Draft of after-action report on District Dogs deadly flooding released

Daniel Hamburg
·2 min read
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WASHINGTON (DC News Now) — We’re getting new insight into the flash flood that killed 10 dogs last summer in D.C.

A draft of the after-action report from the D.C. Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency was just released by Councilmember Brooke Pinto.

It details specific improvements that either have taken place or will take place to mitigate the risks seen last August.

On Aug. 14, 2023, 10 dogs died at District Dogs along Rhode Island Avenue NE.

Many of those dogs’ owners have blamed the daycare owner and the District for what happened.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Community seeks answers about why dogs drowned in DC flood

The call was initially dispatched as a water leak when calls came in for people and dogs trapped inside. There was no code for that at the time, so firefighters didn’t respond for 12 minutes, even though six feet of water had already flooded in.

The report said in August, the Office of Unified Communications trained call takers and dispatchers that indoor flooding can be categorized as rescue or building collapse, raising the priority level of such a call.

The report said OUC will also provide training to dispatchers to ensure proper communication…Because a 911 call for a stranded driver was put into the computer-aided dispatch system but not communicated over the radio to the on-scene commander.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: DC 911 director admits errors in response to deadly District Dogs flood

The report outlines flood mitigation needs. DDOT has already implemented new road closure procedures for flood-prone areas and will install beacons to alert drivers when the underpass is flooded.

Lastly, the report said since only one entry and exit point was available, the commercial space should remain vacant until it’s determined an interior flood risk is no longer present.

That includes an analysis of whether the Northeast Boundary Tunnel is sufficient to mitigate that flood risk.

“Increased transparency of emergency response is critical for improving accuracy, reliability, and public trust,” Pinto said on X. “I’m glad the Executive shared this draft report, & I’ll continue pushing for additional transparency, incl. w/ the 911 public dashboard maintained in Secure DC.”

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