New Elevation Certificate?

From the Fema website: "The EC form is currently under review at the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and they have extended the expiration date of this form to November 30, 2015. Until their review process is complete, please continue to use the existing form. Upon OMB approval, FEMA will update this record with the new Elevation Certificate form."

Looks like they missed their own deadline!

Hopefully they go back to letter sized paper....the new form was pretty terrible. Lots of glitches with filling it in and inserting pictures. They should just change the date on the old one. There's really nothing wrong with it, so I don't wee why they'd change it without improving it.

Has anyone found the "new" version in Word format? I'm tempted to just photoshop the new date onto the "old" certificate. 😉

I really wish they would update us on this.

FL/GA PLS., post: 357606, member: 379 wrote: Has anyone found the "new" version in Word format? I'm tempted to just photoshop the new date onto the "old" certificate. 😉

I believe that [USER=1206]@Stephen Ward[/USER] hooked us up on the last iteration.

This is from an e-mail I got a few weeks ago from the ASFPM.

Good Afternoon,
For those who have not heard, FEMA released the updated Elevation Certificate and Floodproofing Certificate Jan. 6 via an NFIP Bulletin W-16002. Unfortunately, it has not yet been posted on FEMA's website nor did FEMA provide any indication of the changes made or when you must stop using the old ones.
A review of differences between the new and old EC was recently completed by the ASFPM Insurance Committee Co-chairs (thanks John Gerber for taking the lead), and the following are some of the noticed differences:
The main one is the addition of Diagram 2B - Intended to address the situation where the bottom floor is below ground level (grade) on all sides. This is generally where the natural grade/fill is removed on one side to create an area that is often considered a walkout basement. The grade immediately adjacent to the structure on that one side may be at or below the bottom floor, however, since the area was dug out, the LAG must be taken at the existing grade before the material was removed and not adjacent to the structure.
The form is now on legal size paper
Currently, it is only in Adobe; there is no Word version. The Adobe pdf has some limitations. It can be opened in Adobe, and populated, but it cannot be saved (a warning notice pops up telling you that). If you want to save it, you must have Adobe Pro. Also, the photo section is a text field and you have to have Adobe Pro to convert it to an image field before pictures can be attached.
Page numbering starts on the cover sheet - 15 pages. On the old EC, page numbering started on the instructions page going from 1-9 and did not include the EC form.
Page 3 - added the statement at the top of the page: Copy all pages of this Elevation Certificate and all attachments for (1) community official, (2) Insurance agent/company, and (3) building owner.
The Property information inputted in Section A now auto-populates Section B3 and the subsequent pages where the property information is required. This is definitely a helpful improvement!
Section D, the certification page, was moved to the second page of the EC form. This may be an oversight by FEMA since the EC was modified years ago to include the certification on the first page to prevent the second page certification from being attached to incorrect or different first pages. Surveyors were finding their seal on the second page was stapled to multiple first pages that they did not actually complete.
In the "Comment" section, the following wording was added: including type of equipment and location. Per C2(e), if applicable
There are a few other minor ones; however, if you see a major one that was missed, please alert the co-chairs at ([email protected]). Meanwhile, look for future updates in the Insurance Corner of The Insider if additional guidance is provided by FEMA.
Your humble Insurance Committee Co-chairs
John Gerber and Bruce Bender

There might be an issue with the new form since the surveyor only signs page two, and anyone could easily download page 1, fill it out, and reprint it with whatever info they please, then attach your page two.

That apparently happened in the past, which is why they made it so we had to sign both page 1 and page 2.

The Pseudo Ranger, post: 357894, member: 18 wrote: There might be an issue with the new form since the surveyor only signs page two, and anyone could easily download page 1, fill it out, and reprint it with whatever info they please, then attach your page two.

That apparently happened in the past, which is why they made it so we had to sign both page 1 and page 2.

I don't understand why NO ONE can call this what it is - forgery! Is this word now politically incorredct?

[USER=9694]@Thadd[/USER]

Thanks for the update, FEMA seems to like pissing us surveyors off.

Bill

A FEMA rep. sent me this link to the new form.

http://nfipiservice.com/Stakeholder/W_16002/W-16002.html

VRMTSRVY, post: 357907, member: 7295 wrote: A FEMA rep. sent me this link to the new form.

http://nfipiservice.com/Stakeholder/W_16002/W-16002.html

This is the link to the unapprove form that is inaccessible with Chrome and Firefox...

FL/GA PLS., post: 357899, member: 379 wrote: [USER=9694]@Thadd[/USER]

Thanks for the update, FEMA seems to like pissing us surveyors off.

Bill

Anytime.
FWIW, the CFM was not that bad of an exam. I would recommend that every surveyor who works in the Flood Plain acquire it.

My local flood manager said the new form is not offcial and not to use it, but I understand some flood managers are insisting on it. I wish FEMA would update their website to let us know what is going on.

spledeus, post: 357921, member: 3579 wrote: Anytime.
FWIW, the CFM was not that bad of an exam. I would recommend that every surveyor who works in the Flood Plain acquire it.

I've recently began contemplating this myself

I also was looking into the CFM program.

Got this today from the state. Say not to use new form until it's posted on FEMA website ... says they don't care if you convert it to letter size, as long as all the info is still there.

The New Elevation Certificate

Questions regarding this guidance should be directed to FEMA.

The Pseudo Ranger, post: 358066, member: 18 wrote: Got this today from the state. Say not to use new form until it's posted on FEMA website ... says they don't care if you convert it to letter size, as long as all the info is still there.

The New Elevation Certificate

Regarding the new EC topic, the Florida CRS Initiative Staff would like to share the FEMA HQ official position:

åá There will not be a grace or transition period, per Federal Law;
åá If a Land Surveyor or P.E. certified to provide elevation certificates cannot download the new EC, communities should advise to obtain the new form as soon as possible then accept the old version;
åá FEMA HQ does not mind if the Legal size EC format is converted to Letter size as long as all info is included.

For CRS: No ‰ÛÏerror‰Û will be counted for communities who upon CRS visit (Cycle, Modification or Recertification) are or have been using the older EC during this period of time until FEMA places the new EC on their website with a working link. At some point FEMA or CRS will indicate the new EC is now available via web site and no further use of older EC will be accepted

Questions regarding this guidance should be directed to FEMA.

"FEMA HQ does not mind if the Legal size EC format is converted to Letter size as long as all info is included."

I really find that hard to believe! Once a form is accepted by the OMB (Office of Management and Budget) i believe that form is to ne used without alteration. If that were not the case there would be a checklist and not a form. That's how government works...

https://surveyorconnect.com/news/land-surveying/fema-elevation-certificates-updated/

Is that what you're looking for or am I missing something?

Wendell, post: 358076, member: 1 wrote: https://surveyorconnect.com/news/land-surveying/fema-elevation-certificates-updated/

Is that what you're looking for or am I missing something?

Wendell - that link to the Cert doesn't work for me. (I'm using Chrome.) The comment "The updated forms have been reformatted to comply with new Department of Homeland Security requirements." is exactly what I was referring to though. Once a form is adopted by an agency alteration would be questionable.

The FEMA site still doesn't have the new form... it may have been updated, but it has not yet been adopted for use.