Page - 38 - in Book of Full Papers - Symposium Hydro Engineering

levels of Oroville and areas downstream is ordered.” This message went out to all emergency managers downstream of Oroville Dam, which includes the city of Sacramento and surrounding areas about 100 km (70 miles) downstream. Some emergency managers in those areas far downstream interpreted the message to mean they should be preparing to evacuate, when in reality the concern for them potentially being flooded was minimal. Emergency managers in those areas would have been better served if the initial message contained more specific information on the areas downstream from Oroville Dam that should evacuate. Emergency managers downstream but not at risk of flooding could have been preparing to receive evacuees rather than determining if they were really meant to be evacuating their communities. This re-emphasizes the need for warning templates and examples. Example messages and templates serve a number of significant purposes for an emergency manager. First, it is not reasonable to expect that all emergency managers are familiar with the value of certain content (such as specificity of locations) or wording in messaging, so templates and examples provide an effective starting point. Second, messages cannot be written in advance for every emergency scenario. Message templates provide the capability to create specific event messages much more quickly. Example messages and templates are also useful to avoid hastily written content. Finally, example messages and templates provide emergency managers something to practice and hone their skills on. 4.3. COMMUNICATION ISSUES A widely recognized issue within the emergency management community is the need for trustworthy means of communication between the various agents during and emergency event. In the case of Oroville, communication between those monitoring the situation from the crest of the dam and the command center was strained due to lack of reception on the mobile phones used by those at the dam site. Calls rarely connected, and text messages were intermittent and lagged. This required those monitoring the site to take pictures and travel to the command center with the information so those managing the situation could have the necessary information. Hardened and redundant communications technologies such as satellite telephones and two-way radios can prevent these kinds of issues and lead to more efficient and effective emergency management. 4.4. LACK OF SLEEP Admirably, DWR staff were dedicated to understanding and managing the emergency. From the initial discovery of damage on February 7 until the emergency evacuation on February 12 (and beyond), many of the engineers and project staff were on call, either in the local office, at the project, or in the 38