Public Safety & Security at Dams: Two Sides of the Same Coin

This event qualifies for 2 PDH

Recent trends show that the likelihood of experiencing injuries and fatalities at dams is far greater than experiencing injuries and fatalities from dam failures, and this likelihood is increasing. Similarly, the need to increase security at dams to address terrorist threats, control public access, and protect the resource from harm is increasing. In response to these increasing risks, dam owners are developing public safety and security plans.

Fortunately, public safety and site security are not mutually exclusive. A joint approach to evaluating and addressing both concerns can maximize the return on a dam owner’s investment. Solutions to address security can also be used for public safety. The steps and information needed to assess the risks associated with public safety and site security are also similar. Solutions to address both issues emphasize the need to provide public warnings, limiting public access to features that create dangerous conditions and/or are critical to the mission of the dam, and effectively monitoring unauthorized activity around the dam.

This webinar presents concepts from the authors’ experiences on an approach to conducting dam site assessments and preparing public safety and security plans for dams. An approach is presented for conducting a common site assessment that can be used to simultaneously evaluate security and public safety. Additionally, examples of mitigating strategies that could be used to increase site security and minimize the risks associated with injury, accidental death, property damage, and related litigation are shown.

Learning objectives attendees will receive from this webinar:

Become aware of the changing public safety and security trends at dams.
Understand how public safety and security at dams can be assessed.
Become aware of mitigating strategies that could be used to minimize the risks associated with injury, accidental death, property damage, and related litigation.
Available resources.

Speaker and Presenter Information

William Foos, CPP, PSP
GFT Infrastructure, Inc.
Vice President and Senior Director of Security and Safety Services

William “Bill” Foos is responsible for providing consulting and management expertise for Security and Safety. His areas of focus involve technical aspects of security principles for physical and cybersecurity systems that include design, implementation, policy development, and training. Bill has a vigilant eye for detecting threats, measuring risk, and optimizing security and safety programs for dam owners. The services he oversees include conducting audits of threat, security, vulnerability, risk, and public safety assessment programs; developing mitigation strategies; preparing emergency response plans and continuity of operations plans; and developing and leading incident response and rapid recovery planning exercises. With more than 40 years of industry experience, Bill has led safety initiatives from coast to coast.

Paul Schweiger, P.E.

GFT Infrastructure, Inc.
Vice President and Technical Director Dams and Hydraulics

Paul has been with GFT for 39 years. During that time, he has provided engineering consulting services for more than 500 dams throughout the United States and Canada. Paul is an approved Federal Energy Regulatory Commission facilitator and Independent Consultant for conducting potential failure modes analysis exercises, Emergency Action Plan exercises, and Part 12 dam assessments. He regularly serves as an expert hydrology and hydraulics engineer on Independent External Peer Review panels for United States Army Corps of Engineers dam and flood control projects and has served on the National Dam Safety Review Board as the Private Sector Representative. Paul is a frequent instructor for Association of State Dam Safety Officials (ASDSO) engineering seminars. He served on the Board of Consultants for the Oroville Spillway Emergency Recovery Project and is currently serving on several Boards of Consultants for dam projects throughout the United States.

Relevant Government Agencies

Army, DOD & Military, Dept of Agriculture, Dept of Energy, Dept of Homeland Security, Dept of the Interior, Dept of Transportation, EPA, Other Federal Agencies, State Government, County Government, City Government, Municipal Government, FEMA, Federal Government, State & Local Government, Foreign Governments/Agencies