February 26, 2002 

MEMORANDUM FOR: 
Doug Bellomo, P.E., Project Officer 
Eastern Studies Team 

Bill Blanton, Project Officer 
Central Studies Team 

Mike Grimm, Project Officer 
Western Studies Team 

[Original Signed] 

FROM: 
Matthew B. Miller, P.E., Chief 
Hazards Study Branch 

SUBJECT: 
Procedure Memorandum No.25 -Distribution of Preliminary DFIRMs 
with DOQ Base. 

Background: The FEMA Map Modernization Plan established standards allowing the use of Digital 
Orthophoto Quads (DOQs) as base maps for Digital Flood Insurance Rate Maps (DFIRMs). As the use of 
DOQs as base maps for DFIRMs increases, FEMA must ensure the legibility of the Preliminary copies of 
the DFIRMs that are provided to communities, States, FEMA Regional Offices, and other recipients. The 
current standards for distribution of Preliminary and effective copies of DFIRMs produced using DOQ 
base data are defined in Section 12.1 of the FEMA DFIRM Graphic Specifications. These standards 
specify that the Preliminary copies of the DFIRMs must be plotted and distributed in black and white, and 
effective copies of DFIRMs must be plotted and distributed in full color. All features shown in cyan on 
the effective copies of the DFIRM are displayed in white on the Preliminary copies. 

Issue: The decision to distribute Preliminary copies of DFIRMs in black and white was made to minimize 
the cost of printing and distributing an interim product. Printing of Preliminary copies of DFIRMs in 
color for distribution would have significantly limited the quantity of DFIRMs that could be produced in 
any given year. Several communities have now received Preliminary copies of DFIRMs for which DOQs 
were used as a base. Many recipients of the Preliminary copies of the DFIRMs have raised concerns that 
it can be very difficult to review black-and-white flood zones and text that are overlaid on a gray-scale 
image. 

Final Procedure: Effective immediately, Preliminary copies of DFIRMs for which DOQs or community-
provided orthophotography are used as the base will be distributed in Full-Color. 

cc: see distribution list 

Procedure Memo 25 – Preliminary DOQ DFIRM Distribution 

Distribution List (electronic distribution only)
Federal Insurance and Mitigation Administration, Office of the Administrator


· Howard Leiken · Paul Loyd 
· Bob Shea · Joe Coughlin 
Program Marketing and Partnership Division 

· Ed Pasterick 
Hazard Mapping Division 

· Mike Buckley 
· Matt Miller 
· Fred Sharrocks 
· Doug Bellomo 
· Bill Blanton 
· Mike Grimm 
· Mark Crowell 
· Allyson Lichtenfels 
FEMA Regional Offices 

· Region I 
• 
Kevin Merli 
• 
Mike Goetz 
• 
David Knowles 
• 
Dean Savramis 
· Region II 
• 
Mike Dabney 
• 
Robert Reynolds 
• 
Paul Weberg 
· Region III 
• 
Robert Gunter 
• 
Marty Frengs 
• 
Gene Gruber 
• 
Jon Janowicz 
• 
Nikki Roberts 
• 
Eric Rourke 
· Mike Robinson · Bill Lesser 
· 
· 
· 
· 
· 
John Magnotti 
Mary Anne Lyle 
Phil Myers 
Max Yuan 
Helen Cohn 
· 
· 
· 
· 
· 
Cecelia Lynch 
Kathy Miller 
Jay Scruggs 
Shirley Wright 
Scott McAfee 
· 
· 
· 
Cynthia Croxdale 
Agnes Pearson 
Anne Flowers 
· 
· 
· 
Priscilla Scruggs 
Tony Hake 
Paul Rooney 
· Region IV 
• 
Todd Davison 
· Region VII 
• 
Bob Bissell 
• 
Laura Algeo 
• 
John Plisch 
• 
Robert Franke 
• 
Albert Schulz 
• 
Bruce Buckerfield 
• 
Mark Vieira 
• 
Mohammed P. 
· Region VIII 
• 
Steve Olsen 
Waliullah 
• 
Michael Hillenburg 
• 
John Liou 
· 
· 
Region V 
• 
Stuart Rifkind 
• 
Ken Hinterlong 
• 
Eric Berman 
Region VI 
• 
Frank Pagano 
• 
Jack Quarles 
• 
Gary Zimmerer 
• 
Jim Orwat 
· 
· 
Region IX 
• 
Sally Ziolkowski 
• 
Jack Eldridge 
• 
Raymond T. 
Lenaburg 
• 
Leslie Sakumoto 
Region X 
• 
Carl Cook 
• 
Lawrence P. Basich 

Congressional and Intergovernmental Affairs Division 

• 
Fran McCarthy 
• 
Loretta Schaffer 
• 
Vince Fabrizio 
• 
Mary Jo Vrem 
Office of General Counsel 

· Rick Neal 

Distribution List (continued)
Flood Map Production Coordination Contractors


· Zekrollah Momeni, D&D 
· R. Fernando Pasquel, MBJ 
· Vince DiCamillo, PBS&J 
Map Service Center 

· Brenda Walguarnery 
Harvard Design and Mapping 

· Mark Mesterhazy