[Scan-DC] Another I-FLOWS system for Fairfax?

[Alan Henney]

-----Original Message----- 
From: Fairfax County Office of Public Affairs
Sent: Mon 4/9/2007 1:05 PM
Subject: News Release: County to Enhance Emergency Preparedness By
Contracting for Flood Response, Monitoring and Signalization System

Fairfax County Office of Public Affairs
12000 Government Center Parkway, Suite 551
Fairfax, VA 22035-0065
Contact: Merni Fitzgerald, Director of Public Affairs
www.fairfaxcounty.gov
April 9, 2007
OPA 076/07

County to Enhance Emergency Preparedness By Contracting for Flood
Response, Monitoring and Signalization System

Following today’s Fairfax County Board of Supervisors meeting, the
county’s Department of Public Works and Environmental Services will
contract for the design of a monitoring and signalization system for
Fairfax County. In addition, integrated flood response plans utilizing
the data provided by the system will be developed, which will enhance
emergency preparedness and response for areas in Fairfax County with
the potential for extensive flooding and associated property damage.

The project includes detailed design and specifications for gauges and
sensors to be located at nine sites within Fairfax County that may be
subject to extensive flooding, including the six Public Law 566 dams,
the dam at Reservoir 2A (Fairview Lake) and two other locations in the
county – Huntington and Belle View, which have been impacted by
flooding.

An additional component of the system is a PC-based data monitoring
and collection system, which will generate automated alerts when
potential flooding events are developing. The system is scalable and
allows for the installation of additional gauges and sensors
throughout the county capable of both emergency and environmental
monitoring. The county is working with the National Weather Service
and will share data that can be used by the NWS to generate severe
weather and flooding alerts.

As part of the system design, a site-specific flood response plan will
be developed for each location. Data collected by the system will be
coordinated with and incorporated into improved emergency action
plans. The flood response plans also will be validated through
multi-agency emergency response exercises.

The $390,000 contract is with HDR Engineering Inc. and is good for a
five-year period with the option to add additional sites and services
if warranted. This project is the first phase of a system capable of
real-time monitoring and recording of stream, lake, tide and rainfall
conditions.  In addition to enhanced public safety the information
collected by the system will also provide valuable information needed
to monitor and improve the quality of streams and manage existing
county stormwater infrastructure.

For more information about the contract, contact Randy Bartlett in the
Fairfax County Department of Public Works and Environmental Services,
at 703-324-5500, TTY 711.

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For more news and information, visit www.fairfaxcounty.gov/news.

Fairfax County is committed to nondiscrimination on the basis of
disability in all county programs, services and activities. To request
this information in an alternate format, call the Office of Public
Affairs at 703-324-3187, TTY 711.