Glossary

CBRNE

Chemical, biological, radiological, neurological and explosive weapons. An example of CBRNE-specific equipment is a monitor. A CBRNE-specific pharmaceutical is an item such as an autoinjector.

Call Volume

The number of fire, emergency and other service-related requests a fire department receives over a specified period.

Cancellation

The termination of the insurance coverage provided by a policy before the expiration date.

Career Fire Department

An agency or organization where all members receive financial compensation for their services on a full-time basis. Compensation on an intermittent basis such as paid-on-call is not considered full-time compensation.

CRCL

Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties.

Capacity

A combination of all the strengths and resources available within a community, society or organization that can reduce the level of risk, or the effects of a disaster. (From the U.N. International Strategy for Disaster Reduction.)

Capacity Building

Efforts aimed to develop human skills or societal infrastructure within a community or organization needed to reduce the level of risk, or the effects of a disaster. (From the U.N. International Strategy for Disaster Reduction.)

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance

The Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) is a government-wide compendium of federal programs, projects, services and activities that provide assistance or benefits to the American public. It contains financial and nonfinancial assistance programs administered by departments and establishments of the federal government. The CFDA number for the Assistance to Firefighters Grants (including Fire Prevention and Safety Grants) is 97-044. The CFDA number for SAFER grants is 97-083.

Catastrophic Incident

Any natural or man-made incident, including terrorism that results in extraordinary levels of mass casualties, damage, or disruption severely affecting the population, infrastructure, environment, economy, national morale, and/or government functions. A catastrophic event could result in sustained national impacts over a prolonged period of time; almost immediately exceeds resources normally available to local, State, Tribal, and private sector authorities in the impacted area; and significantly interrupts governmental operations and emergency services to such an extent that national security could be threatened.

Certification

A confirmation or assurance attesting to the fact that a statement is true and accurate.

Cistern

Covered cisterns and the water in them are defined as an integral part of an insurable building, meaning under the building or above ground and physically attached to a side of the building with 1 of the walls of the building and cistern being common to each other.

Client

An applicant that has registered with FEMA and determined eligible for Federal assistance by FEMA. This term is used in conjunction with disaster case management services.

Closed Basin Lake

A natural lake from which water leaves primarily through evaporation and whose surface area exceeds or has exceeded 1 square mile at any time in the recorded past. NFIP-insured buildings that are subject to continuous lake flooding from a closed basin lake are covered under the provisions of Standard Flood Insurance Policy (SFIP).

Coastal Barrier

A naturally occurring island, sandbar or other strip of land, including coastal mainland, that protects the coast from severe wave wash.

Coastal Barrier Improvement Act of 1990 (CBIA)

Enacted on November 16, 1990, the Act greatly expanded the identified land in the Coastal Barrier Resources System (CBRS) established pursuant to the Coastal Barrier Resources Act (CBRA) of 1982.

Coastal Barrier Resources Act of 1982 (CBRA)

For the purposes of the NFIP, the CBRA of 1982 designated certain portions of the Gulf and East Coasts as undeveloped coastal barriers. These areas are shown on appropriate flood insurance map panels and have certain coverage restrictions.

Coastal Barrier Resources System (CBRS)

a. Communities, coastal barriers and Otherwise Protected Areas (OPAs) identified by legislation defined above.

b. The Coastal Barrier Resources Act (CBRA) was passed by Congress in 1982 to encourage conservation of hurricane-prone, biologically rich coastal barriers. CBRA prohibits most new federal expenditures that encourage development or modification of coastal barriers. Therefore, most new or substantially improved residences, businesses, or other developments in the Coastal Barrier Resources System (CBRS) are not eligible for certain federal funding and financial assistance, including coverage under the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). Development can still occur within the CBRS, as long as private developers or other non–federal parties bear the full cost.

CBRS boundaries are shown on maps that were originally adopted by Congress, and with few exceptions, only Congress can change the CBRS boundaries. The official CBRS maps are maintained by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS).

Coastal High Hazard Areas

Special Flood Hazard Areas (SFHAs) along the coasts that have additional hazards due to wind and wave action. These areas are identified on Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs) as zones V, V1-V30 and VE.

Code of Federal Regulations (CFR)

The Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) is the codification of the general and permanent rules and regulations published in the Federal Register by the executive departments and agencies of the federal government.

Coinsurance

A penalty imposed on the loss payment unless the amount of insurance carried on the damaged building is at least 80% of its replacement cost or the maximum amount of insurance available for that building under the NFIP, whichever is less. Coinsurance applies only to building coverage under the Residential Condominium Building Association Policy (RCBAP).