The DC Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department’s Office of Information and Privacy (OIP) coordinates the agency’s release of documents requested under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). It is the responsibility of OIP to analyze and evaluate material within the scope of requests to determine the release of documents to the public, local and federal government, private sector, or media. The Privacy Office OIP monitors the Department’s compliance with all aspects of FOIA and HIPAA, including:

• Policies and Procedures
• Training
• Disclosures
• Complaints

To request a fire/medical report or for more information about OIP, you may contact the Department’s Information & Privacy Officer at: 

Office of Information and Privacy
DC Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department
899 North Capitol Street NE, Suite 3100
Washington, DC 20002
Main: (202) 673-3397
Fax: (202) 741-0677
[email protected]

FOIA Information

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

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.