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<br />2.1.4 The Warning <br /> <br />The first person to give warning was 26 year old Stephen <br />Gillette, an employee for A-l Trash, which was under contract to <br />the National Park Service, He first sighted the flooding while <br />making a pick up at the Lawn Lake Trailhead in Horseshoe Park, <br />about four and one-hal f strea,m miles downstream from Lawn Lake. <br />His prompt reaction was an essential link to the warning <br />process. The A-1 trash colle ctor was familar with the area and <br />knew where to go to call for help. <br /> <br />A knowledgeable observer and an emerg'~ncy telephone system <br />combined to provide a report of flooding as early as could be <br />conceived with the existing conditions. Had only tourists been <br />in the area, or had the emerg,mcy phone not existed, the initial <br />notification to the Park Serv:lce Dispatch C,enter would have been <br />delayed. <br /> <br />Gillette's call to the Park headquarters was received at <br />6: 23 a .m., and in the next 15 millutes at least six rangers or <br />other Park Service officials were contacted. In the same period, <br />the Estes Park Police Department was notified, which in turn <br />alerted the Larimer County Sh~riff' s Department and the Colorado <br />State Patrol to the emergency. <br /> <br />The police department was called again at 6:43 a.m, to be <br />told, "It's going to go over ':he (Cascade Lake) dam when it hits <br />down here." A park ranger began notifying campers in the walk-in <br />sites at Aspenglen Campground of the danger at 6:50 a,m, By 7:12 <br />a.m. the walk-in sites had bE,en notified, but when one foot of <br />water was observed flowing O'1er l:he top of Cascade Lake dam a <br />decision was made to evacuate the l\spenglen campground. However, <br />a flooded access road prevented rangers from reaching the camp- <br />ground. <br /> <br />Larimer County law enfor'~ement officals began their alerts <br />between the Park and the city limits at 7 o'clock, and by 7:22, <br />almost everyone between the Park and the city limits had been <br />contacted. <br /> <br />Estes Park police began their warnings at 7:27 a,m., convey- <br />ing the emergency message to people within 25 to 30 feet <br />(horizontally) of Fall River" Af.ter Cascade Lake dam failed, <br />however, the evacuation area was extended to within a 50 foot <br />rad ius of the river. At that same time, e'ilacuat ion of downtown <br />Estes Park was ordered. <br /> <br />-13-' <br />