Denver Water - Boil Water Notice Between 10th and 24th Ave and Federal Blvd and Tennyson Street

Denver Water is advising homes and businesses between 10th Avenue and 24th Avenue, and Federal Boulevard and Tennyson Street to boil their water before drinking.

According to the Boil Water Notice on the Denver Water website, Denver Water will also be going door-to-door in the area to advise residents and businesses to boil water. Those who aren’t home will receive a door hanger.

Denver Water recommends:

• DO NOT DRINK THE WATER WITHOUT BOILING IT FIRST. Bring all water to a boil, let it boil for three (3) minutes, and let it cool before using, or use bottled water. Boiled or bottled water should be used for drinking, making ice, brushing teeth, washing dishes, and food preparation until further notice. Boiling kills bacteria and other organisms in the water.
• Water main breaks resulting in a loss of system pressure can introduce disease-causing organisms into the water system. These organisms include bacteria, viruses, and parasites, which can cause symptoms such as nausea, cramps, diarrhea, and associated headaches. The symptoms above are not caused only by organisms in drinking water. If you experience any of these symptoms and they persist, you may want to seek medical advice.
• People with severely compromised immune systems, infants, and some elderly may be at increased risk. These people should seek advice from their health care providers about drinking water.

For more info, continue to check in with Denver Water online or call the Drinking Water Hotline at 1(800) 426-4791

For other questions, contact:
Stacy Chesney
303-628-6584 (office)
720- 232-7214 (cell)
stacy.chesney@denverwater.org

FEMA Region VIII Exercise and Eval Program Course - Aug 17-19, 2010 - Denver, CO

FEMA Region VIII is hosting a Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program (HSEEP) Course this summer, August 17-19, 2010. 

The HSEEP Training Course incorporates exercise guidance and best practices from the HSEEP volumes.  Throughout the course, participants will learn about exercise-related topics including program management design and development, conduct, evaluation, and improvement planning.

The primary audience for this course is Federal, State, local, trust territories, and tribal nations emergency management/response personnel who have the responsibility for exercise planning and evaluation.  Nongovernmental and private-sector partners who have a direct mission in homeland security exercises may attend on a case-by-case basis.

Participants need a basic knowledge of exercise design and HSEPP terminology.  Therefore, participants are required to complete an Independent Study (IS)-120.A, An Introduction to Exercises, before attending the HSEEP Training Course.  The IS course takes approximately 3 to 5 hours to complete and you can take it online at http://training.fema.gov/EMIWeb/IS/IS120A.asp and select "Interactive Web-based Course."

It is also recommended that participants take IS-130 Exercise Eval and Improvement Planning, IS-139 Exercise Design, IS-700 NIMS, An Introduction, and IS-800.B National Response Framework, An Introduction. 

The class will be held in the Denver Metro area from August 17-19, 2010.  

The registration site is up and ready and, for the Denver class.  The username for Denver registration is denverhseep and the pass is region8aug - the registration deadline is August 5, 2010.

For any questions, contact Phillip Serrin, FEMA Region VIII, Training and Exercises, at (303) 235-4682 or at phillip.serrin@dhs.gov.

Denver Citizens Emergency Response Training (Denver CERT) - June 3, 5, and 12, 2010 - Denver, CO

What would YOU do if a disaster hit close to home or work??
Class: June 3, 5 and 12, 2010 – Class Exercise: July 31, 2010

What: This disaster preparedness and response training (FEMA course IS317 – Community Emergency Response Team/Training) will include how to plan for a disaster and teach basic response skills such as fire safety, light search and rescue, team organization, and disaster medical operations.  At the completion of this training, participants are encouraged to support emergency response agencies by taking a more active role in emergency preparedness projects in our community.

Why:  When a disaster hits, we can’t always depend on professional responders to be immediately available.  We would like to have our citizens of Denver trained to help within their own communities.

Who: This training is open to anyone. We will accept up to 40 participants. 

When: June 3, 2010, 6:00pm to 10:00pm; June 5 and 12, 8:00 AM - 5:30 PM. Class exercise will be July 31, 2010, 8:30am to 3:30pm

Where: Westwood Community Center, 1000 South Lowell Blvd, Denver CO 80219

Ok.... now... How much: The training will be provided at NO COST to participants.

Sponsored by: Office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security (OEM/HS); Denver Fire Department and Denver Police Department, the Organizational Management for Emergency General Activity (O.M.E.G.A.) and the Westwood Community Center

For More Information and Registration: http://www.denvergov.org/oem; Carolyn H. Bluhm, OEM: 720.865.7600 or email DenverCERT@denvergov.org

Rocky Mountain Area Fire Season Outlook - Colorado

Bottom-line for Colorado? The Rocky Mountain Area Coordination Center indicates that while some areas of NW Colorado may -- and emphasis on 'may' - develop above average fire potential due to below average snowpack, severe drought conditions, forecasted above and average temperatures and below average precipitation July through August, the remainder of Colorado is predicted to have an "average" fire potential. According to the report, "average fire potential means that these areas will likely experience short durations of fuel and fire weather conditions that support periods of large fire activity, but not extended periods of fuel and fire weather conditions that result in multiple large fires for several weeks."

 

The 2010 Rocky Mountain Area Fire Season Outlook, produced by the Predictive Services Group of the Rocky Mountain Area Coordination Center, covers Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota and Wyoming. It is intended to address the risk for significant fire events that could require mobilization of additional resources outside the area of origination, such as through expanded mutual aid agreements within a state or through additional, out-of-state requests for assistance.

 

In going through the report, some of the particular points relative to Colorado are:

• "Drought conditions have significantly improved across the plains of eastern Colorado"
• "Snowpack across the Rocky Mountain Area ranges from near average to below average across southern Colorado"
• "Climate forecasts from the Climate Prediction Center and others support above average temperatures west of the divide this summer, especially July through August. Wetter than average conditions are forecast east of the divide, with no tilt either way west. However, other forecasts support drier than average summer conditions from northwest Colorado through western Wyoming."
• "Carry over grasses fromprevious growing seasons are abundant across the Rocky Mountain area. Many forests across the Rocky Mountain area have been devastated by the mountain pine beetle. Dry and hot periods make these areas more susceptible to large fire potential."

Of course, the three main causes of fires continue to be men, women and children... so, what can you do to help mitigate the chances of a wildland fire?

• Be careful with campfires - only build fires in rings or grates
• Use self-contained cookers or chemical stoves
• Keep hot mufflers and catalytic converters clear of grasses and shrubs
• Burn debris with care - and check with the Colorado Fire Ban site to know what local restrictions are
• Think about where you would go to flee a fire, what you would take and alternate routes for exit

To get more information on how to prepare you and your family for a wildland fire or any other disaster, check out READYColorado and for more information on how to prepare your property for fire season, check, be FIREWISE!!

High Wind Safety

Although it is always a good idea to check NOAA National Weather Service Advisories for Colorado, if you have looked outside or been nearly blown over while walking around today you don't need to read something to tell you that we are experiencing some some high wind conditions today across the State.  In Alamosa, local emergency management officials are reporting sustained winds in excess of 30 mph with gusts exceeding 65 mph.  In Elbert County, high winds are already suspected in knocking down a structure adjacent to the Agate Post Office (linked pic courtesy of CBS 4 Denver's Twitpic Site).  Our Division Regional Field Manager, Lori Hodges, reports high winds in the area are in the range of 55 mph - 65 mphs along the I-70 corridor near Agate.  In both cases, high wind advisories/warnings are in effect.  Although no injuries were reported by emergency responders, the Post Office in Agate has been closed until damage assessments can be made by local building officials (for information on this incident, you can contact the Elbert County PIO Hotline at (303) 805-6142). 

So... what do you do about high winds?  Actually, we can take the same safety precautions most often identified for tornado (and hurricaine) safety and use it in response to high wind threats.  For example:

• Stay in an interior room or basement of your house/business.  Interestingly, according to high wind preparedness experts, garage doors are often the first feature in a home to fail due to high winds.
• Avoid windows.  
• Do not remain in light or poorly constructed structures that may be subject to blow down or collapse.
• Stay out of structures with wide, free-span roofs like auditoriums and gyms.
• Secure or move indoors all items which could become projectiles.
• Avoid areas/structures immediately subject to tree/branch falls (special note:  pine beetle-kill forest areas are uniquely subject to blow-down due to dried or damaged root systems).

And, as always, keep up with developments from the National Weather Service online or on the radio.

Beaver Fire - Contacts and Fire Information

In response to the Beaver Fire in San Miguel County, residents are encouraged to sign up for the County’s WENS Emergency Alert program, which will alert residents in the event evacuations are necessary. Residents can sign up online on the San Miguel County WENS Registration Page

In addition, the public can call the fire information line for updates at 970-240-1070.

The Public Information Officers for the Beaver Fire are:

Erin Curtis, PIO, 970-210-2126
Chris Barth, PIO, 970-596-0430

For the latest information on the fire, reference the San Miguel County website, where releases are being posted.

Job Opportunity - Lake County Emergency Manager - Lake County, Colorado

Lake County is seeking an Emergency Manager.  Job responsibilities include overseeing, maintaining and developing emergency management programs and activities in Lake County.  This role entails coordinating all aspects of the county’s mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery efforts regarding emergency management.  Coordination of emergency planning among local, state and federal agencies and the private sector is required.  This position assists in fulfilling the county’s statutory requirements under C.R.S. 24-32-2107.  Position reports to the Board of County Commissioners.  Salary is $16,500 per year for this part-time position.  Preferred candidates for this position will have familiarization with applicable federal and state rules, regulations and standards relating to the development of an operational emergency disaster capability; Colorado Division of Emergency Management standards and requirements; grant application and administration; local knowledge of Lake County geography and emergency providers, computer and communication skills, and ICS training and NIMS.  Candidates must be willing to be on-call and have a valid Colorado driver’s license, high school diploma or equivalent and experience in an emergency services background. Applications may be obtained from the Colorado Workforce Office which is located at 115 W 6th St., Leadville, CO 80461. Hours are 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.  Application may be turned in to the Lake County Clerk’s Office at the County Courthouse by 5:00 p.m. on May 28, 2010.  LAKE COUNTY IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER.

For more info and for applications, visit the Lake County Govt Page - http://www.lakecountyco.com/

G-362 Multi-Hazard Emergency Planning for Schools

Course Overview
This course is designed to help participants recognize the need to plan for all types of disaster. Since planning is a process, planning is included in every unit and activity. Participants completing the course will be able to explain the importance of a school safety program to others and to lead individuals in their schools and community through the process of developing an effective multi-hazard program. 
 
Course Objectives
This course will: 
Describe emergency management operations, roles, and duties; 
Explain how to assess potential hazards that schools may face; 
Explain how to develop and test an Emergency Operations Plan that addresses all potential hazards. 
 
Primary Audience
This course is designed for school administrators, principals, and first responders. However, anyone with a personal or professional interest in school preparedness is welcome to participate. Teachers, students, bus drivers, volunteers, and parents alike will find useful information in this course. 
 
Registration 
http://www.co.train.org

Course ID    
1014206 

Dates        
June 2-3, 2010 

Time        
8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (lunch on your own) 

Location    
Lewis Palmer High School
Distance Learning Lab 
1300 Higby Road 
Monument, CO 80132 

Changes to FEMA's Advanced Professional Services (APS) Requirement Electives

Per DEM's Training Officer, Robyn Knappe, the FEMA Advanced Professional Series (APS) requirement electives have changed slightly by the Emergency Management Institute (EMI). Robyn notes that, in the future, they are going to no longer honor ICS 400 as a elective and it has been removed. In addition, EMI has added Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program. If you or anyone you know, is in process and 1-2 classes away from acquiring their APS, please email Robyn their name to robyn.knappe@state.co.us and she will then submit their APS certificates and request letter requesting them to be grand fathered under the program prior to May 2010. To view the new requirements please go to: http://training.fema.gov/emiweb/APS/ and to view the APS forms, you can access them at http://dola.colorado.gov/dem/blog/aps.pdf

DEM Mitigation Office Update - State Hazard Mitigation Plan

The Mitigation and Recovery Team hosted two planning meetings which moved the team closer to two objectives: the development of a practical and thorough recovery plan and updating the State Hazard Mitigation Plan for submission to FEMA; Both meetings took place during the morning of May 13 in the Tommy Grier Conference Room.

The Recovery Meeting, entitled Goal Leader, took a critical look at the previous recovery exercise which envisioned a tornado event in a metro area. Many snags and potential problems were discovered during the review of the exercise but, as it is the point of these exercises to discover potential problems before they are faced in a real situation the table top exercise can be considered a success. The table top exercise brought in partners who will be tasked with recovery in future disasters together and challenged them to come up with solutions to recovery problems.

The next Goal Leader meeting has been tentatively scheduled for July 22.

The Mitigation team then hosted their third meeting for the 2011 State Hazard Mitigation Plan update. This meeting focused on Consequence Analysis, a new element that has been added to the Mitigation Plan as CDEM complies with the standards of the Emergency Management Accreditation Program (EMAP), and Risk Assessment. Consequence Analysis is an attempt to discern the impacts a potential hazard would have on the state’s emergency response and examines such things as continuity of operations, delivery of services, environment and public confidence.

Those present were then given updates on the state wide risk assessment for drought and wildfire hazards by Jeff Brislawn of AMEC and Claire Brown of the Colorado State Forest Service, respectively. Last, a group activity was organized in which participants were asked to provide their expertise and “outside the box” thinking with regard to Consequence Analysis in relation to summer weather (tornado, hail, lightning, precipitation), winter weather, flood, fire and earthquake.

For questions regarding this post or for more information on DEM's mitigation office, contact DEM's Scott Baldwin.

Job Opportunity - Emergency Management Coordinator-Planning Section Coordinator - Denver, CO

The Denver Mayor's Office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security has released a job announcement for an Emergency Management Coordinator-Planning Section Coordinator.

Job responsibilities include: Performs duty officer functions on a rotating basis, evaluates emergency/crisis incidents and, under the direction of the Director, coordinates agency operations and city/county response. May perform operational duties at emergency/crisis location.

Maintains the City’s Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) by coordinating with other City and County of Denver agencies, regional, and state partners to ensure the EOP adheres to federal guidance and is coordinated with other levels of government. This includes the development of functional and hazard specific annexes, as needed.

Facilitates planning functions for special events that occur within the City and County of Denver. This requires coordination with other City agencies to develop comprehensive incident action plans, as well as coordination with other operational entities to ensure the safety and security of events.

Coordinates the City’s Continuity of Operations and Continuity of Government Program, to include coordination with Agency COOP Managers to ensure timely planning updates and completion of assigned tasks.

Coordinate the development and maintenance of the City’s Hazard Mitigation Plan and Hazard Vulnerability Assessments.

Serve as the Planning Section Chief in the Emergency Operations Center during EOC Activations.

For more on the job and for application information, check out the Emergency Management Coordinator-Planning Section Coordinator job announcement.

Student-Led Evacuation Drill After-Action - In Their Words...

If you recall the post from April 27 regarding the Student-Led Evacuation Drill at the Rocky Mountain School of Expeditionary Learning, the graduate student/project lead from the Natural Hazards Center at the University of Colorado, Camilla Yamada, passed along a few interviews and videos with the students that I wanted to share.

Orientation training...


Hands-on Q&A with first responders...


Students apply what they've learned - scenes from the drill...

Campfire Safety

Here's another the the safety series being produced by a friend of ours, Tristen.  You might remember his earlier videos on cold weather and car safety.  This one is timely, given that with the return of warm weather and sun, the rise of flashy fuels in the Spring and the increased risk of wildfire, campfires are one of those potential causes each of us can control by following some simple safety steps.  My favorite part is Tristen's challenge for you to make your own video!  If you do, pass it along and we'll post it here, just send the link to brandon.williams@state.co.us

Colorado's Hazard Mitigation Officer Looks Towards Nashville

As many of you have seen in the news, Nashville, along with many other communities in Tennessee, was inundated with major flooding following a weekend storm that dropped nearly 14 inches of rain in a 2-day span this past week.  Here at the Division, when disasters occur in areas outside Colorado and we are not directly involved in an assistance request, we take time to learn from our colleagues and consider how we might respond to a similar disaster.  Due to Colorado's Flood History, the events in Tennessee are certainly one our mitigation and long-term recovery staff are following.  If you are interested also following the State of Tennessee's response to the flooding, you can monitor the State of Tennessee Emergency Management Agency online on their main site, on the TNEMA's Twitter Feed or check out their TNEMA's Flickr Photo Site where you can find the latest info on the flood response.

One of our mitigation officers, Iain Hyde, spent a few years in Nashville and has many friends and family in the area.  After some back and forth with Iain on the events and the local context, I asked him to put together a quick piece since I think his perspective from a hazard mitigation point, along with an intimate knowledge of the area, you might find interesting.  Iain's comments follow:

"The Army Corps of Engineers has classified the event as a 1,000-year flood (http://www.lrn.usace.army.mil/pao/News/10-27%20dams%20worked%20as%20designed.htm). The flooding forced thousands of people out of their homes and there are a number of reported fatalities. Media reports indicate that residents are currently under mandatory water use restrictions due to the flooding of one of the city’s two water treatment plants. Power was reported out in portions of the city and thousands of homes are damaged or destroyed.  Many businesses, restaurants and music clubs in Downtown Nashville are damaged.  LP Field where the Tennessee Titans play, along with the Bridgestone Arena, where the NHL’s Nashville Predators were playing up until last week both reportedly took on significant levels of water.  Famed cultural institutions such as the Opryland Hotel, the Grand Ole Opry, the Country Music Hall of Fame and the symphony hall are all damaged.

Many of the challenges faced by emergency service workers in Tennessee could easily be the “worst-case” scenarios that emergency management organizations use in their exercises.  More than 1,000 water rescues were reported conducted in the Nashville area alone.  With thousands of displaced residents needing shelter and even a reported 1500 guests at the Opryland Hotel, movement of people and establishment of perimeters clear of the dangerous floodwaters were necessary.  I understand that even the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency, who were helping support resource allocations and requests to support emergencies across numerous jurisdictions, were forced to relocate to an alternate Emergency Operations Center after theirs was flooded.

The event also brought out stories of neighbors helping neighbors and strangers helping strangers.  For those private citizens who see this event and want to prepare for even the smallest of events, FEMA’s Citizen Corps and Community Emergency Response Team trainings are excellent resources.  The recovery process is only starting, as local, state and federal officials along with non-profits and the people of Tennessee will work together to repair homes, get businesses back up and running, ensure that critical infrastructure is functioning properly, and ultimately getting music back into Nashville’s clubs and concert halls. We wish them the best in the difficult days ahead."

What struck me about Iain's thoughts on the TN flood response was the nexus of Nashville's community, tourist and response complexities and its clear similarity to challenges we face in Colorado.  To continue with Iain's comments, for focused information regarding Colorado Citizen Emergency Response Teams, contact Cathy Prudhomme in the Governor's Office of Homeland Security.  She can help you organize, recruit and inform at the local level on Citizen's Response Team programs.  Too, be sure to check out READYColorado for a wealth of information on citizen preparedness, checklists, family communication plans and more.  Too, read more about Colorado's Flood History and associated hazards on our DEM Flood Information Page.

Colorado Procedures for Emergency Management Assistance Compact Requests

As we have seen through recent tornadoes, earthquakes and flash flooding, disasters may occur with little or no warning and may escalate more rapidly than the ability of any single local response organization or jurisdiction to handle. Large-scale emergencies and disasters may exceed the capabilities of state and local government to effectively respond and recover. To more effectively respond to disasters it is sometimes necessary to mobilize resources from other jurisdictions.  When state resources and capabilities are exhausted, additional resources will be acquired through interstate mutual aid agreements and federal assistance.

Mutual aid agreements and memoranda of understanding are essential components of emergency management planning, response and recovery operations. These agreements provide reciprocal emergency aid and assistance during an emergency or disaster. They can increase available resources and improve response and recovery efforts.  One of these agreements, the Emergency Management Assistance Compact or "EMAC" is a national Governors’ interstate mutual aid compact that facilitates the sharing of resources, personnel and equipment across state lines during times of disaster and emergency. EMAC was ratified by the U.S. Congress and signed into law (PL 104-321) in 1996 and in Colorado Statute (CRS 24-60-2901). Currently fifty states, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands have enacted EMAC legislation.

To help organize EMAC responses in Colorado, the Colorado Department of Public Safety, Division of Fire Safety maintains a database of local resources (Colorado Emergency Resource Inventory Report - https://mobilization.state.co.us) for mutual aid. The Division of Emergency Management (DEM) provides an EMAC Coordinator to facilitate EMAC resource requests and
deployments.

The EMAC Process:

• Governor of requesting State issues declaration of state emergency
• Requesting State assesses resources in state and determines need for out-of-state resources
• Requesting State activates an A-Team to find resources, determine costs and availability of resources
• Requesting State requests resources through EMAC process
• States with available resources contact Requesting State with availability
• Resource and Requesting State negotiate cost of resources
• States complete a Requisition-A Form (Req-A) with agreed upon costs and mission duration
• Assisting State deploys resources for agreed upon duration and cost
• Requesting State returns resource at completion of agreed upon mission
• Assisting State submits State Reimbursement Package to Requesting State
• Requesting State reimburses Assisting State for resources Concept

DEM, under an effort by one of our Regional Field Managers, Randy Kennedy, has just completed an Administrative Guide to provide guidelines for responding to EMAC requests from other states.  Even if you are not on the EMAC team, you can read Colorado Procedures for Emergency Management Assistance Compact Requests online.  Too, if you are interested in learning more about EMAC or the Colorado process in responding to EMAC requests, get in touch with Randy Kennedy at randy.kennedy@state.co.us