Staggering Search & Rescue statistics

Today’s Director’s Message is brought to you by State Search and Rescue Coordinator Scott Lucas.

Over the last decade, a staggering 99% of people needing Search and Rescue (SAR) assistance in Oregon lived outside the county where they were rescued -- underscoring that people exploring the state may be inexperienced, unprepared or exploring unfamiliar terrain when heading out to adventure.  Summer is always a busy time for Oregon’s SAR program, and 2022 has been no exception. The good news is, SAR missions are down 22% from this time last year. The flip side is injuries are up 35% -- so fewer missions but greater injuries. We’re especially seeing an increase in alpine rescues – rescues in mountainous regions at 5,000 feet and above. On average over the past decade, alpine rescues are up 100%; 19% over the last year alone. Climbing injuries are up 26%, owing to people not knowing the area, proper routes or their own limits. These increases have led to more extreme lifesaving helicopter missions, up 41% over last year. Our SAR teams have already performed 596 missions to date this year, most of those attending to hiking injuries for people who were ill-prepared for their adventure.

Oregon is known for year-round outdoor recreation. This week, archery hunting season opens, and Oregon’s new rules of drawing tags means many hunters will be in new and unfamiliar locations. That, combined with folks looking to squeeze in the last bit of summer, may escalate the risk and resulting SAR missions. There’s also a greater risk of human-caused fires as we hit the height of wildfire season. 

One positive upward trend is the use of GPS tracking devices; this tells us that people are starting to pay greater attention to our SAR messaging and understand the importance of being prepared. Having a plan helps prepare explorers for any Oregon adventure – as those of us in emergency management know all too well. Now is a critical time to remind our audiences of best safety practices when heading outdoors, including getting familiar with the area they’re heading, bringing printed maps, checking local fire restrictions, packing appropriately, traveling with a companion, and always letting someone know where they’re going and when they’ll be back.

Thank you for helping us continue to message this crucial information. People should always know their physical limits and plan for activities that won’t exceed their experience to avoid becoming a search and rescue statistic.

Scott Lucas
State Search and Rescue Coordinator

Community Wildfire Defense Grants are intended to help at-risk local communities and tribes plan and reduce their wildfire risk. Communities will receive priority for this program if they are a low-income area, recently impacted by disaster, or in a wildfire hazard location. Applications for these grants are now available for eligible projects developed by communities, tribes, states and non-profits. Vist the U.S. Forest Service website to learn more.

It's harmful algae bloom season, with health advisories in effect in five areas statewide. Since most water bodies in Oregon are not monitored for cyanobacteria, the Oregon Health Authority recommends people become familiar with their surroundings and know the signs of an algal bloom. Individuals and their pets should avoid entering water that looks foamy, scummy, thick like paint, pea-green, blue-green or brownish-red. People should avoid swimming and high-speed water activities like water skiing or power boating when blooms are present. Learn more at OHA’s website, download a flyer for your communities, and listen to the Oregon DEQ podcast about cyanobacteria harmful algal blooms.

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is offering low-interest federal disaster loans to businesses and residents in Jackson, Josephine and Klamath counties affected by the McKinney Fire that began July 29. Low-interest federal disaster loans are available to businesses of all sizes, most private nonprofit organizations, homeowners and renters whose property was damaged or destroyed by this disaster. Businesses and private nonprofit organizations may borrow up to $2 million; homeowners and renters are eligible for up to $200,000 to repair or replace damaged or destroyed real estate and $40,000 to repair or replace damaged or destroyed personal property. The deadline to apply for property damage is Oct. 18, while the deadline to apply for economic injury is May 19, 2023. Learn more and apply at the SBA’s Disaster Loan Assistance website.

Many people use global positioning system (GPS) when exploring the wilderness or for driving directions. Most of the time, GPS works well, but satellite navigation isn’t always reliable. What most people don't know is that earlier this month, GPS users experienced position errors due to activity on the surface of the sun. The Sun’s magnetic field goes through a solar cycle approximately every 11 years. This cycle affects activity on the surface of the Sun, such as sunspots; a large number of sunspots can generate solar flares and coronal mass ejections (CMEs). An Earth-directed CME can light up the Aurora Borealis, cause a shortwave radio blackout over the Pacific Ocean, and lead to all kinds of issues with communications and power grids. Learn more about the various levels of solar storm impacts on the earth at the Space Weather Prediction Center. It’s an excellent reminder to practice risk reduction and always bring a paper map when traveling somewhere unfamiliar!

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) has launched Technologically Speaking, a new podcast series that delivers insightful, thought-provoking, and unscripted conversations about timely national security challenges and the scientific solutions S&T is developing to tackle them. As first responders are the front line of defense protecting local communities, many of S&T’s research and development projects support its First Responder Capability program. Several episodes in Season 1 of the podcast feature S&T programs that help to build first responder capabilities. Listen in at DHS’s website.

The Regional Building Disaster Assessment Project (RBDAP) is hosting a webinar titled, Earthquake Debris Removal: Are We Prepared? from noon to 1 p.m. on August 23. Managing debris can be daunting after an emergency, especially without a plan and prepositioned contracts in place. Jeff Hepler from Clackamas County and formerly with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will present what jurisdictions need to know to be prepared. Join with Zoom (passcode 034030).

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine is holding Climate Conversations: Wildfire, a workshop to discuss how to protect human health and the built environment in the face of more frequent and severe wildfires in the U.S. The conversation will be webcast on August 25 from noon to 1 p.m. The conversation will include questions from the audience and will be recorded and available to view on the page after the event. Learn more and register on the National Academies’ website.  

Oregon Emergency Management awarded Wallowa County a 56kW generator in 2019 through the State Preparedness and Incident Response Equipment (SPIRE) Grant program, which funds the purchase and distribution of equipment to be used during an emergency to decrease the risk for loss of life and property damage. On August 11, Wallowa’s SPIRE generator was deployed to the sewage plant in the city of Wallowa to get the facility operational again following a destructive hail and windstorm that rolled through the county. According to Wallowa County Emergency Services Director Paul Karvoski, property damage in the county was extensive due to the storm, with most of the town sustaining heavy damage to the exterior of all buildings and exposed vehicles, but thanks to the SPIRE generator, there were no sewage overflows. Established by Oregon House Bill 2687 in 2017, the SPIRE program has awarded dozens of pieces of equipment throughout the state, strengthening the statewide response and recovery capability starting at the local level. Learn more about the SPIRE Grant program at OEM’s website.

Oregon Health Authority (OHA) has established four new Regional Health Equity Coalitions (RHECs). RHECs are collaborative, community-led, cross-sector groups where community members come together to identify the most pressing health equity issues in their local communities. RHECs increase authentic community engagement, provide support and leadership to health equity efforts across the state, and mobilizr systemic and policy changes. The four new RHECs and regions they represent are Eastern Oregon Health Equity Alliance (Morrow and Union counties), Mid-Willamette Valley Health Equity Coalition (Marion and Polk counties), South Coast Equity Coalitions (Coos and Curry counties), Transponder (Lane and Douglas counties). Visit OHA’s website to learn more.

The Biden administration has declared monkeypox (hMPXV) a Public Health Emergency. The Oregon Health Authority has launched a new website in English and Spanish with information about the monkeypox outbreak. The site includes case counts by county. Learn more at OHA’s website.

The Emergency Responder Safety Institute (ERSI) has released a new training module, The Safety Officer’s Role in Roadway Incident Response. The safety officer has a critical role in promoting and implementing recommended roadway incident response safety practices in training rotations and on scene. The program prepares safety officers to be advocates in their departments by reviewing recommended traffic incident management and roadway incident safety practices with recommendations for how to implement them. The training is self-paced and takes about one hour to complete. Learn more at the Responder Safety Learning Network website.

FEMA has developed a Disaster Multimedia Toolkit with resources for partners and media looking for disaster recovery content to share on social media during and after a disaster. These resources include social graphics, flyers and announcer scripts, accessible videos and animations in multiple languages.