribute'' to an understanding of government operations or activities; (3) Whether disclosure of the requested information will contribute to the understanding of the public at large, as opposed to the individual understanding of the requestor or a narrow segment of interested persons; (4) Whether the contribution to public understanding of government operations or activities will be ''significant;'' (5) Whether the requester has a commercial interest that would be furthered by the requested disclosure; and (6) Whether the magnitude of any identified commercial interest to the requestor is sufficiently large in comparison with the public interest in disclosure, that disclosure is primarily in the commercial interest of the requestor.
In the event that your fee waiver is denied, and you determine that you still want the records, we shall charge you for records in accordance with the DHS Interim FOIA regulations as they apply to media requestors. As a media requestor you will be charged 10-cents a page for duplication, although the first 100 pages are free. You will construe the submission of your request as an agreement to pay up to $25.00. You will be contacted before any further fees are accrued.
We have queried the appropriate program offices of FEMA for responsive records. If any responsive records are located, they will be reviewed for determination of releasability. Please be assured that one of the FOIA Specialist in our office will respond to your request expeditiously as possible. We appreciate your patience as we proceed with your request.

To check the status of your FOIA requests you may use the online check status capability at http://www.dhs.gov/foia-status. Simply enter your request number and click the “Check Status” button. More information concerning the FOIA and implementing DHS regulations is available on-line at: www.dhs.gov/xfoia/editorial_0318.shtm<http://www.dhs.gov/xfoia/editorial_0318.shtm>.
More information concerning the FOIA and implementing DHS regulations is available on-line at: www.dhs.gov/xfoia/editorial_0318.shtm<http://www.dhs.gov/xfoia/editorial_0318.shtm>.

Your request has been assigned reference number FEMA 2016-FEFO-00229. Please refer to this identifier in any future correspondence. Please refer to this identifier in any future correspondence. If you need to contact our office concerning this request, please call (202) 646-3323 or electronically at FEMA-FOIA@fema.dhs.gov<mailto:FEMA-FOIA@fema.dhs.gov>.

Federal Emergency Management Agency
Disclosure Branch
Records Management Division
Mission Support Bureau

Good Morning,

Your request has been task out to a program office who made have document. We are waiting a respond from the program office I have sent a follow up email to them for a status check.

Tonya Blackwell
Disclosure Branch (FOIA)
Mission Support Bureau
Records Management Division
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Federal Emergency Management Agency
Direct: 202-212-3771
Mobile:202-802-2645

Good Morning,

Do you want copy of the Claim payment data?

Tonya Blackwell
Disclosure Branch (FOIA)
Mission Support Bureau
Records Management Division
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Federal Emergency Management Agency
Direct: 202-212-3771
Mobile:202-802-2645

Good Afternoon,

I have sent an email to program office checking the status of your request. I should have a status check in a day or too from the program office.

Tonya Blackwell
Disclosure Branch (FOIA)
Mission Support Bureau
Records Management Division
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Federal Emergency Management Agency
Direct: 202-212-3771
Mobile:202-802-2645

Good Morning,

I’m waiting on a respond from the program office. I have sent another status up to the program office.

Tonya Blackwell
Disclosure Branch (FOIA)
Mission Support Bureau
Records Management Division
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Federal Emergency Management Agency
Direct: 202-212-3771
Mobile:202-802-2645

Good Afternoon,

Your case is in the queue to be process. Once your case is process you should receive an email or a letter by mail.

Tonya Blackwell
Disclosure Branch (FOIA)
Mission Support Bureau
Records Management Division
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Federal Emergency Management Agency
Direct: 202-212-3771
Mobile:202-802-2645

Good Morning,

You case still in the queue to be process. Once an analyst process your case you will receive a the document.

Tonya Blackwell
Disclosure Branch (FOIA)
Mission Support Bureau
Records Management Division
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Federal Emergency Management Agency
Direct: 202-212-3771
Mobile:202-802-2645

.

Good Morning,

This email is in regard to your inquiry concerning your Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request, FEMA 2016-FEFO-00229. We received the responsive documents from the component and the first phase of processing has been completed. Once your case is process by analyst you will receive email or letter by mail. We certainly understand the importance of your request and are working diligently to provide the information you have requested. Thank you for your continued patience.

FEMA-FOIA

Good Morning,

I will forward your email to John Fisher so he can respond to your status check.

Tonya Blackwell
Disclosure Branch (FOIA)
Mission Support Bureau
Records Management Division
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Federal Emergency Management Agency
Direct: 202-212-3771
Mobile:202-802-2645

Good Afternoon,

This case was processed and assigned to our Team Lead queue for review on 5/2/16.

I have sent another request to our Team Lead to review your case.

v/r,

John Fischer
Government Information Specialist
Records Management Division (RMD)
Office of the Chief Administrative Officer (OCAO)
Federal Emergency Management Agency
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
500 C Street, 7th Floor
Washington, DC 20472

Ph: (202) 212-2230
BB: (202) 341-8598
Fax: (202) 212-4701
john.fischer@fema.dhs.gov<mailto:john.fischer@fema.dhs.gov>

Good Morning,
I will forward your email to John Fisher so he can respond to your status check.
FEMA-FOIA

Good Morning,

I will forward your email to John Fischer to response to your status check.

FEMA-FOIA

Good Morning,

The analyst who is processing your case is John Fisher. Your case is in the Team Lead queue for review. I will forward your email to Mr. Fischer so he can response to status check.

FEMA-FOIA

Good Morning,

I will forward your email to analyst Mr. Fischer to response to your status check.

FEMA-FOIA

Good Morning,

I will forward your email to the analyst who is processing your request to response to your status check.

FEMA-FOIA

Good Afternoon Mr. Sparks,
This responds to your inquiry made on the status of your Freedom of Information Act request to the Federal Emergency Management Agency as numbered FEMA FOIA 2016-FEFO-00229.
I have reached out to our review team, and have been advised that your case is in our review queue and the anticipated expected completion date is estimated for 5 - 10 business days, ranging from December 8, 2016 - December 15, 2016. We certainly understand the importance of your request and are working diligently to provide the information you have requested. If you need to contact our office concerning this request, please call (202) 646-3323 or electronically at FEMA-FOIA@fema.dhs.gov Thank you for your continued patience, and have a pleasant day. The FEMA Disclosure Branch

Good Afternoon,
Attached is our final response to your request.  If you need to contact FEMA again concerning your request, please provide the FEMA reference number. This will enable FEMA to quickly retrieve the information you are seeking and reduce their response time. FEMA can be reached at 202-646-3323.
Regards,
DHS Privacy Office