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Director's Message
Last week on March 29, I had the honor of presenting Oregon Congressman Peter DeFazio with the National Emergency Management Association (NEMA) 2022 Legislative Achievement Award, conferred in recognition of his contributions to the emergency management community and commitment to ensuring public safety and security.
It was my great privilege to nominate Congressman DeFazio, Oregon’s longest-serving member of Congress, for this award. Since his election to represent Oregon’s 4th congressional district in 1987, Congressman DeFazio has tirelessly supported enhancing Oregon’s ability to reduce its risk and recover quickly from disasters. In his service on the House Transportation and Infrastructure as the Ranking Member and beginning in 2019 as Committee Chairman, Congressman DeFazio has advocated for strengthening to our nation’s critical infrastructure, efforts to expedite implementation of Next Generation 911, and improvements to how our nation prepares for, responds to, recovers from, and mitigates against emergencies and disasters.
Congressman DeFazio displayed incredible leadership and the power of advocacy through his efforts to provide states with appropriate tools and resources to combat the COVID pandemic and to help reduce the risk of future pandemics and other disasters. He spearheaded congressional efforts that led to President Biden’s authorization of a 100% federal cost share for all COVID major disaster declarations, easing the crippling financial burdens experienced by state, tribal and local governments during the pandemic. Congressman DeFazio similarly was successful in his advocacy to award Hazard Mitigation Grant Program funding to every state that received COVID major disaster declarations. This, along with his leadership in passing the Disaster Recovery Reform Act in 2018 and the creation of the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities grant program, will literally and figuratively change the hazard landscape across the country.
Closer to home, Congressman DeFazio is a champion for the equitable application of federal disaster programs across our nation and has done tremendous work to ensure wildfire disasters are federally supported in the same way as other disasters. His perspective on the challenges of wildfires is shaped directly by his experiences in his district and informed by the many one-on-one conversations he’s had with those who have been impacted by these devastating events.
Whether it’s crafting or sponsoring key emergency and disaster preparedness legislation or meeting with wildfire survivors, Congressman DeFazio has been, and continues to be, a champion for emergency management in Oregon and across our nation. Congratulations to him on this well-deserved award.
Take care of yourselves and take care of each other.
Andrew Phelps, Director, Oregon Office of Emergency Management
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Oregon Defensible Space Code Development April 6 Committee Meeting Canceled
Due to continued conversations around the definition of structure, the Oregon Defensible Space Code Development Committee meeting originally scheduled for April 6 has been canceled. Office of the State Fire Marshal will begin the process of addressing the structure definition for the purposes of defensible space implementation, which needs to be established before the code development process can begin. The meetings scheduled for April 27, May 18 and June 8 will take place as scheduled.
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#SafePlaceSelfie Day: April 6
April 6 is the 6th annual #SafePlaceSelfie Day. The National Weather Service (NWS), in partnership with FEMA, the National Weather Association and the Centers for Disease Control, organizes this annual campaign to encourage organizations, TV stations, celebrities, members of Congress, and the public at large to know where their “safe place” is when hazardous weather threatens. Join NWS in spreading the word of preparedness and safety during this event; post a picture on social media the morning of April 6 in your safe place, either at work or at home. Tag NWS on Facebook and Twitter using hashtag #SafePlaceSelfie.
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Lifelines to Communities: Food Distribution Best Practices: April 6
FEMA Regions 2 and 10 are holding a webinar on the role Community Based Organizations (CBOs) can play during an emergency. CBOs such as food banks provide critical support year-round and have been especially important during the height of COVID-19. During this webinar, Volunteers of America’s Hunger Prevention Services in Western Washington will share how it supported communities during COVID-19, including lessons learned from the past two years and how to apply these lessons to other organizations. Individuals, volunteers and CBOs interested in preparedness and resilience are encouraged to join. The event will take place 10-11 a.m. on April 6. Register via Adobe Connect.
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Weather Ready Research Webinar: April 13
The Natural Hazards Center is promoting research that advances preparedness for extreme weather events to reduce damage and save lives. The center is hosting a webinar from 8-9:30 a.m. on April 13 showcasing the results from projects funded during a call for proposals and highlighting eight of the final research reports on their preliminary findings. Topics include geo-targeted messaging, risk perception, disaster storytelling, video and immersive media in risk communication, and evacuation decision-making. The first 20 minutes of the webinar will provide an overview of the Weather Ready initiative and the research that was funded. Researchers will then discuss their work in greater depth. Time will be reserved at the end of the webinar for questions and answers. Learn more and register for the webinar at hazards.colorado.edu.
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Financial Preparedness and Cybersecurity Webinar: April 14
April is National Financial Capability Month and Sound Credit Union and GreenPath Financial wellness have teamed up to present a webinar on financial preparedness and cybersecurity. The webinar will take place from 1-2 p.m. on April 14 and will cover identity theft, how it occurs, how thieves use personal information, how to protect yourself, and what to do if you become a victim of cyberattacks. Register via Zoom.
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Alert and Warning Technical Assistance Workshop: April 19-20
The FEMA National Integration Center, in partnership with the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS) Office, is offering a Collaborative Technical Assistance (TA) workshop to help jurisdictions improve the speed, reach and effectiveness of alerts and warnings. This TA is appropriate for all public sector alert and warning authorities, including emergency managers, public information officers, social media coordinators and public outreach coordinators. The TA will cover strategies to help an organization:
- Reduce process delays in issuing alert and warning messages.
- Increase message reach, including to individuals with access and functional needs.
- Incorporate social science research findings into your message development to maximize public action.
- Develop a social media plan for emergencies.
- Coordinate with neighboring jurisdictions.
The workshop will take place from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on April 19-20, with a pre-workshop webinar from noon to 1:30 p.m. on April 12. Register at eventbrite.com. A second workshop will be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on June 7-8, with a pre-workshop webinar from noon-1:30 p.m. on May 24. Register at eventbrite.com.
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Quarterly CERT Promising Practices Webinar: April 28
FEMA is holding a webinar series focused on best practices of Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT) across Region 10. These webinars highlight ongoing efforts, changes due to COVID, and best practices for engaging within the community. The webinar will take place from 7-8 p.m. on April 28 and will feature active CERT members from Idaho, as well as two Idaho teens from FEMA Region 10's Youth Preparedness Council as guest speakers. Register via Zoom. Future webinars will focus on Oregon on July 28 and Washington on Oct. 27.
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Smoke Management in the Northwest Conference: April 26 + 28
The 2022 Smoke Management in the Northwest Conference offers an opportunity to share recent policies, programs, tools, data and resources related to wildfire and smoke management with a focus on the Pacific Northwest. Sessions will integrate both forest and human health considerations, the impacts of COVID-19, climate change projections, the use of prescribed fire, communication tools and public health protection strategies, with a focus on the Pacific Northwest. The conference will take place virtually from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on April 26 and April 28. The conference is hosted by the U.S. EPA Region 10 with the support of a planning team that includes federal, tribal, state and local representatives. Register via eventbrite.com.
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Preventing DNS Infrastructure Tampering: April 28
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) is offering a virtual cybersecurity awareness webinar from 8-9 a.m. on April 28 titled, Preventing DNS Infrastructure Tampering (IR106). Every time someone accesses the Internet, they depend on Domain Name System (DNS) infrastructure to securely route them to their intended destinations. This shared infrastructure presents a rich attack surface for threat actors, allowing them to shut down websites and online services, replace legitimate website content with threats and extortion attempts, and route traffic to a carbon copy of a legitimate website to steal any information entered by users trying to conduct business as usual. This webinar provides key information to protect individuals and organization from DNS infrastructure tampering, including common vulnerabilities, how to identify a potential attack, and guidance and best practices to reduce the likelihood and impact of a successful DNS attack. The event is intended for a general audience including managers and business leaders but also includes topics and perspectives that may be useful to technical specialists. Register via Adobe Connect.
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Free and Virtual CERC Training Available: May 25-26
Crisis and Emergency Risk Communication (CERC) Training is available virtually for free by the Oregon Public Health Division's Health Security, Preparedness and Response program. Training will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. daily on May 25 and 26 on Microsoft Teams. Both days are required to complete the course. CERC is designed to help equip communicators to plan for and respond to public health crises and emergencies. PIOs, health educators, emergency managers emergency preparedness coordinators and others responsible for developing and conveying public information during a public health emergency will benefit most. Partners of public health and health care systems are also invited to attend. 25 spots are available for this interactive course, register at eventbrite.com; you may be waitlisted but you will be notified of open spaces.
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National CERT Conference Registration Now Open: Aug. 18-20
The 2022 National CERT Conference will take place Aug. 18-20 in Galveston, Texas, and will feature presentations and workshops led by CERT leaders across the U.S. Agenda highlights include an Equity Panel, presentations on CERT Resource Typing, and CERT Disaster Response lessons learned including COVID-19. Learn more and register via cvent.com.
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Final Wildfire Cleanup Numbers Reflect Task Force’s Commitment to a Local and Diverse Workforce
The unprecedented mission to help Oregon recover and rebuild after the devastating September 2020 wildfires provided hundreds of local jobs and surpassed national workforce diversity averages, according to a recent report from the Debris Management Task Force (DMTF) that oversaw the work. The report summarizes final workforce data and the composition of the task force and its crews, showing that nearly all (91%) subcontractors were Oregon-based businesses and more than half of were certified small businesses: roughly three-quarters of crew members (69%) were Oregon residents; one-fifth (21%) of the workforce were women; and one-in-four identified as non-white. At the height of the wildfire cleanup operation, more than 1,200 contractors and state staff worked around the clock simultaneously in nine Oregon counties to remove hazardous materials, wildfire debris and dangerous fire-damaged trees—providing a pathway for rebuilding and helping wildfire survivors navigate their next chapter. Read the full report at debriscleanupnews.com.
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Request for Public Assistance Deadline for DR4499: July 1
In the two years since the declaration of a nationwide emergency for COVID-19 (DR4499), FEMA has awarded more than $42 billion in Public Assistance (PA) funding to states, tribes, localities, territories and eligible private non-profits (PNPs), providing vital resources to government agencies, hospitals, schools and other applicants. The Request for Public Assistance (RPA) deadline is July 1, which coincides with the end of the President’s authorization of the 100% federal cost share. For entities that are current applicants under DR4499, this does not apply; for entities that have direct costs in response to COVID-19 seeking potential reimbursement and have not submitted an RPA for DR4499, the deadline is July 1. New applicants must register in the FEMA Grants Portal to submit an RPA. For questions, please reach out to Deputy State Public Assistance Officer Dan Gwin at dan.gwin@state.or.us or State Public Assistance Officer Julie Slevin at julie.slevin@state.or.us.
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EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT CAREERS |
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Do you have an emergency management-related job posting you’d like included in Weekly Watch? Submit listings by Friday morning to be considered for the following Monday's report; send to OEM Public Affairs at public.info@state.or.us.
Multnomah County Emergency Management Planner. Apply at Workday by April 14.
City of Hillsboro Public Information Officer: Economic and Community Development Department. Apply at governmentjobs.com by April 17.
City of Hillsboro Public Information Officer: Parks & Recreation Department. Apply at governmentjobs.com by April 17.
OEM Chief Audit Executive (Internal Auditor 3). Apply at Workday by April 18. Conference call for all interested applicants from noon-1 p.m. on April 7 via Zoom (Meeting ID: 853 5713 7617, Passcode: 657814).
OEM Strategic Planner (Operations & Policy Analyst 4). Apply at Workday by April 19. Conference call for all interested applicants from 11 a.m. to noon on April 5 via Zoom (Meeting ID: 845 3490 3650, Passcode: 347551).
OEM: 911 Project Portfolio Manager (Information Systems Specialist 8) (Internal). Apply at Workday by May 24.
OEM: Grants Accountant (Accountant 2) - 2 positions available. Apply at Workday by May 30 (pulling a list of candidates on April 18; list may close anytime after that date).
Douglas County: Emergency Services Manager. Apply at governmentjobs.com (no closing date).
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OEM offers several graphics to help message preparedness. Click on the image and save as a picture, then post, share or embed as needed! You can find additional images on OEM's Facebook and Twitter pages. |
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Total Federal Share of Public Assistance
Disaster Funds Obligated to be Spent in Oregon
DR4499—COVID-19: $377,042,485
DR4519—2020 Flooding: $2,765,345
DR4562—2020 Wildfire: $356,685,629
DR4599—2021 Ice Storm: $6,069,976
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Want something included in Weekly Watch? Submit items by Friday morning to be considered for the following Monday's report. Send to OEM Public Affairs at public.info@state.or.us. |
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