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Real Time Flood Inundation Mapping:
The project is continuing to move along at a quick pace. The aerial digital photography contractor was selected and the fly-over took place on April 20th. A prototype of the topographical mapping is being developed this week. Various project partners (representatives from the City's GIS, Stormwater, Engineering, Emergency Management, and Purchasing departments) met this week with the aerial photography engineering firm in Aurora to coordinate the next steps of the project.
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Web Site:
New Graphic Design and Project Impact information pages have been developed. Blue Knight Graphics, Emergency Management, the City's Webmaster, Public Relations Officer, and Information Technology members met to coordinate the technical requirements for the site. New public information and education pages are also under development.
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Theater-Based Hazard and Mitigation Education:
Technical consulting with partners (i.e. NOAA, City's Stormwater, Poudre Fire Authority) and storyboarding continues. Research continues into the selection of a contractor for filming.
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Personnel Support:
OEM contracted with Iola Fleischer, who started full time on March 23rd to assist in coordination and implementation of Project Impact. She has been getting up to speed on all the PI projects as well as beginning work on the four areas identified by our community partners at the original Project Impact Community Meeting (Education & Training, Planning & Risk Identification, Interagency Communication, and Warning & Notification).
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Spring Emergency Management Day:
OEM sponsored a meeting and program on April 12th to provide an overview of the emergency management activities and to discuss the importance of disaster planning. Guest speaker was retired United Airlines pilot Captain Al Haynes who piloted Flight 232 that crashed at Sioux City airport in 1989. He presented an exciting program that included cockpit tapes, video, and slides. His emphasis was on the importance of planning and readiness, and how lives were no doubt saved because of the excellent emergency management program in place in Sioux City at the time. The program was very successful, with over 100 people attending.
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Community Meetings:
OEM will be attending several city sponsored community meetings, including one on April 17th. We will have a sample 72-hour emergency supplies kit on display and will discuss disaster preparedness.
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Flood Education Day:
We will be having a booth inside the Foothills Fashion Mall on May 2nd to promote Flood Awareness Week. The event is coordinated by the City's Stormwater Utility, and we will be joined by other agencies such as American Red Cross, Colorado State Office of Emergency Management, National Flood Insurance Program, Colorado Climate Center, and a new partner WaterWall, Inc.
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Stream and Precipitation System:
Installation on this system has started this week. We have recently partnered with Anheuser-Busch, who has granted us permission to have the transmitter installed on a grain tower at their facility.
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Auto-Dialer:
We have done extensive research on the best auto-dialing system for the City and have written the RFP, which was posted on April 15th.
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AM Radio Station:
We are ready to put out the RFP for the radio station. Colorado State University has been a wonderful partner in allowing us to use an existing call box, with them installing and maintaining the system. We are waiting for some final information, but we should have this ordered within the next few weeks.
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Cable Override System:
This system is completely installed and fully operational, thanks to our partner TCI Cable. We have purchased two laptop computers and ordered software that will allow OEM personnel to launch the cable warnings from any location. The laptops will also run the stream & precipitation gage and other weather related software.
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Emergency Manager's Weather Information Network (EMWIN):
The system went live last week and has already proved to be a great asset during our recent windstorm and snow. We are receiving immediate weather information, warnings, and radar maps in our office directly from the National Weather Service. OEM personnel also receive pages directly to alpha pagers.
Iola M. Fleischer
OEM Associate Director
May 1, 1999