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<br />. ";'. Because of the high profile and dtsrup-
<br />....\ .I..,~ireness of the activities called for in the
<br />. local flood warning plan, there must'be a very
<br />htgh probability that flooding wtll in fact
<br />OCcur after warnings are issued. Not only is
<br />there ,a significant expense and potenthl
<br />liability incurred when areas are closed or
<br />'..evacuated, but the credibllty of the publlc
<br />'ufety system, and therefore the effectiveness ....
<br />of future warnings, Is. at stake. .
<br />There Is an insufficient number of fire
<br />and pollce personnel.on duty at any. given .tillle
<br />to implement a warnfng and manage the .publlc's
<br />response. The time required to call back off~
<br />duty personnel. and mobilize volunteer agen~ies
<br />is 60 to gO minutes; this is the.same time frame
<br />as the .timelag from ratnfall to peak. flow in
<br />the area to be warned. 'Clearly, if warnings are.
<br />to be at all effective, mobilization of these
<br />resources must be.well underway before warntngs
<br />. 'are Issued. ,The reallzation of this fact was. a
<br />. major factor in. the high,. degree of public ufety.
<br />agency.involvement in the Boulder County
<br />detection and warning. system. .
<br />. 3. . SYSTEM DESIGN CRITERIA
<br />The' development: of.'a flash flood warning.
<br />. system has'.been.a cooperative venture. involving .
<br />numerous agencies.' The'Urban Drainage. and Flood
<br />Control,'Dlstrict (UDFCD), :the NationaJ.lleather
<br />.Service,' anil' priVate. meteorological Ond hydro- ". .
<br />. logical engtneering companies provtded. '.
<br />substantial assistance. The:City,of Boulder;
<br />'Boulder County;; arid' the University of Colorado"
<br />'cooperated with. UDFDC to produce.th'e'publlc'..
<br />. safety .resp'onseplan;,: .Lead,responsibHitY,.for;...
<br />system'development. and operation 'now, rests ;wi th '
<br />. the Boulde~ County. Sheriff's. Department.. ,. .
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<br />Design constderations 'agreed on early in:'
<br />the process are:
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<br />High resolution information on.
<br />rainfa 11 'and strem'low. in each'
<br />basin. Is required,.both for.warning.
<br />and for.future hydrologic.
<br />. . modelling..: .'
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<br />0'.' ,'TI,1~Syst... 'Imlst,ope~.ite in"eal~ti;;"; "
<br />. ,..n '~'_,' _ "'. ',_' , .,.,.. .' ,
<br />o . . Data'.must be, available: at .the..
<br />. : . publiC safetYdeciSionPOi~t..
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<br />'a ~Mobilizationof the .public safety
<br />sector .must begin.early in. the .
<br />'storm'event, based..on ,meteora- .. i<
<br />logical passtbilities and ,early .
<br />ratntall prOjections: . . .' . ',.
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<br />~teOrolQgical;.hyilrological, and.
<br />publtc safety expertise must be'
<br />integrated.at a.single location.
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<br />Thedeclston'process niustbe
<br />coordinated among the affected
<br />. jurtsdicttons .toavoid confllcting
<br />actions 'and ensure credibility with
<br />'. the publlc.
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<br />The system should ultimately enable
<br />warriings to be made on th~sis of
<br />rainfall alone, without.~ance on
<br />observed stream re~ponse.
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<br />D. Van Wie'-
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<br />. The system should' provide for .'
<br />. efficient training mechanisms and
<br />,simple operation to minimize the.
<br />"ongoing costsof'preparedness for.
<br />infrequent events. . .
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<br />4.
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<br />FLOO~ DETECTION ORGANIZATION
<br />
<br />'-The Millti-Agency Resource System (MARS),
<br />. the organizational structure for. flood . .
<br />'" detection,. was developed to' provide the needed'
<br />'intercjurisilictional coordination in the warning'
<br />'process; it has since found' application in all .:
<br />other areas of major. event response in Boulder
<br />. County.' ,It has three organizational.compo- .
<br />. nents:. (1) a Board of Directors; comprised of.
<br />the primary public officials of .the'affected
<br />:juriSdiCtions; '(2) ..a Situation Information
<br />. Center which collects, analyzes. and makes. .
<br />available 'Information . about.. the' event;. and (3). a.
<br />.' Resource 'Allocatlon Center, which provides. : .
<br />interjurlsdictlonal'loglstical support. , MARS
<br />provides pol.1cy direction, Information, and..... . .,
<br />support. for the Individual conmand,systems which '.
<br />are'established,ln.each affected,jurlsdlct!pn.
<br />. "., The Board of Directors component' Is'- .
<br />managed .bythe .Facll.1tator,whols directs the.' . '
<br />. flow of.. I nfol'lllati on 'to andJrOlll"declsion .ma.kers" .
<br />. the.publ.1c, and..the:lndivldual.cOllllland systems.
<br />: The ;'Facll.1tator'rstaff' niayJ.ncl ude pub llc .
<br />information officers;' a'docUmentarhn;' and'
<br />clllllland. post 'representatiVes} " . '. ....... ',' '. '. .
<br />'The Situiltion Infonniition Center Is the. :
<br />element of :MARS primarll,y .responslble .fOr flood. .
<br />detection....It.1s headed .by the, Situation, ";':
<br />',Officer, who Is,responslblefor:produdng .
<br />regular updates which character He the 'flood :.. ..
<br />problem';an.dldentlfy ,affectedlC!Ca~ionsand. '. .
<br />.ttmes." He'lssupported'by a 'staff':which. he .
<br />assigns' as .demlinded:by.the."complexitY'ofthe. ..'
<br />.incident'. Hh staff.typically includes"a ...
<br />.weather monitor,' rainfall and .rlvermonitor;
<br />'. technical advisars,and a display. processor. A.
<br />job "description for 'eachfunctio~ has. been,'
<br />developed'and Is available to personneJina
<br />checkllst:form.' :.., . " '.. . '.', '.,
<br />. 'The'Resource Allacatlon,Center,provides. . ..
<br />. loghtfc .support "for' fleld,pP~ratlons.It,i$ not',.
<br />. acthedurlng the. detec,tlon..pllase .!!f..fl.ood '.', " .
<br />oP.f!rat1ons~ ". :~":; ~",~ :'<I~.)" ';.:, ,>,~c'~.; "~.::~~:~:,;',~.;, ,; ~~.:' ,::' .:~ '.., '.: _ 0"
<br />. ; .,'~.. Five. ~.Mode's.='i:htscdbe. the.progress.1ve',';:" c
<br />. mobilization called'for'as.the.prabali.lJity'of '.
<br />flooding 'Increases:.' T!,ey'are defi~~das' .~' ., .
<br />'follows: ."" ..... ".
<br />HQde' 0:' Normal :otu!:rations 'and. '. ".-
<br />mo~itorlng a~~ i~effec.t.
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<br />. Mode 1:'. The meteor"ologi~al' potential :'of
<br />., .'. a flood praducingstonri.has . ....
<br />" been observed ; fl acid .'detect ion' .
<br />..~ responstbility Is transferred.....
<br />"to the Situation .Information..'
<br />. Center. '. '...
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<br />Mode 2: The' 'possibt.1Jty of flooding in.
<br />the'near future is recognized,
<br />and mobillzatton of public
<br />safety agencies In the affected
<br />flood' plains is required to
<br />prepare for warning. .
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<br />"'Mode 3: 'In 'the judgement of'Situation'
<br />Information'Center personnel,
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