In Guidelines and Specifications for Flood Hazard Mapping Partners (Guidelines), the Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) defines technical requirements, product specifications for Flood Hazard Maps and related National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) products, and associated coordination and documentation activities. When it was distributed in February 2002, the Guidelines combined FEMA technical, programmatic, and administrative procedure publications, guidance documents (listed below), and memorandums regarding Flood Hazard Map production. In April 2003, FEMA updated the Guidelines to reflect current requirements for FEMA products and processes, including changes to the processes and products associated with implementation of Flood Map Modernization (Map Mod).
FEMA has developed a revised draft version of the DCS that are included in the Guidelines as Appendix N. The revised document is available for public review and comment through mid-December 2008. A Web forum is being used to allow interested parties to post questions and comments. A summary of common questions and answers will also be published periodically on the DCS Public Review Summary page. For information on accessing the Web forum, the revised DCS document, and implementation guidance, please go to the DCS Public Review Summary.
The requirements for the production and processing of two key products of Map Mod—the DFIRM and the DFIRM Spatial Database—are documented in Volume 1 and Appendices K, L, and N of the Guidelines. FEMA has developed additional information on digital flood mapping products to support the FEMA product and process requirements detailed in Volume 1 and the appendices.
The FEMA Document Control Procedures Manual (Manual) is to be used in conjunction with the Guidelines. The Manual provides guidance to FEMA, mapping partner, and contractor staff for the processing of standard and non-standard documents used in FEMA-contracted studies/restudies, community-initiated map revisions, conditional and final map revisions based on conditions other than fill, conditional and final map revisions based on fill, conditional and final map amendments, Letter of Determination Review, and special conversions. The Manual also provides procedures and sample documents for use in tracking community compliance and documenting a community's entry into NFIP.
Because the Manual is a living document, FEMA encourages interested parties to submit ideas for improving this Manual. Please see How to Submit Comments and Suggestions.
When appropriate, FEMA has issued, and will continue to issue, Procedure Memorandums in the following situations:
When FEMA updates and re-issues the Guidelines, detailed Summaries of Changes are provided at the beginning of each affected section or subsection. A general list of changes made to components of the Guidelines also is provided in a Diary of Revisions.
The Guidelines have been organized into 3 volumes and 14 appendices as follows:
FEMA will update and re-issue the Guidelines periodically. In the interim, FEMA will use the procedure memorandum process to add, revise, and supersede standards and guidelines when immediate changes to the Guidelines are warranted. FEMA Regional and Headquarters Office staff will notify mapping partners and contractors when changes are made.
To ensure FEMA mapping partners and contractors are provided with a controlled and current version of the Guidelines for Flood Hazard Map production and processing activities, FEMA implemented the following document control procedures:
FEMA mapping partners and contractors will also be able to keep up to date on changes to the Guidelines through the Diary of Revisions discussed above.
To facilitate review by FEMA, mapping partner, and contractor staff, FEMA is maintaining a Guidelines and Specifications Archive that will contain superseded versions of the Guidelines.
Written comments and suggestions may be submitted to FEMA electronically by sending an e-mail message to FEMACG&S@floodmaps.net. Alternatively, comments and suggestions may be mailed to the address below or transmitted by facsimile to the number below.
Federal Emergency Management Agency
Mitigation Directorate, Risk Analysis Division
500 C Street, SW
Washington, DC 20472
Facsimile: 202-646-3755
Attention: Max Yuan, FEMA G&S Coordinator
For more information or additional assistance:
Last Modified: Wednesday, 22-Oct-2008 08:27:48 EDT