Improving Collaboration to Benefit Dam Safety and Emergency Management Programs

Dam owners/operators and jurisdictional emergency managers share the responsibility of protecting the public from dam failures. However, these two groups often work independently rather than collaboratively, leading to gaps in their respective plans and programs. Typically, emergency action plans (EAP) are developed by dam owners/operators, submitted to state dam safety officials, and then are sent to emergency managers. Unfortunately, in many jurisdictions, emergency managers are not involved in the development of these EAPs. Conversely, while emergency managers create jurisdictional emergency plans, they might not include dam owners/operators as stakeholders in the planning process resulting in a less-protected public. Strong relationships between dam owners/operators and emergency management officials are mutually beneficial and crucial for enhancing public safety. This paper explores opportunities for collaboration between these parties. It highlights simple yet effective improvements that can be made to EAPs to bolster local emergency management programs. Additionally, the paper discusses the advantages of involving dam owners/operators in those programs.