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<br />cof emergency, with just and reasona,ble compensation to be paid t.he <br />cowners thereof as provided in Bill B. In addition, a specific ~;tate <br />agE!ncy such as the Division of Civil Defense under the Adjutant General <br />should be designated to work with <lOd to coordinate relief and recovery <br />opElrations following disasters. It would also be most helpful if such <br />,In agency were charged with the responsibility of prepari.ng, on a con- <br />.tirruirig basis, a concise publication on relief programs available tci <br />governmental units and individuals in the event of future disasters. <br /> <br />The committee wishes to E!mphasize that wh,en a true emE!rgency <br />E!xi.sts, the. Governor should not be required to go through lengthy <br />procedures to implement relief programs which are nedded immediately to <br />provide the maximum benefits and results. Moreover, as was the case in <br />thE! June flood disasters, state agencies should continue to provide <br />lo<:al governmental units with their personnel and other service!; to <br />assist with their post-disaster re<:overy operations. Bill C would <br />allow the Governor to authorize officers of the state Patrol to assist <br />local law enfqrcement officials in an emergency. At present, the <br />Colorado State Patrol Board has this aut.hority. <br /> <br />Furthermore, it seems evident that the appropriation to the <br />state Agriculture and Disaster Fundi in the amount of $150,000 a year <br />is sufficient, especially when coupled with the annual appropri.ation <br />of $50,000 to the Governor's emergl:'ncy fund. In the event of a dis- <br />,aster requiring the expenditure of funds in an amount grE!ater than is <br />av,ailable in these two funds, the General Assembly should be called <br />into special session by the Governor for appropriate Elmergency action. <br />Th'e committee therefore recommends that no change be made in the ap- <br />!:>ropriations made by the General Assembly for emergen<:y purposes. <br /> <br />Communications represented onE! of the major problems encount- <br />ered during the emergency resul tin" from the June floods, and improve.. <br />ments in this respect are needed. The committee believes, however, <br />that no additional legislation is needed. Steps should be taken <br />through administrative action to insure bet.ter communications between <br />state officials and employees, between stat.e and local officials, be- <br />tween disaster officials and the general public, between officials of <br />different local jurisdictions, and between officials within the same <br />local jurisdiction. For example, the appropriate agencies and offi- <br />cial s should explore the possibility of installing short-wave radio s <br />in school buses, as was recommended at one of the committee's meetings, <br />and whether it would be logical for a communication's network to be <br />organized on a district basis as part of the civil defense program <br />within the state. Already the Colorado Water Conservation Board and <br />the State Engineer's Office are studying a program fo:r better communi.. <br />cations along tributary streams th:~ough the use of "spotters" or a <br />system of measuring devices to report streamflow and high water' condi.. <br />tions to water district coinmissiom;rs who in turn would relay t.his <br />information to the state Engineer' 's Office where i.t could be analyzed <br />and appropriate warnings issued. <br /> <br />Additional state financing may be necessary to implement some <br />of the proposals advanced to correct problems noted in the disaster <br />operations of last June such asth~ program under study by the Colorado <br /> <br />xiii <br />