DHS · DHS-2439 · record R1881

Hazard Mitigation Assistance Chatbot

Department of Homeland Security · FEMA

Overview

Development stage: PilotSource: b) Pilot – The use case has been deployed in a limited test or pilot capacity.
High-impact designation: Not high-impactSource: c) Not high-impact
Impact justification: Not reported
Start date: 2025-08-18 (day precision)Source: 2025-08-18T00:00:00
Withheld from public reporting: Not reported

Mission

Topic area: Administrative Functions
Operational functions: Chatbot or virtual assistant Derived by keyword rules; see methodology

Problem the AI is intended to solve

Understanding of Hazard Mitigation Assistance (HMA) programs and data analysis of HMA data. The tool will lead to a consistent and accurate understanding of the programs and contribute to a standardization of project reviews.

Expected benefits

Leverage advanced Artificial Intelligence (AI) capabilities to address challenges faced by Hazard Mitigation Assistance (HMA) staff, enhancing productivity for day-to-day functions.

System outputs

The tool utilizes the OpenAI models through Azure OpenAI to respond to prompts asked through the chatbot.

Technology

AI classification: Generative AISource: Generative AI: AI that generates new or synthetic content (e.g., images, videos, audio, text, code).
System name(s): ReadyAI
Custom-developed code: Yes
Public source code: Not reported

Sourcing

How it was built: Contract and in-houseSource: c) Developed with both contracting and in-house resources
Vendor (as reported): Ideation
Vendors (standardized): None on the standard list

A vendor is the supplier named by the agency. It does not identify the underlying model or AI technology.

Data and privacy

Involves PII: No
Privacy Impact Assessment: Not reported
Authorization to Operate: Yes
Demographic features: Not reported
Training and evaluation data: Training data included all HMA policy, training, and data available on FEMA.gov. This include OpenFEMA datasets, Legal/Policy Documents (i.e., federal legal and policy references, such as nondiscrimination clauses and presidential memorandums); Regulations (i.e., regulatory texts, including sections of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR)); and Guides and Handbooks (i.e., FEMA-issued guides that provide frameworks and instructions, such as planning handbooks and operational guides).
Federal Data Catalog: Not reported

Governance

0 of 8 minimum-practice questions answered. A blank answer means the agency reported nothing; it does not mean the practice is absent.

Pre-deployment testingNo answer reported

AI impact assessmentNo answer reported

Independent reviewNo answer reported

Ongoing monitoringNo answer reported

Operator trainingNo answer reported

Fail-safeNo answer reported

Appeal processNo answer reported

User and public consultationNo answer reported

Potential impacts and how they were identified

Not reported