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Many U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) cost centers and employees may become involved in emergency assistance and response activities related to the Southern California Firestorm 2007.   Because of the wide-ranging nature of involvement and complexity of funding sources, these guidelines supersede those contained in IM 2004.14, for this particular emergency event only.  

While USGS organizations are frequently called upon to participate in various activities related to events such as the Southern California Firestorm 2007, there is no guarantee of supplemental funding to support these costs and the bureau may need to fund these additional costs within existing resources.  However if dollars are funded by a supplemental appropriation for these hazards events, we know from experience that we will need to report our expenditures to a variety of entities with oversight responsibilities, including the Department of the Interior, Office of Management and Budget, the government-wide Inspectors General Council, the General Accountability Office, and the Congress.   Thus, it is very important that we separately capture and track all costs incurred for these types of events.

The following guidance must be used by all Cost Centers that have response and/or assistance related work associated with the Southern California Firestorm 2007.  If you have any questions regarding this guidance, please contact the Western Region Branch of Fiscal Services; additionally, Lucy Jones, Multi-Hazards Project Coordinator, is the designated scientist with overall responsibility for the SCF 2007 initiative.
 
Emergency Spending without a supplemental appropriation

• Two new projects have been established in BASIS+ to capture costs.
• Project Number 9183D8W
• Title:  Southern California Firestorm 2007 – Emergency Response
• Task 1:  Debris Flows/Flashflood Preparation and Monitoring
• Task 2:  Ash Fall Effects
• Task 3:  Ecological Effects
• Task 4:  Geospatial Information

• Project Number 9183D8X
• Title:  Southern California Firestorm 2007 – Disaster    Recovery/Mitigation
• Task 1:  Improving Debris Flow and Flooding Forecast
• Task 2:  Impacts on Biodiversity
• Task 3:  Burn Severity
• Task 4:  Long Term Water Quality Impacts
• Task 5:  LiDar Acquisition

• Project Number 9183D8Z
• Title:  Southern California Firestorm 2007 – Infrastructure Damage
• Task 1:  Equipment Repair and Replacement
• Task 2:  Facilities Repair and Replacement

Account Structure Guidance

• A cost center parent account must be established in BASIS.  Sub-accounts may be used but only as they relate to the parent account.
• All charges within a Task must be tracked using a separate Sub account.
• Use fund code SIRTD for appropriated and SIRTR for reimbursable.
• On the account screen in BASIS+, use the IT/JPA code SC1.

The account numbering schemes for work performed under these projects follows:

Parent Account Number 08800 – SoCal Firestorm 2007 – Emergency Response
08801 Sub account –
08802 Sub account –  

Parent Account Number 08900 – SoCal Firestorm 2007 – Disaster Recovery
08901 Sub account –
08902 Sub account –

Parent Account Number 08950 – SoCal Firestorm 2007 – Infrastructure Damage
08951 Sub account –
08952 Sub account –

If you have any questions regarding the policy and guidelines above, please contact your servicing Fiscal Services Chief.  

___/s/____Karen D. Baker_______________           Date:  October 30, 2007
Karen D. Baker
Associate Director, Administrative Policy and Services

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