Consequence of a Dam Failure Workshop

Note:  All students must fill out a FEMA form 119-25-1 to receive credit for this course.  This form is attached, along with instructions for filling it out.

All workshop material will be provided on a DVD (no hardcopy). Attendees must bring a laptop with DVD read capability to the workshop.

Consequence of Dam Failure Workshop (L261)

The Consequence of Dam Failure Workshop is designed to provide dam owners, emergency managers, and other relevant stakeholders with information needed to define and estimate consequences for dam failure scenarios.  The course will provide participants with an overview and description of current consequence estimation methodologies, including information on the technical capability and resource requirements of each.

The course will highlight the importance of defining dam failure scenarios and assessing consequences through the presentation of case studies.  The full range of social, institutional, and environmental consequences will be addressed during the course, including a focus on direct and indirect economic consequences and loss of life estimation.  Specific instructions and detailed examples for computing economic and loss of life consequences will be provided for some of the more commonly used procedures and methodologies.  Participants will be provided with the concepts of how consequence assessment is an important aspect of risk management strategies, how to establish initial priorities using consequence data, and how consequence estimation plays an important role in emergency preparedness efforts.

Course Objectives

• Describe the benefits of assessing potential consequences.
• Describe the relationship between consequence assessment and other planning mechanisms.
• Explain the methods used to estimate the potential for loss of life resulting from dam failure. 
• Describe the potential economic consequences of dam failure. 
• Assess other consequences of dam failure.
• Analyze a scenario to determine potential consequences of dam failure. 

Target Audience

This course is intended for dam owners, professional staff of dam safety and dam security programs, emergency managers at the Federal, State, local, Tribal, and Territorial levels, and dam safety, dam security, and incident management personnel from the private sector who need to define and estimate consequences of dam failure scenarios.

Course Design/Methodology

This course is designed for delivery in a classroom.  Lectures, discussions and multiple hands-on activities have been designed to enable participants to improve, practice, and demonstrate their knowledge.

Activities will include a method to grade participants, when appropriate, using a checklist administered by the instructors.

Scope

The Consequence of Dam Failure Workshop:

• Provides dam owners, professional staff of dam safety programs, emergency managers and other relevant stakeholders with the informaiton and guidance needed to define and estimate consequences of dam failure scenarios.
• Combines lecture, discussions, and exercises.
• Provides adequate support for implementation of practices learned in the seminar outside the classroom.
• Provides a comprehensive training course for estimation of economic consequences and loss of life estimations for dam failure scenarios.

The course will highlight the importance of defining dam failure scenarios and assessing consequences through the presentation of case studies.  The full range of social, institutional, and environmental consequences will be addressed during the course, including a focus on direct and indirect economic consequences and loss of life estimation.  Participants will be provided with the concepts of how consequence assessment is an important part of risk management strategies, how to establish initial priorities using consequence data, and how consequence estimation plays an important role in emergency preparedness efforts.

Course Schedule