Data Documentation Template

Wildfire Mitigation
FEMA Standard Analysis Methodology


This data documentation template is designed to assist Benefit-Cost (BC) analysts in recording the data and methodologies utilized in their 
Benefit-Cost Analysis (BCA).  BC analysts should keep in mind that a well-documented BCA means that a knowledgeable BC analyst 
should be able to re-create the BCA from the supporting documentation provided (with a Mitigation application submitted for funding) 
without any additional explanation.  BC analysts should provide an electronic or paper copy of the full BCA to compliment any template or 
summary submitted to FEMA for review.  Check with your State Hazard Mitigation Officer or FEMA Regional office to find out if a 
completed Data Documentation Template (DDT) is required with your grant application.



Data Type
Value
Description
Documentation
Source
Discount 
Rate 
The OMB-
mandated 
discount rate 
of 7% must 
be used for 
all BCAs.


*	The discount rate determines 
the time-value of money
*	In a FEMA benefit-cost 
analysis, a discount rate is used 
to calculate a value today (the 
Net Present Value) of future 
benefits so that they can be 
compared to the costs of a 
mitigation project.
*	Electronic or paper copy of 
the BCA.
*	The OMB-mandated 
discount rate of 7% must be 
used for all BCAs.
*	The OMB-mandated 
discount rate of 7% must be 
used for all BCAs.
Sample Area 
of Similar 
Fire Hazard
Square miles
*	Select an area of similar 
wildfire or wildland/urban 
interface fire fuel type and 
topography. (Sub-applicant 
enters data in square miles and 
module converts to acres).
*	At a minimum, reasoning for 
selecting the possible burn 
area must be mentioned in the 
narrative summary in the BCA 
module, along with a letter 
from a forester, local fire 
officer, or other credible 
source familiar with the area.
*	Area selected can be depicted 
on a National Fire Hazard 
Map, an aerial photo.
*	National Fire Hazard Maps, 
*	U.S. Bureau of Forestry, 
*	Fire-safety engineers, 
foresters, certified 
wildland/urban interface fire 
officials.
*	U.S.D.A. Forest Service

Total Acres 
Burned in 
Sample Area 
in Defined 
Time Period
Acres
*	Acres burned in the sample 
area selected above.
*	At a minimum, reasoning for 
selecting the possible burn 
area must be mentioned in the 
narrative summary in the BCA 
module, along with a letter 
from a forester, local fire 
officer, or other credible 
source familiar with the area.
*	Area selected can be depicted 
on a National Fire Hazard 
Map, an aerial photo.

*	National Fire Hazard Maps, 
*	U.S. Bureau of Forestry, 
*	Fire-safety engineers, 
foresters, certified 
wildland/urban interface fire 
officials.
*	U.S.D.A. Forest Service

Number of 
Years for the 
Acres Burned 
Data.
Years
*	The time period used for the 
sample burn area.
*	Narrative summary in the 
BCA module should include 
the reasoning used to 
determine the years entered 
for the burn data.
*	National Fire Hazard Maps, 
*	U.S. Bureau of Forestry, 
*	Fire-safety engineers, 
foresters, certified 
wildland/urban interface fire 
officials.
*	U.S.D.A. Forest Service

Fire Hazard 
Data (Burn 
Recurrence 
Interval)
Years
*	The estimated time period for 
the entire sample area 
considered to experience a fire 
in each acre.
*	If default values in FEMA 
software are used, then 
provide print out of software.
*	If user-entered values are used 
provide full documentation of 
reasons for differences from 
FEMA default values.
*	BCA Wildfire calculation
*	U.S.D.A. Forest Service
*	Local, County, State, or 
Federal fire-fighting agency.
Building 
Value
Total dollar 
value
*	The cost for labor and 
materials to build a similar 
building in the same place. 
*	A key determinant of the 
amount of damage from 
future fires. 
*	Narrative summary in the 
BCA module should include a 
justification for the building 
value entered into the module 
listing the credible source used 
to obtain the value. 
*	Tax assessments, tax bills, 
local building inspector, 
contractor, builders or 
architect. 
*	Standard references such as: 
Marshall & Swift Residential 
Cost Handbook, RS Means, 
Means Square Foot Cost 
Guide, or 
www.buildingcost.com, 
referencing the types of 
buildings in the burn area 
under evaluation.
Contents 
Value
Expressed as 
dollars
*	The cost to replace the 
contents of a building. 
*	Contents damage includes 
items like furniture, office 
equipment, personal 
belongings, and non-
permanent room dividers.
*	Contents do not include items 
that are permanent parts of 
the building such as electrical 
and plumbing systems.  
*	FEMA standard value for 
residential buildings is 30% of 
the replacement value of the 
building or $20,000, whichever 
is greater.
*	If standard values in FEMA 
software are used then provide 
print out of software.
*	FEMA default value is 30% of 
building value for residential 
buildings.
*	If user-entered values are used 
provide full documentation of 
reasons for differences from 
FEMA standard values.
*	No source required if a 
residential building and FEMA 
standard is used.
*	Otherwise, review insurance 
records, signed appraisals, 
purchase receipts, estimates 
based on current market 
prices for similar contents.
Infrastruc-
ture
Total dollar 
value
*	Value of potential 
infrastructure damaged or 
destroyed by fire.
*	Narrative summary in the 
BCA module should include 
the reasoning used to 
determine the amount of 
infrastructure at risk before 
mitigation.
*	May also attach a letter, e-mail, 
etc. from credible agency 
documenting this estimate
*	Party responsible for 
maintenance or protection of 
the area, most likely a local, 
county, or state agency such as 
the highway department or the 
fire department.
Timber Value
Total dollar 
value
*	Value of potential lumber 
destroyed by fire.
*	Narrative summary in the 
BCA module should include 
the reasoning used to 
determine the amount of 
timber at risk before 
mitigation.
*	May also attach a letter, e-mail, 
etc. from credible agency 
documenting this estimate.
*	U.S.D.A. Forest Service or 
other qualified agency
*	Forester, qualified timber 
company representative, 
*	Owner of the property (must 
be supported with signed 
estimate)
Fire 
Suppression 
Costs
Total dollar 
value
*	Estimated costs for 
responding to and fighting the 
fire.
*	Narrative summary in the 
BCA module include a 
justification of the fire 
suppression costs before 
mitigation.
*	May also attach a letter, e-mail, 
etc. from credible agency 
documenting this estimate.
*	Local, County, State, or 
Federal fire-fighting agency 
that fights wildland fires.
*	U.S.D.A. Forest Service
*	Owner of the property (must 
be supported with signed 
estimate)



Other (costs)
Total dollar 
value
*	Other costs associated with 
fire related losses.
*	Narrative summary in the 
BCA module should include 
the reasoning used to 
determine any values entered 
in this cell.
*	Requires detailed explanation 
of source used and method 
applied.
*	Developing values may 
involve working with the 
agency providing service or 
estimating the loss or the 
property owner(s).
Number of 
Residents
Number
*	Number of residents that 
would be impacted by a fire.
*	Narrative summary in the 
BCA module should include 
source used and method 
applied to determine current 
population data for the 
community, county, or state.
*	Community, county, or state 
population official.
*	Current census, atlas, or other 
reference guide with 
population information.
Annual Death 
Rate per 
1,000,000
Statistical 
value estimate
*	Estimated number of people 
killed by wildfires per year per 
1,000,000 people.
*	If default values in FEMA 
software are used then provide 
print out of software.  
*	If user-entered values are used 
provide full documentation of 
reasons for differences from 
FEMA default values.
*	FEMA “What is a Benefit?” 
guidance

Dollar Value 
of a Casualty
2006 Dollars
(present year 
value per 
person)

Casualty = 
$3,141,633
*	Estimated value of the loss of 
one person.
*	Use the Inflation Calculator 
found in the BCA Tools 
Folder to inflate the FEMA 
standard values from 2001 to 
present day value.
*	2001 Casualty = $2,710,000
*	If standard values in FEMA 
software are used then provide 
print out of software.  
*	Use the Inflation Calculator 
found in the BCA Tools 
Folder to inflate the FEMA 
standard values from 2001 to 
present day value.
*	FEMA “What is a Benefit?” 
guidance, Section 2.3.
Dollar Value 
for Minor/ 
Major 
Injuries
2006 Dollars
(present year 
value per 
person)

Major injury 
= $18,085
Minor injury 
= $1,808
*	Average of the estimated 
values for the treatment of 
major and minor injuries per 
person.
*	Use the Inflation Calculator 
found in the BCA Tools 
Folder to inflate the FEMA 
standard values from 2001 to 
present day value. 
*	2001 Major injury = $15,600 
*	2001 Minor injury = $1,560
*	If standard values in FEMA 
software are used then provide 
print out of software.  
*	Use the Inflation Calculator 
found in the BCA Tools 
Folder to inflate the FEMA 
standard values from 2001 to 
present day value.
*	FEMA “What is a Benefit?” 
guidance, Section 2.3.
Percent 
Reduction in 
Damages, 
Losses, and 
Casualties
Percentage
*	Amount of damage avoided 
by implementing the proposed 
mitigation action.
*	One of the key determinants 
in this type of analysis.
*	Narrative summary in the 
BCA module should include 
the reasoning used to 
determine the amount of 
damage avoided by proposed 
mitigation action.
*	May also attach a letter, e-mail, 
etc. from credible agency 
documenting this estimate.
*	Local, County, State, or 
Federal fire-fighting agency 
that fights wildland fires.
*	U.S.D.A. Forest Service
*	Owner of the property (must 
be supported with signed 
estimate)


Mitigation 
Project 
Useful 
Lifetime
Years
*	Estimated amount of time that 
mitigation action will be 
effective (includes any 
maintenance activities that will 
be done to prolong 
effectiveness).
*	Narrative summary in the 
BCA module should include a 
justification of the value 
entered for the useful lifetime 
of the proposed mitigation 
action.
*	May also attach a letter, e-mail, 
etc. from credible agency 
documenting this estimate.
*	Local, County, State, or 
Federal fire-fighting agency 
that fights wildland fires.
*	U.S.D.A. Forest Service
*	Local, County, State, or 
Federal official specializing in 
vegetation removal and 
regrowth rates
Mitigation 
Project Cost 
(includes 
data inputs 
for net 
mitigation 
project cost 
and 
additional 
annual 
maintenance 
cost ($/yr) 
for a project)
Total dollar 
value
*	Estimated total cost of the 
proposed mitigation action 
and any maintenance activities 
that will be done to prolong 
effectiveness.
*	Narrative summary in the 
BCA module should state that 
this value comes from a 
potential or submitted project 
application.
*	Sub-applicant should provide 
a detailed cost breakdown, 
rather than a lump sum value, 
from an engineering cost 
estimate.
*	Must document source and 
reasoning in estimate of 
maintenance activity cost.
*	Should support the value 
submitted with the project 
application.
*	For maintenance values, see 
Local, County, State, or 
Federal official specializing in 
vegetation removal

  









FEMA BCA Checklist
      Appendix II
FEMA BCA Checklist 
Last Updated June 28, 2006

For the entire BCA Checklist, refer to the BCA_Checklist.doc located on the BCA Mitigation Toolkit (BCA Mitigation 
Toolkit\4 – BCA TOOLS\CHECKLIST AND DATA DOCUMENTATION TEMPLATES).

2.2	BCA Damage Data

2.2.1	The data should be well documented for each event that resulted in damage. The data should also be consistent with the 
type of mitigation project proposed (e.g., flood damage data should be provided in support of a proposed flood mitigation 
project). If damage was recorded for multiple events, the estimated frequency and the associated damage MUST be 
documented and provided for each event to support the damage analyses in the BCA.

2.2.2	Data used in place of FEMA standard or default values in the BCA modules MUST be documented. The documentation 
should include justification of why it is more appropriate than the FEMA values. Even minor changes in data will be 
considered incorrect if it is not fully documented or lacks justification for its use.

2.2.3	When using the Wildfire module, the “burn data” (sample area size, acres burned, type of fuel, burn recurrence interval, 
timber value, fire suppression costs, mitigation project life) MUST be provided, documented, and obtained from a credible 
source.








Wildfire DDT.doc						           Page 1 of 9
{Last Updated 7/6/06}