Interactive Preparedness: Emergency Action Planning for Dams and Levees

Course Objectives

This course is intended to provide both the novice and experienced dam or levee safety emergency planner with valuable lessons and sk.ills that will allow them to develop new EAPs and improve the effectiveness of existing EAPs. The course is a hands-on, interactive workshop, covering the basic elements and knowledge required to prepare, implement, update, and review effective EAPs that will mesh with the constantly changing emergency management community.

The agenda is structured to answer the following key questions:

Why are EAPs important?
What are the important components of an effective EAP?
How do you develop, update, and test an EAP?

This is a BASIC level course, and there are no specific education or experience prerequisites, although some knowledge/experience in dam safety would be beneficial.

Course Manual

A course manual will be provided in a three-ring notebook, so that course participants can customize the notebook by adding their own notes and other information during or after the course. The manual will include:

Copies of presentation slides.
Exercise materials.
A generic EAP document for use in the exercises.
An EAP reviewer’s checklist.
A compilation of valuable references, including:
     a. A summary of EAP formats and requirements for the different states.
     b. EAP format examples from state and federal agencies.
     c. A list of other key EAP and dam safety references.
     d. Internet URLs for sites where additional information can be found.

The course manual will include a DVD with copies of all of the materials distributed in hard copy at the course plus additional reference materials.

Continuing Education

This technical seminar contains 14 hours of instruction. Forms for the documentation of PDH credits will be provided to all registered attendees. Note: This course will be evaluated for approval of continuing ed credit for New York-licensed professional engineers. Watch the ASDSO website for an announcement in this regard.

Speaker and Presenter Information

John W. France, P.E., D. WRE - Mr. France is a registered professional engineer who is currently a Vice President for AECOM. He has 41 years of consulting engineering experience, including service on hundreds of civil engineering projects. For the past 35 years his professional career has been focused on dam engineering and dam safety services. During his career, Mr. France has been the owner’s engineer at the time of serious dam safety incidents at three dams, and he has both prepared EAPs and reviewed existing EAPs for a number of dams. He has served on expert consultant review boards for dam safety projects for the Bureau of Reclamation, the US Army Corps of Engineers, BC Hydro, and Brookfield Renewable Energy.

Steve Jamieson, P.E. - Mr. 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.

Gregg Batchelder Adams, P.E. - Mr. Batchelder Adams is currently the Chief of the Geotechnical/Geology and Construction Branch for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Risk Management Center located in Denver. He is a registered professional engineer with over 36 years of experience in geotechnical and civil engineering, with 26 years focused on dam safety, including evaluations, inspections, design/construction, project management, and Emergency Action Plans. He managed a nationwide dam safety inspection program that included 192 dams for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, including the preparation and training related to Emergency Action Plans and Standing Operating Procedures for over 30 high and significant hazard dams. He was the Program Manager/facilitator for EAP Periodic Test exercises for over 20 high/significant hazard dams in eight states (CO, SC, MT, ND, NM, IL, OK, and PA).

Relevant Government Agencies

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