Webinar: How to Make Your Emergency Action Plan More Effective

This event qualifies for 2 PDHs

In the last forty years, dam safety professionals have recognized the importance of preparing emergency actions plans (EAPs) as an effective tool to minimize the consequences of dam failures. In the last 15 years, the National Incident Management System (NIMS) was established and the Incident Command System (ICS) has become a more important emergency response tool. As a result, EAP formats, procedures for testing dam EAPs and training personnel have evolved to meet the needs and capabilities of the emergency management and emergency response community. In recent years, we have learned some valuable lessons about the effectiveness of EAPs as part of an efficient emergency response from recent large storm events in the United States.

This webinar will provide a brief overview of the evolution of emergency response and EAPs for dams and discuss key elements and formats for dam EAPs as well as some thoughts on the future of more effective and simplified EAP formats. We will provide some tools to improve decision making, preventative actions, and communications during dam incidents and emergencies. We will also provide an overview of some of the latest inundation mapping tools and techniques. The differences between EAPs for dams and levees will also be highlighted. The webinar will conclude with an EAP effectiveness checklist that will highlight dam owner, consultant, state dam safety program and emergency management and response perspectives.

Speaker and Presenter Information

Steve Jamieson

President, W. W. Wheeler & Associates, Inc.

Steve Jamieson is a registered professional engineer and the President of W. W. Wheeler & Associates, Inc. in Englewood, Colorado. He has an MS degree in civil engineering from the University of Colorado at Denver and a BS degree in civil engineering from Colorado State University. He has more than 34 years of experience in dam engineering, design, construction, operations, and risk assessments. Mr. Jamieson has a unique perspective as a former dam owner and current consultant to numerous dam safety programs. He has prepared, reviewed or tested hundreds of emergency action plans for dams nationwide and has been involved in several dam incidents.

Bill McCormick, P.E.

Branch Chief, Colorado Dam Safety Branch

Bill McCormick holds a bachelors degree in Geology and bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Geological Engineering. He is a licensed Professional Engineer and a Professional Geologist in the state of Colorado. He has over 27 years of professional experience as geologist, engineering geologist and civil engineer involved with design, construction and regulation of water projects in Colorado and Nevada. He has been with the Colorado Division of Water Resources for the past 13 years and as Chief of the Colorado Dam Safety Branch since 2011. Bill and his award winning team of dam safety engineers have responsibility for developing and executing a comprehensive dam safety risk management program for all dams in the state of Colorado in the interest of public safety.

Kerry Kimble

Planning Section Chief, Colorado Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management

Kerry has been a Certified Emergency Manager in Colorado since 2004 and certified by the International Association of Emergency Managers since 2006. For the past fifteen years Kerry Kimble has worked at numerous Colorado offices of emergency management in the Departments of Local Affairs, Public Safety, and Transportation. He has been responsible for numerous updates of the State Emergency Operations Plan, the State Continuity of Operations Plan program, the FEMA required State Preparedness Report, and the Colorado Community Chemical Stockpile Emergency Preparedness Program (CSEPP) Recovery Plan. As a certified Type III Planning Section Chief, Kerry has worked on such incidents as summer wildfires (2016); April floods (2015); September floods and June wildfires (2013); High Park/Waldo Canyon wildfires (2012), the Democratic National Convention, Northeastern Colorado Tornados, and the Alamosa Salmonella incident (2008). He was also a member of the Joint State – FEMA Teams for incident Recovery during the 2013 multi–county flood and the 2015 severe storm and flood events. Kerry has also been deployed via the Emergency Management Assistance Compact to support response and recovery for the Joplin Tornado (May 2011) and New York – Hurricane Irene/Tropical Storm Lee (Sep 2011). He also performed the duties of an Area Commander for preparations in receiving Hurricane Katrina evacuees and the Plans and Operations Officer at the Lowry Evacuee Operations Complex (for Hurricanes Katrina and Rita evacuees).

Relevant Government Agencies

Army, Dept of Agriculture, Dept of Energy, Dept of Homeland Security, Dept of the Interior, Dept of State, Other Federal Agencies, State Government, County Government, City Government, Municipal Government, FEMA, Federal Government, State & Local Government