Employing lessons learned for this week's statewide heat wave

The National Weather Service forecasting offices in Portland, Medford, Pendleton and Boise have all issued heat advisories and excessive heat watches and warnings across Oregon starting today through at least Thursday in the Willamette Valley, Friday in Central and Eastern Oregon, and Saturday in Southern Oregon. Temperatures across the state are expected to exceed 100 degrees, with parts of Southern, Central and Eastern Oregon reaching 110 degrees, with little overnight cooling. The extreme heat will significantly increase the potential for heat related illnesses, particularly for those working outdoors or participating in outdoor activities.

As emergency managers, we are leaning into lessons learned from the devastating June 2021 heat wave to ensure Oregonians have access to resources to keep themselves, their loved ones and those in their communities safe. Our regional coordinators are connected with their respective counties, and while there are currently no requests for state assistance, we ask that our partners use this time in advance of the arrival of excessive heat to ensure agency emergency communications are operable and confirm the availability of critical staff or resources. Weather events such as this can lead to energy and communications infrastructure outages or other disruptions.

Since last week, our department has been amplifying social media messaging about heat safety, forecasts, and cooling center information from our partners, and we’ll continue to do so throughout this heat event.

One of the things that stays in my mind from last June’s heat dome is the importance of checking in on friends and neighbors. Nearly 100 Oregonians tragically lost their lives due to inability or reluctance to access resources available to combat the extreme heat. This week, please encourage your communities to stay hydrated, stay in an air-conditioned space when possible, avoid time in the sun, and check on relatives, staff and neighbors, especially those at greater risk for heat-related illness or who do not have access to transportation or a way to keep cool. 2-1-1 will maintain 24/7 call center coverage and will be providing cooling center location via their call center and website. Oregon OSHA also has information on rules and other resources to help employers keep their folks safe during excessive heat events.

Thank you all for your partnership in keeping Oregonians safe.

Take care of yourselves and take care of each other.

Andrew Phelps, Director
Oregon Department Emergency Management

July 26 is the 32nd anniversary of the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to ensure all people with disabilities have the same rights and opportunities as everyone else. In honor of this important day, the ADA National Network has created an ADA 32nd Anniversary Tool Kit that provide comprehensive one-stop information, guidance and training on the ADA. View the toolkit to access media-related materials, ADA 32 logos, sample tweets and posts, and lists of ADA-related events, publications and trainings.

FEMA has approved an extension for the Disaster Case Management program (DCMP) that helps manage the individual cases of people and families affected by the 2020 Labor Day wildfires in Oregon. Typically, the DCMP is awarded for 24 months from the disaster declaration date, but due to the continued need, FEMA has extended the period of performance for an additional six months, to March 14, 2023. Disaster Case Managers assist fire survivors with identifying their recovery path and locate appropriate resources to meet their recovery needs.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)’s Office of Indoor Environments will host a free all-Spanish webinar on emergencies and indoor air quality. Taking place from 10-11 a.m. on July 26, the seminar will discuss what people should do before, during and after a flood, power outage or wildfire to protect their health and that of their family. Learn more and register with GoTo Webinar.

An estimated 95% of cybersecurity breaches are the result of human error. The Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center (MS-ISAC) will present “Is Your Organization Cyber Aware? A Security & Training Awareness Series” at noon on July 28. In this webinar, hear how fellow MS-ISAC member organizations have built cyber awareness programs to protect against cyber-attacks and the challenges they faced in doing so. The webinar will also present best practices in establishing an effective cyber awareness program. Learn more and register at CIS Events.

Lane County’s Firewise Grant Incentive Program is accepting applications through August 1. The program offers homeowners in rural Lane County financial assistance to make their homes better able to survive wildfires. To qualify for the Firewise Grant, applicants must own a home outside of an urban growth boundary in Lane County that's at risk to wildfire. Each grant incentives is based on current wildfire research that helps homes greatly reduce the chance of burning during a wildfire. Up to $15,500 in grant funding is available for qualifying properties. Learn more and apply: 2022 Lane County Firewise Program Online Application.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) offers a guide to assist site decision makers in the preparation and management of bomb threats. Developed in partnership with the FBI, the DHS-DOJ Bomb Threat Guidance is a quick reference guide that provides facility supervisors with pre-threat preparation, threat assessment considerations, staff response guidelines, and evacuation and shelter-in-place considerations. Download the guide at CISA.gov. 

Oregon homeowners impacted by the 2020 wildfires can apply for both a loan and a grant to repair or replace their onsite septic system thanks to a partnership between the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) and Craft3. Eligible borrowers will be offered grant resources on a sliding scale based on annual household income; this grant award can cover a significant share of project costs. Onsite septic system project costs that exceed the grant award can be covered by an affordable Craft3 loan. Grant funds are limited and homeowners should apply soon to access funds while they’re still available. Learn more and apply at Craft3’s website.

Near Space Corporation (NSC) has partnered with the Scappoose Fire District and the Regional Disaster Preparedness Organization (RDPO) to attain the necessary waivers for a UAS Public Safety Aviation Program. The District and NSC developed a training and certification program as well as a tracking database for the pilots and aircraft. This program can provide capability to first responders and emergency response in general across Oregon. Read full details at the NCS website.

Portland General Electric (PGE) is preparing for the 2022 wildfire season and the possibility of proactive Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS) as a tool to help protect lives and property. A map of PSPS areas is available in English and Spanish and includes a link for information and brochures about wildfire preparedness and information about PSPSs in Arabic, Burmese, Chinese (simplified and traditions, Farsi, Japanese, Korean, Romanian, Rohingya, Russian, Somali, Swahili and Vietnamese. Customer service advisors can also assist customers in 200+ languages. Information may be used on websites, newsletters, and on social media channels. The PGE 2022 Wildfire + PSPS Brochure is available in English and Spanish. 

The Oregon TITAN Fusion Center (OTFC) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) are warning of a recent increase of malicious cyber activity in Oregon. Both private and public organizations have observed a rise of attempts to circumvent multi-factor authentication, harvest account credentials, and conduct phishing campaigns. An increasing number of organizations have implemented two-factor authentication and multi-factor authentication to reduce the chance of having their accounts compromised. However, cyber adversaries have attempted to circumvent these measures. People should monitor their networks and report any suspicious cyber activity to CISA or FBI Cyber Watch at 855-292-3937 or cywatch@fbi.gov. For anyone that does suffer a compromise, call DHS CISA or FBI Cyber Watch immediately. Speed of reporting matters, especially when it comes to a potential cyber-attack initiated by foreign governments or their sympathizers.

The Office of Justice Programs’ Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) is currently accepting nominations for the 2022 Public Safety Medal of Valor, awarded to a public safety officer who has exhibited exceptional courage, extraordinary decisiveness and presence of mind, and unusual swiftness of action, regardless of their own personal safety, in the attempt to save or protect human life. This includes anyone serving a public agency, with or without compensation, as a firefighter, law enforcement officer or emergency services officer. Learn more, including how to submit a nomination, at the BJA’s Public Safety Medal of Valor page. Nominations are for events that took place between June 1, 2021 and May 31, 2022. Nominations are due by August 8.

The U.S. Forest Service (USFS) leads the Interagency Wildland Fire Air Quality Response Program (IWFAQRP), which provides Air Resource Advisors (ARAs) to Incident Management Teams (IMTs) for wildfire response. During wildfire events when smoke is a concern, IMTs can request ARAs to deploy fine particulate smoke monitors, predict smoke timing and movement with modeling tools, forecast air quality for areas of concern, advise IMTs, coordinate with local and state air regulators, and inform the public. The IWFAQRP annually releases a report on the activities of its program; to learn more about wildfire impacts on air quality in 2021, read the IWFAQRP’s 2021 Annual Report: A Nation in Wildfire Smoke.

This week's excessive heat will send many people to the water. The Oregon State Marine Board (OSMB) offers life jacket loaner stations at waterways in local communities throughout the state to support boating and water safety. The map is available at OSMB's website; please share with your audiences to help save lives. As one marine deputy said, "We have never pulled someone from the water who drowned while wearing a life jacket."