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Open Government and FOIA - FEMS

Submit a FOIA Request

Visit the District of Columbia Government's Freedom of Information Act public access website to submit or check the status of a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request or appeal.
 

Open Government Material

The District is committed to a transparent, open form of government. District agency websites are required to make certain records  available online to the public, if those records exist. In cases where these records exist but are not yet available online, agencies are working to provide them as soon as possible. If you have any questions, please contact the FOIA Officer.

FOIA Information

To understand the process before making a request, please see the FOIA public access portal.

FOIA Officer

The FOIA Officer is the principal contact point within FEMS for advice and policy guidance on matters pertaining to the administration of the FOIA. All requests are handled professionally and expeditiously.  FEMS’ FOIA Officer’s information is listed below. 

For more information about OIP, you may contact the Department’s Information & Privacy Officer at:

Paula J. Gibbs, Esq.
DC Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department
2000 14th St. NW, Suite 500
Washington, DC 20009
Main: (202) 673-3397
Fax: (202) 741-0677
[email protected]

 

Submitting a FOIA Request
 
FOIA requests may be oral or in writing. If the request is written, the envelope shall prominently be marked "FOIA Request." The FOIA Officer may request that an oral request be reduced to writing, if the requested records are not customarily made available by the public body.
 
Note that there are several public documents and information available on the Fire and Emergency Medical Services (FEMS) website that does not require the submission of a formal FOIA request. 
 
Requesting parties are encouraged to submit their FOIA request(s) through the FOIA Public Access website.  Additionally, requests can be made by using the FOIA Form above, orally, or in written form through the US Mail to FEMS address.  If the request is written, the envelope shall be marked “FOIA Request.” The FOIA Officer may request that an oral FOIA request be reduced to writing if the requested records are not customarily made available by the public body.
 
Contact Information
 
Please be sure to include at least one method of communication so that the FOIA Processing Unit may contact you in order to properly handle your request (email, phone number, fax, business or home address).
 
What You Can Expect
 
Once you have submitted your request via one of the methods above, you will receive a letter acknowledging your request and the assigned FOIA number which will be used to track your request. Use this number as reference in any correspondence you have during the process.
 
The DC FOIA statute provides that public bodies are required to respond to a FOIA request within 15 working days (excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and legal public holidays). The response period begins on the date the request is actually received by the FOIA Officer of the public body that maintains the records you are requesting. Public bodies may extend the time for a response by an additional 10 working days (excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and legal public holidays) for unusual circumstances, as defined by DC Official Code § 2-532(d).
 
Once your request has been processed, you will receive a letter/note indicating the availability of the documents (if any exist), the total cost, and information on how to file an appeal, along with instructions on how to pick up or have mailed to you your requested documents.
 

FOIA Fees:

  1. Searching for records, $4.00 per quarter hour, after the 1st hour, by clerical personnel (DS 1 through 8);
  2. Searching for records, $7.00 per quarter hour, after the 1st hour, by professional personnel (DS 9 through 13);
  3. Searching for records, $10.00 per quarter hour, after the 1st hour, by supervisory and legal personnel (DS 14 and above);
  4. Copies made by photocopy machines: $0.25 per page.
 
Get More Information
 
For additional information on how to file a FOIA request, including applicable exemptions, fees, waiver, the appeals process, and more, please visit the DC Government FOIA Information Page or contact the FOIA Officer.
 

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