Case Study - Staten Island, NY
Outreach:
Tools
After the initial public outcry over new mapping, Staten Island became very proactive in creating and using effective tools to reach the public, particularly when it came to making information accessible for stakeholders’ use. Meetings on a technical level were also very beneficial in determining revision needs to the preliminary maps.
Public Accessibility: Public libraries were tapped as map repositories for greater, faster response to stakeholders’ request for information and to alleviate the burden from public inquiries on community officials.
Information Letters: Letters, informing stakeholders where to direct questions (FEMA’s Map Assistance Center - FMAC), were drafted to accompany maps located at public libraries.
Property Owner Letters: Customized letters were prepared for property owners who requested LOMCs to properly inform them on how revised maps could affect the determination of their requests.
Announcements: Public announcements were created to alert stakeholders how to obtain official FEMA information.
Products: Demographics maps, with identified flood zones, were prepared for stakeholder use.
Call Center Support: More than 800 calls were received by FMAC stemming from Staten Island map revisions. In response, FMAC produced a one-page fact sheet to educate stakeholders on referencing/reading the maps and on the proper procedure for requesting a property’s removal.
Documentation of Community/Staff Notes on Processes: To assist the Borough of Staten Island, FMAC tracked calls and conversations from Staten Island stakeholders and reported trends to FEMA and the borough for appropriate customer service resolution.
