Security and Emergency Management Program

The Security and Emergency Management Program (SEMP) provides guidance to all Divisions and groups within DWR as well as with outside stakeholders to prepare for, respond to, recover from, and mitigate the impacts of emergencies, disasters, and security threats. SEMP is the main DWR point of contact that coordinates with partner agencies in a supporting role to assist with multiple emergency support functions such as: communications, engineering and construction, fire and rescue, resources database, State Water Project energy utilities, water supply, State-Federal Flood Operation Center management, recovery, and public information centers.

DWR performs water resources planning and management activities throughout California. The Department is responsible for protecting life and property from catastrophic events such as flood, drought, and dam or levee failure as set forth in State Emergency Plan, Government Code Section 8558, and Water Code Sections 128, 6075 and 6100.

These provisions assign the Department seven responsibilities:

1. Plan and manage statewide water resources
2. Develop, operate, and maintain the State Water Project
3. Protect the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta
4. Provide dam safety, flood management, and emergency assistance
5. Educate the public
6. Provide local assistance
7. Conduct statewide energy purchases under special legislation
   

When significant weather events have been forecast, the Department is responsible for coordinating local, State and federal flood operations. The State-Federal Flood Operations Center (FOC), located on El Camino Avenue in Sacramento, is the focal point of this effort. State, federal and local flood operations on the North Coast are coordinated through the Department’s Eureka Flood Center. The Department operates and maintains the State Water Project (SWP), and regulates more than 1,200 California dams. These activities may require establishing various Department Emergency Operations Centers (EOCs) and/or Incident Command Posts (ICP). SEMP is responsible for setting up and running the Department Operations Center (DOC) which oversees all of the EOCs and resources for the emergency.