Weekly Watch: The final issue of 2022

The holidays are a joyous whirlwind of gift-giving, parties and family gatherings. They can also bring an increase of stress as finances, relationships and obligations become overwhelming. Continued disaster fatigue and strain on our public health systems certainly aren’t helping to decrease our anxiety.

Stress is a hazard all its own to health and well-being. Reducing this risk can bring immediate benefits for us and those around us and allow us to better deal with everything else on our plate. As emergency managers, we need to recognize how important it is to take care of ourselves, our loved ones and our communities, especially in times of crisis. Let’s remind those in our social networks to do the same this holiday season.

Self-care is an effective way to reduce stress, improve well-being and even help people find some joy in challenging situations. Ten minutes can be enough time to step outside for a breath of fresh air, do a meditation, fit in a quick workout or chat with a loved one. When people feel better, everyone around them benefits from that positive energy. Practicing gratitude for the people and events in their life can also help people more fully appreciate and find meaning this holiday season. It’s also a reminder to check on the emotional welfare of loved ones and neighbors.

Make sure your communities are aware of the National Disaster Distress helpline; visit the website or call or text 1-800-985-5990. The Oregon Department of Human Services has also assembled a comprehensive list of community resources and helplines, all of which are confidential and offer translation services. Visit the ODHS website or dial 211.  

I’m truly grateful to collaborate with such a talented and passionate group of emergency management partners. I wish you and yours a safe and restful holiday season, all the best in the new year, and I send strength and positivity to those who need it.

Take care of yourselves and take care of each other.
Andrew Phelps, Director, Oregon Department of Emergency Management

The Oregon State Fire Marshal (OSFM) has opened the application period for the Community Wildfire Risk Reduction Grant, a new $18 million grant fund geared toward helping communities be better prepared for wildfire. This competitive opportunity is open to local governments, special districts, structural fire service agencies and non-governmental organizations that can use the funds to support individual community members. Those eligible can apply for funding for wildfire risk reduction projects, equipment and staff to support local efforts. The application period is open until Jan. 31, 2023. OSFM will host two virtual educational webinars for those interested in learning more about the grant: 9:30 a.m. on Dec. 22 and 2 p.m. on Jan. 12. Learn more about the Community Wildfire Risk Reduction Grant, including links to attend the two webinars, at OSFM’s website.

The San Diego Office of Emergency Services (OES) is seeking nationwide participation in its Nationwide Equity and Sustainability in EM Survey, which focuses on positive practices for preparing for, responding to and recovering from disasters that impact historically underserved populations. A comprehensive report will analyze the data collected and recommendations will be made for the integration of best practices. The 18-question survey takes approximately 20 minutes to complete, and all personal and jurisdictional identifying information will be kept confidential. Click here to fill out the survey, which closes Dec. 23.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has proposed rules aimed to strengthen the cybersecurity and operational readiness of the nation’s Emergency Alert System (EAS) and Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEAs). The rules would require all EAS participants and CMS providers to develop a cybersecurity risk management plan and annually certify to having this plan in place; and employ sufficient security measures to ensure the confidentiality, integrity and availability of their alerting systems. All EAS participants would be required to report any incident of unauthorized access of their EAS equipment, communications systems or services within 72 hours in the FCC’s Network Outage Reporting System. CMS providers would be required to ensure alerts are displayed on consumers’ mobile devices only if they come from valid base stations to prevent spoofing of base stations so that messages cannot be maliciously intercepted or rerouted. The FCC is seeking comment on the proposed rules and any suitable alternatives by Dec. 23; reply comments are due by Jan. 23, 2023. Submit comments using the FCC’s Electronic Comment Filing System.

211info is gathering information on winter and severe weather shelters throughout Oregon that will activate during this winter season, as well as sites that will be collecting winter weather donations. It’s created a form partners can use to provide updated information to community members in need. Click here to access the form.

The Oregon Public Utility Commission has extended the deadline for its Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) September 2022 After Action Survey to Jan. 3, 2023. The PUC is also accepting free-form comments on experiences and observations. All information will be consolidated and provided anonymously to the various electric utilities. It will also be used to help inform some of the industry best-practices discussion, incorporation into views on wildfire mitigation plans and operational approaches as a partner in emergency response for the state. Click here to fill out the survey or email comments directly to heide.caswell@puc.oregon.gov and lisa.gorsuch@puc.oregon.gov.

The Affordable Connectivity Program was created by the FCC to help households struggling to pay for internet service. People are likely eligible if their household’s income is below 200% of the Federal Poverty Line, or if they or someone they live with currently receives a government benefit like SNAP, Medicaid, SSI, WIC, Pell Grant, or Free and Reduced-Price Lunch. The ACP also helps connect tribal communities with an enhanced benefit for consumers living on tribal lands. The FCC is mobilizing people and organizations to help raise awareness about the ACP and has developed a toolkit for public use that can be downloaded then customized to meet specific needs. Click here to view the ACP Consumer Outreach Toolkit.

Oregon Housing and Community Services has opened the Affordable Rental Housing (ARH) Partnership Grant for applications. This grant will fund resident services activities and is part of the GHAP Capacity Building Program. Awards may be up to $25,000 and can be disbursed over two years if needed. Eligible entities include non-profits and federally recognized tribal nations in Oregon that serve residents applying for or living in multi-family affordable rental housing. The grant directly funds CBOs in their pivotal role of building community and supporting residents living in affordable rental properties. Click here to learn more and apply by Jan. 13, 2023.

FEMA’s Grant Programs Directorate (GPD) is offering a series of one-hour trainings on the federal procurement rules applicable to recipients and subrecipients when purchasing in support of a FEMA mitigation grant. These virtual trainings will be facilitated by GPD’s Procurement Disaster Assistance Team (PDAT) and will be offered throughout 2023. The one-hour trainings cover a variety of procurement under grant concepts and frequent compliance issues while highlighting resources. The series of trainings is offered to FEMA award recipients and subrecipients, including state, local, tribal and territorial government personnel; nonprofit organization staff; eligible private entities; and other non-federal entities. Click the respective link to register for upcoming trainings in 2023: Jan. 19, April 20, July 20 and Oct. 19.

The All Hazards Consortium (AHC) will host its third annual Resilience Exchange Virtual Summit Jan. 24-26, 2023. Held over Zoom in three half-day sessions from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day, the summit will focus on resilience issues in industry and government and strategies to address them. The summit is free to attend for full-time government employees. See the full agenda, list of speakers and register at the AHC ResilienceEXCH 2023 website.

The Oregon Department of Forestry is seeking members for an advisory committee for its new Certified Burn Manager (CBM) Program, designed to provide oversight of training and certification for the safe and effective use of prescribed burning and to promote its use. ODF is accepting applications to serve on the CBM Advisory Committee through Jan. 31, 2023. The committee will advise ODF on program implementation and help provide oversight. More information and applications are available on ODF’s Prescribed Fire website.

The FEMA Region 10 Risk Mapping, Assessment and Planning (Risk MAP) Program is requesting executive summaries for the Cooperating Technical Partners (CTP) Program FY23 grant funding. Eligible CTP projects must address flood hazard mapping, natural hazard risk reduction, or community awareness and resilience. Eligible CTP applicants include state, tribal, county, city, academic and non-profit organizations. Applicants must submit an executive summary by Jan. 31, 2023; grants will be awarded in late summer or early fall 2023. Visit FEMA.gov for more information about the CTP Program and contact FEMA-R10-CTP@fema.dhs.gov for additional proposal requirements and to request an executive summary template.

The National Weather Service Medford Office is seeking public comment on its new experimental Graphical Hazardous Weather Outlook (GWHO), which offers a quick look at potential weather hazards around the region and allows visitors to find more information on any hazards of interest. The GHWO provides weather hazard risk forecast information through a web-based display on a public-facing web page. View the new outlook at https://www.weather.gov/mfr/ -- scroll down and click on the image titled "Graphical Hazard Outlook." Click on the color-coded boxes to see where the weather hazard exists; if the box is green, then no hazard exists in the outlook for that time period. Click here to submit comments on the GWHO through April 30, 2023.

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has released a phishing infographic any organization can use to inform its leadership and workforce on common adversarial techniques used in phishing and how to protect against potential susceptibility to an attack. Through phishing assessments conducted at public and private sector organizations, CISA found that 70% of all attached files or links containing malware were not blocked by network border protection services; 15% of all malicious attachments or links were not blocked by endpoint protection; and 84% of employees that fell victim to phishing did so within the first 10 minutes of receiving the malicious email. CISA is asking partners to amplify this phishing infographic through communications and social media channels.

The U.S. Department of Justice has launched an improved version of ADA.gov to better empower people to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) as well as understand their rights and others’ rights. The new website is modern and user-centered, works well with mobile devices, includes easy-to-use navigation tools and is written in plain language. The updated site includes high-level explanations of existing information intended for an audience of people who are not legal experts. These explanations are designed to be easy to scan, navigate and understand and use icons to help explain definitions and provide clear examples. Check out the new site at ADA.gov.

The Medford 549c School District recently installed ShakeAlert-powered technology in all district buildings. When an earthquake is detected, a pre-programmed announcement will be delivered automatically by intercom. By giving 14,000 students time to Drop, Cover and Hold On before they feel shaking, ShakeAlert could save lives when the next big earthquake hits. The Medford School District is the only K-12 institution in the state to fully implement ShakeAlert. Other critical facilities in the Rogue Valley have also integrated ShakeAlert earthquake early warning, including Providence Medford Medical Center and the City of Grants Pass Water Division.

Operated by the U.S. Geological Survey, ShakeAlert utilizes 1,400 seismic sensors in California, Oregon and Washington to constantly monitor ground motion. When an earthquake happens, there are multiple waves of seismic energy. The ShakeAlert seismic sensors can detect the first wave, the Primary (P)-wave, which generally does not cause shaking that people can feel. ShakeAlert data processing centers then quickly estimate the earthquake's location, magnitude and anticipated ground shaking across the region. This information is made available to deliver alerts to devices that will initiate automated actions and to people who will be prompted to take an action such as Drop, Cover and Hold On. The method can provide warning before the Secondary (S)-wave arrives, which brings the strong shaking that usually causes most of the damage. Studies have shown that the warning time provided by ShakeAlert would range from seconds to tens of seconds. Learn more at ShakeAlert.org.