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Open Government and FOIA - FEMS

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

Requesting parties are encouraged to submit their FOIA request(s) through the FOIA Public Access Website.  If you are unable to submit a request using the Public Access Website, please contact the agency FOIA Officer, Paula Gibbs, for assistance.

To make a request for Ambulance/Treatment records, please send the following information to [email protected]:

1. Authorization

  • For a copy of your own records, submit a copy of a government-issued photo ID.
  • For attorneys and patient representatives, submit a HIPAA or HITECH release form, signed by your client, authorizing you to receive records on their behalf.

and

2. Incident Details

  • Patient Name
  • Patient Date of Birth
  • Incident Date
  • Pick-Up Location
  • Transport Hospital
  • Approximate Time of the 911 Call
 
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.
 
 
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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