At the conclusion of this lesson, you will be able to:

• Describe how to use FEMA’s web-based Dynamic Map tool to print a FIRMette
• Describe how to download a digital FIRM Panel for use with desktop FIRMette software
• Describe how to access and view FIRMs through “Show All Products” icon on the Map Service Center website and produce a FIRMette

The FEMA Flood Map Service Center is the official public source for flood hazard information produced in support of the NFIP. Through the Map Service Center, you can access official flood maps and a range of other flood hazard products.

A Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) is an official flood map used in the National Flood Insurance Program. Most FIRMs are divided into FIRM Panels. The Panels are large (2ft x 3ft) and require a plotter to print.

You can create a FIRMette which is an easy to print section of a FIRM. In the following screens, we will go through the steps to:

• Print a FIRMette using FEMA’s web based Dynamic Map tool and the National Flood Hazard Layer (NFHL).
• Download a digital version of a FIRM panel for use with FIRMette desktop software.
• Access and view FIRM panels through “Show All Products” icon on the Map Service Center website and produce a FIRMette.

Navigate to the FEMA Flood Map Service Center (MSC), available at https://msc.fema.gov.

To locate the flood map for a specific property or community, enter one of the following in the Search field (number 1 in image):

• Street address, or
• Place name such as city, town, county and state, or
• Longitude and latitude coordinates; decimal format must be used (e.g., -96.64908, 41.29299)

Note: When using coordinates, order matters - you must enter longitude first, and then the latitude.

If you are looking for more than a current flood map, select the “Search All Products” link (number 2 in image).

Search All Products is covered later in this lesson.

The Search Results screen shows you a great deal of map information without showing you the FIRM panel itself. If you used the place name option (e.g., City, state) you may need to pan to locate a specific property and then click on that site to center the FIRMette or select the correct Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) panel.

Most search results provide two different options for displaying the FIRM:

• Under the Dynamic Map Icon is the “Print Map/FIRMette” option
• Under the Map Image Icon is the “Download FIRM Panel” option

Note: If National Flood Hazard Layer (NFHL) digital data is not available, the available buttons will be slightly different.

The How to Print a FIRMette and Download a FIRM Panel job aid is available at https://www.fema.gov/media-library/assets/documents/34930

This Search Results screen shows you a great deal of map information without showing you the FIRM itself. By number:

1. Provides the flood map number and panel number and the date that this panel became effective.

2. Provides different options for displaying the FIRM:

• "Dynamic Map" automatically creates a FIRMette based on the center of the sample map image. You can re-center the map before clicking on the Dynamic Map icon. The FIRMette is based on the National Flood Hazard Layer and can be printed


• “Map Image” allows you to download the FIRM so that it can be viewed or manipulated using your own photo editing software. (The file is saved in .tif format.) The map will be downloaded into a ZIP file, so you have to extract it prior to using it. The downloaded file can also be imported into FEMA’s downloadable FIRMette desktop software. This is especially useful if you go review the same map panels frequently.

3. The “Show All Products” button takes you to the listing of all products available for the location. This is the same information if you had clicked the “Search All Products” option from the previous screen except that we have a specific community selected. Using the Search All Products link you can download available FIRM panels, FIS Reports, LOMCs, and National Flood Hazard Layer maps.

4. Lists any LOMCs on file for the community. In this case, there are none.

The map interface that shows the selected FIRM panel highlighted in light blue around Bennet, NE. When we click one of the map options for #2, this is the panel that will display. If you want to move one panel over, you can click on it in the map window. When the other panel is highlighted in light blue, that panel will display with a map view option is selected (#2).

If digital data is available, the Dynamic Map Icon (Print Map/FIRMette) allows you to create a FIRMette. The FIRMette will be created dynamically using the current effective FIRM data, plus any letters of map revisions that have been incorporated since the FIRM panel was issued. The FIRMette can be saved and printed from your computer.

Scroll down to see slideshow captions.

To download a FIRM panel, begin by searching for the street address, place name, or longitude and latitude coordinates in the Search field and press enter. If you use place name, such as city, town, county and state, you may need to pan and click to find and select the correct panel.

Most search results provide two different options for displaying the FIRM:

Option 1: Under the Dynamic Map Icon is the Print Map/FIRMette

Option 2: Under the Map Image Icon is the Download FIRM Panel

Select Download FIRM Panel for a copy of the original full-size FIRM. Since these static map images show the FIRM as it was published on the original effective date, you will also need to check if there are any updates under Changes to the FIRM folders on the MSC search results screen.

The map will be downloaded into a ZIP file, you must extract it prior to using. The downloaded file can also be imported into FEMA’s downloadable FIRMette desktop software. This is especially useful if you have slow internet speeds or review the same map panels frequently.

NOTE: If NFHL digital data is not available, the available buttons will be slightly different, and you would access the FIRM Panel and download using the Search All Products icon.

To view and print portions of a downloaded flood map, download the FEMA FIRMette Desktop tool (available from https://msc.fema.gov/portal/resources/productsandtools) to work with maps offline.

The image below shows how the FIRM appears in the FIRMette Desktop Map Viewer, image label:

1. The entire FIRM panel with a pink box over the center. The box shows the boundaries of the area that will be printed as a FIRMette. You can move the box to adjust the boundaries of your FIRMette
2. The FIRM panel information, including community number, panel number, and effective date
3. The FIRM panel legend
4. The FIRM scale
5. The Print FIRMette button is used to make a FIRMette
6. Pan icon and Zoom icons
7. North orientation icon
8. Links to Letters of map change (LOMCs) if your computer is connected to the Internet

After moving the pink box to cover the specific property and making any necessary adjustments to the boxes covering the FIRM Panel information and map scale, click the Print FIRMette button to create a FIRMette.

If there is no NFHL dynamic Digital Data for your location, the search result page is slightly different. To create a FIRMette of the current Effective FIRM, you can either download the FIRM panel and use desktop FIRMette software as previously discussed or select “VIEW/PRINT FIRM” Option to Print a FIRMette directly from the website.

A new window will appear, containing the FIRMette Web tool, which will display the selected FIRM Panel. Select the Make a FIRMette button on the left side of the screen.

You can make a FIRMette in just a few steps.

Scroll down to see slideshow captions.

After you click on your preferred output format, your FIRMette will appear.

• If you are satisfied with the FIRMette, click the Save your FIRMette button.
• If you are not satisfied with the FIRMette coverage, you can click the back button below the Save your FIRMette button to start again. You can also use the back button if you need to make FIRMettes of other areas from the same Flood Map Panel

Note: If the image times out, you may have to start from the beginning.

Once you have saved and opened your FIRMette, you can print it out on the appropriate-sized paper corresponding to your earlier selection. To preserve the scale from the original FIRM map, save as PDF and change print settings to "actual size" before printing.

Be sure to check if there have been any changes to the FIRM by selecting the Revisions, Amendments, and Revalidations options under “Changes to this FIRM”.

1. Select the “Make a FIRMette” button on the left side of the screen.

2. Use the Zoom and Pan functions to identify the area you want to print as a FIRMette.

*You must be zoomed out all the way in order to make a FIRMette. The miniature FIRM panel in the upper left of the screen can help to orient you and confirm the location you are viewing on the flood map panel when you are zoomed in.

3. Click, hold, and drag the pink box to cover the area you want in your FIRMette.

4. Choose your paper size by clicking the appropriate button below the tools on the left of the screen

5. To reposition the scale and north arrow or title block , click the appropriate button and drag the new pink layer. The areas highlighted in pink and green boxes will be included on the FIRMette.

6. When ready, click on your preferred output format, “Adobe PDF” or “Image File”.

• Adobe PDF should be used for printing maps where preserving the scale is important.
• Image files can be used when importing the image into PowerPoint or other presentation software for display.

7. Your FIRMette will appear.

• If you are not satisfied with the FIRMette coverage, you can click the back button below the Save your FIRMette button to start again.
• You can also use the back button if you need to make FIRMettes of other areas from the same Flood Map Panel.

8. Print FIRMette.

• Print it out on the appropriate-sized paper corresponding to your earlier selection.
• To preserve the scale from the original FIRM map, save as PDF and change print settings to actual size before printing.

NOTE: Be sure to check if there have been any changes to the FIRM by selecting the Revisions, Amendments, and Revalidations options under “Changes to this FIRM”.

The MSC Search by Address option is for finding the current effective map for your community. The MSC Search All Products option can be used to find the current effective map as well as the full range of maps and Flood Risk Products Available for a community.

To search for additional products such as preliminary flood maps, historic FIRM panels, the Flood Insurance Study (FIS) and Letters of Map Change (LOMCs), use the MSC Search All Products option located on the MSC home page, in the left-hand navigation of any MSC page, or the Show All Products button on the upper right side of the MSC web page showing your Address Search Results

There are different ways to locate the floodplain information you’re looking for:

Image Label 1. By State, County, and Community Name—Drop-down menus provide options to narrow the search. This is useful when you know the county and community name.

Image Label 2. By Jurisdiction Name—Start by typing the name of the community or county. Select the community from the list of choices that appears. For example, when we type "Bennet," a drop-down list of choices appears, and we can select the “Bennet, Village of” option. Then click the Search button.

Image Label 3. By Product ID—Users may search based on FIRM panel number or other products that possess a unique Product ID. To continue, you would click the Search button.

Show All Products is a great resource for community officials looking to access Historic FIRMs and other mapping products in one complete list for the community. Preliminary mapping products are also available. Users can download all FIRM panels for use with the FIRMette desktop tool or make a FIRMette online from any FIRM in FIRMette Web by using the “View” option in the FIRM Panel list.

NOTE: An official FIRMette cannot be created for Preliminary FIRM Panels since they are not yet effective. However, the Flood Map Change Viewer can create a document similar to a FIRMette to compare effective and preliminary conditions and clearly display changes to the flood map. FEMA's Flood Map Changes Viewer is available at https://msc.fema.gov/fmcv.

For technical assistance, select the Contact MSC Help from the navigation bar.

The FMIX hours of operation are Monday through Friday, 8:00 am through 6:30 pm Eastern Time (EST/EDT). Self-service options are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

You can contact a FEMA Map Specialist at: 1 (877) FEMA MAP (1-877-336-2627)

Hours of Operation: Monday through Friday, 8:00 am to 6:30 pm Eastern Time (EST/EDT)

Email: FEMAMapSpecialist@riskmapcds.com

Live Chat Service, available 9:00 am to 5:00 pm Eastern Time (EST/EDT) .

The FEMA Map Information eXchange (FMIX) Flyer available at https://www.fema.gov/media-library-data/1405344129889-846fc82b5bf04eb598e1dd206edc40fb/FMIX_Flyer.pdf summarizes the topics, products, and tools supported by the FMIX contact center, and provides pertinent FMIX contact information.

You have completed Lesson 6. In this lesson you learned how to:

• Print a FIRMette using FEMA’s web based Dynamic Map tool and the National Flood Hazard Layer (NFHL)
• Download a digital version of a FIRM panel for use with FIRMette desktop software
• Access and view FIRM panels through “Show All Products” icon on the Map Service Center website and produce a FIRMette