Emergency Action Planning for Dams
According to FEMA ” The level of detail in the EAP (Emergency Action Plan) should be commensurate with the potential impact of a dam failure or operational incident. A dam with low or no potential impact should not require an extensive evaluation or be subject to an extensive planning process while highand significant-hazard dams may require a larger emergency planning effort. In addition, high- and significant-hazard dams tend to involve more entities that must coordinate responsibilities and efforts to effectively respond to an incident than low hazard dams. Every EAP must be tailored to the site conditions. EAPs generally contain six elements: Notification flowcharts and contact information Response process Responsibilities Preparedness activities Inundation maps Additional information in appendices “
(https://damsafety.org/sites/default/files/FEMA%20Federal%20Guidelines%20EAP%20P-64-2013.pdf )
Highland Park has a pretty good chance of catastrophic failure in the coming years, we have seepage albeit an inconvenience right now, we have a broken standpipe, and we have overtopping. So an event is only a matter of time. It is our responsibility as stewards of the Lake, Dam, and Spillway to prepare for such an event. In the coming weeks and months Highland Park Community Association Inc. will be developing an Emergency Action Plan that will confirm the actions to be taken and the peoples directly responsible for those actions in the event of an emergency. The EAP will also satisfy portions of grant applications that are being applied for to bring our dam up to a satisfactory level of functioning to support our lake community.
As residents of Highland Park please familiarize yourselves with dam and spillway terminology, basic care and maintenance. Because one day that knowledge may prove invaluable in helping your neighborhood lakeside community.