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<br />expanded to provide additional rainfall gauges, stream gauges and weather stations throughout the Boulder area <br />to provide flood monitoring in all 13 basins. Also, new developments in radar forecasting and satellite imagery <br />may be incorporated to provide more effective and immediate monitoring and forecasting. Early warning <br />monitoring stations could also be provided at additional locations to allow system redundancy and greater <br />personnel access to current information. <br />e) Install Multiple Emergency Notification Measnres: There are many systems available for disseminating <br />emergency warnings. Currently we rely heavily on sirens and have access to a "reverse 911" calling system. <br />Other types of warning systems include telephone auto-dialers, cable override, radio, tone-activated alert radios, <br />and Internet. The system needs to be effective in reaching people inside homes, businesses and automobiles, in <br />addition to people who are outdoors. A survey is currently being conducted by the University of Colorado at <br />Colorado Springs in connection with the Emergency Management Office and UDFCD to study how people <br />perceive the flood threat and how they would respond to warnings. The outcome of this research may provide <br />additional alternatives and options in improving warning notification and emergency planning. <br />1) Update and Enhance the Flood Response Plan: The current flood response plan may be updated and enhanced <br />to better educate citizens in how to respond to a flood emergency. An enhanced plan that provides clear and <br />concise direction to public officials as well as citizens will be more effective in protecting lives and making <br />appropriate decisions during a flood event. <br />g) Update and Enhance the Flood Recovery Plan: The flood recovery plan should be updated to incorporate <br />current procedures and practices to meet community needs following a flood. The plan must address necessary <br />recovery elements such as identifying early actions and decisions that must be made, meeting victim's immediate <br />needs, performing building and infrastructure damage assessments, re-establishing critical community services, <br />acquiring or preserving post-flood properties to avoid future losses, issuing building permits for allowed <br />reconstruction, and restoring normal city operations. <br /> <br />3. "HelD PeoDle Protect Themselves from Flood Hazards" through public interaction and involvement, <br />available floodplain information, community outreach and education, self-help measures, flood proofing <br />options, affordable flood insurance, and emergency preparedness. <br /> <br />Tools for Implementation: <br />a) Make a Commitment to the Community Rating System to reduce premiums for flood insurance and <br />encourage policy purchases, expand community outreach and education activities and implement technical <br />support services to citizens. The city is currently involved in the CRS but has not pursued the best possible rating. <br />The CRS provides numerous benefits to the community beyond reductions in flood insurance premiums as <br />discussed earlier. It also provides an implementation focus for the floodplain management program to ensure <br />consistency and performance, and establishes a "benchmark" to compare local efforts with the efforts of other <br />cities nationally. Greater commitment to improving the local CRS rating is resource dependent and requires <br />direct staff support. While Boulder provides numerous activities that would earn CRS credit, we have not taken <br />full advantage of this program because of inadequate staff resources to request or maintain a higher rating. <br />b) Create a Floodplain Management Office to establish a source location identifiable to the public, provide <br />adequate staffing resources to implement and maintain required CRS elements, maintain required records for <br />floodplain development, manage and utilize flood models for risk assessment, and offer direct community <br />services and assistance for providing floodplain information, education and self-help flood protection <br />consultations. A floodplain management office would directly coordinate with and compliment the activities of <br />the Emergency Management Office (EMO) by providing educational and planning services for floodplain <br />preparedness in advance of flooding. Such an office could also be coordinated with Boulder County floodplain <br />management efforts to recognize the interface between the two local governments. <br /> <br />Additional staff resources would be needed to set up a floodplain management office. While additional staff to <br />support citizen and CRS activities under the current budget would not produce revenue to recover personnel <br />costs, the activities that additional staff may offer in floodplain management may be reflected by direct premium <br />reductions to floodplain insurance policy holders. Of 2,072 current policies in Boulder, an improved rating to <br />Class 7 from Class 8 would yield over $30,000 in annual savings to the flood insured. If Boulder were to achieve <br />11 <br />