Welcome to the first edition of the bi-weekly Readiness Report

The Oregon Department of Emergency Management welcomed Matt Garrett as its interim director earlier this month. Garrett brings a depth of knowledge and experience to OEM and has hit the ground running, delivering testimony to the Oregon Legislature on the critical role OEM plays in leading collaborating statewide efforts regarding emergencies and disasters. Garrett came to OEM with an incredibly distinguished career with the state, including 13 years as director of the Oregon Department of Transportation, where he managed an agency of about 4,700 people and a biennial budget of $4.2 billion. His agency achievements under his leadership include receiving the largest funding package ever for transportation in Oregon (Keep Oregon Moving in 2017) and implementing the nation’s first operational per-mile road use charge. Garrett, who retired from ODOT in 2019, was appointed in 2020 by then-Governor Kate Brown as the Wildfire Recovery Director, serving as principal advisor to the governor on recovery issues related to the 2020 wildfire season and directing all work related to Oregon’s recovery from the 2020 Labor Day Wildfires. He served in this role through June 2021. This past summer, Garrett once again assisted the Governor, coordinating state support for the World Athletic Championships in Eugene. OEM is pleased to have him leading the department’s efforts until a permanent director is named.

This marks the first official issue of the Readiness Report, OEM's rebrand of the Weekly Watch newsletter. The Readiness Report will be distributed bi-weekly every other Wednesday moving forward. While the name and frequency have changed, the newsletter continues to feature all the same information on webinars, training, news, job opportunities and resources for emergency management partners. Send any questions, content or feedback to oem_publicaffairs@oem.oregon.gov.

Oregon’s Federal Exercise (FE) 23, scheduled for June 12-15, has been postponed to the 2024 exercise cycle. Competing priorities, including several recent activations, have delayed the development and testing of a promulgated plan from the FE22 exercise series, including the base Emergency Operations Plan and Cascadia Subduction Zone Annex that serve as the baseline for the FE23. The lack of an established state Emergency Coordination Center installed at OEM’s new offices was also cited as a reason, given the objectives of the exercise are to test operational communications and coordination within the new ECC facility. OEM will build out a new exercise timeline based on partner feedback and will support, when possible, partners continuing with planned joint exercises during the original date.

The Housing Stability Council (HSC) has approved funding for two developments that will prioritize 2020 Labor Day wildfire survivors during the initial lease-up. A $2.6 million grant was approved for Housing Authority of Lincoln County to develop a dozen townhomes in Depoe Bay that will be affordable to residents with incomes at or below 60% of area median income. A partially forgivable $10 million loan was approved for Cody Development Corp. to help finance a 159-unit multifamily project in Medford; 20% of units will be affordable at or below 60% of area median income, while the balance of units will have rents capped at an amount affordable to residents earning 110% of area median income. Click here to learn more about the programs. 

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; grants will be awarded in late summer or early fall 2023. Learn more at FEMA.gov.

The Community Wildfire Risk Reduction Grant Program, offered by the Oregon State Fire Marshal, closes to applications on Jan. 31. The $18 million grant fund is open to local governments, including special districts, structural fire service agencies, and non-governmental organizations. Eligible applicants can apply for wildfire risk reduction projects, equipment and staff to support local efforts. The projects funded by this grant will help protect people, property and communities from wildfires through risk reduction programs designed for local communities. Visit OSFM's website to learn more and apply.

The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality has launched a public survey to help its Air Quality Monitoring Team determine and prioritize 20 locations for new SensORs to measure air quality from wildfire smoke across the state. SensORs are lower-cost monitors that collect timely particulate matter 2.5 data and display it over DEQ’s Air Quality Index. DEQ currently has more than 70 PM2.5 monitoring locations across Oregon. As a result of the 2020 Labor Day wildfires, the 2021 legislature passed Senate Bill 762, which provides funding for 20 more SensORs to be deployed in regions with few to no monitors. While DEQ has compiled a list of proposed areas, it would like public input to refine and prioritize it before starting the process of determining specific sites. Fill out the survey at ORDEQ.org by Feb. 1.

Marion County has secured two special in-person trainings at its EOC in Salem. MGT-412 Large Venue Evacuation and Protective Actions assists venue operators, first responders, emergency managers, law enforcement, contractors, promoters and owners of events in developing or enhancing event action plans with flexible and scalable protective measures for managing mass gatherings; the training will take place from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Feb. 7-8. MGT-404 Sports and Special Events Incident Management emphasizes the unique aspects of response to an incident occurring during a sports or special event, including considerations for business continuity and after-action activities; the training will take place from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. March 7-8. To register, visit the TEEX website.

Cascadia Region Earthquake Workgroup (CREW) and the Central United States Earthquake Consortium (CUSEC) have assembled a panel of experts in the fields of insurance and disaster insurance to provide insights into the issues of affordability and equitable access to earthquake insurance.  The two groups are hosting a webinar at 11 a.m. on Feb. 8 to discuss potential options for widening the use of earthquake insurance to improve the financial resilience of households and communities; visit crew.org to learn more. 

CREW also recently produced a new set of short quick-draw videos to help partners educate the public about financial preparedness for earthquakes. The videos outline the actions people can take before an earthquake to speed and strengthen their recovery afterward. The videos are available for download from the Insure Against Earthquakes website. 

The National Weather Service is committed to providing the most accurate, accessible and reliable weather, water and climate information. The NWS website serves as an avenue to provide relevant content with the intent to help its audiences make critical decisions and needs. The NWS is prioritizing redesigning its website and is seeking input through a survey to better understand information needs and preferences. The survey will take 10-15 minutes and responses will be anonymous, confidential and analyzed by Forrester Research, an independent market research company. Fill out the survey here by Feb. 13.

FEMA’s National Integration Center is offering the first nationwide delivery in 2023 of its When Minutes Matter: Alert and Warning Technical Assistance (TA) workshop from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Feb. 21 and 22, with a delivery orientation from noon to 1:30 p.m. on Feb. 14. This workshop is designed for public sector warning authority officials, which may include emergency managers, public information officers, social media coordinators and public outreach coordinators. The TA covers 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 message development to maximize public action; develop a social media plan for emergencies; and coordinate with neighboring jurisdictions. Register at Eventbrite: Alert and Warning Technical Assistance Workshop.

The Natural Hazards Center is seeking session ideas for its 48th Annual Natural Hazards Research and Applications Workshop, taking place July 9-12 in Broomfield, Colo. Organized around the theme of Ethical Action for Disaster Risk Reduction, this year’s workshop will contemplate the deep interconnections between facts and values while considering ethical obligations to people and communities at risk. The center is looking for contributions in response to the theme, as well as proposals that focus on advancements in hazards and disaster research and practice. Share ideas via the Workshop Proposal Form by Feb. 15.

FEMA Region 10 is hosting a webinar from 6-7 p.m. on Feb. 16 on Engaging Youth in CERT. The event is part of FEMA’s quarterly CERT Promising Practices Webinar Series, which highlights ongoing efforts, changes due to COVID, and best practices for engaging within the community for Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT) across FEMA Region 10 states. Guest speakers include active CERT members from Alaska, Idaho, Oregon and Washington, as well as state and local partners in collaboration with CERT teams. Register in advance at Zoom. 

FEMA is now accepting applications for the Youth Preparedness Council, a program that brings teens together from across the nation who are interested and engaged in community preparedness. Council members are selected based on their dedication to public service, their efforts in making a difference in their communities and their potential to expand their impact as national leaders for emergency preparedness. Students in grades eight through 11 are eligible to apply. Applications are due March 6. Learn more and apply at FEMA.gov.

The Oregon Governor’s Occupational Safety & Health (GOSH) Conference will take place March 6-9 at the Oregon Convention Center in Portland. The largest safety and health conference in the Northwest, Oregon GOSH attracts nationally known speakers, and offers 160 workshops and sessions, and more than 125 booths showing the latest safety and health products and services. Keynote speaker Steven Eberlein, resilience director at Ethos Preparedness, will address the importance of earthquake and tsunami preparedness for the home and office, creating a preparedness culture in the workplace, and preparedness training. Eberlein will also conduct a breakout session about the ShakeAlert earthquake early warning system. Visit OregonGOSH.com to learn more and register to attend.

Registration for the State Interoperability Executive Council RADIO Conference has hit 50% capacity, with less than 100 spots left for attendees. Held April 3-5 at the Best Western Plus Hood River Inn, the RADIO Conference has announced several panels, including PACE Planning for Emergency Communications; The Future of Incident Communications; Updates from the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency; and Best Practices for Recruiting and Retaining. Learn more and register at the conference webpage. The RADIO Conference is still seeking major sponsors, reach out to the Statewide Interoperability Team at SIEC.OR@das.oregon.gov for additional details.

Space weather - winds and magnetic waves that move through space - can sometimes reach Earth or Earth's upper atmosphere, adversely affecting critical technological systems like satellite-based positioning and navigation, high frequency radio communications and the electric power grid. Since space weather has the potential to significantly disrupt critical infrastructure, emergency preparedness for space weather events is important. FEMA’s Emergency Management Institute recently launched a new online course: IS-66: Preparing the Nation for Space Weather Events. After completing this two-hour course, emergency managers will better understand how to identify risks to their organization, implement mitigation actions and develop contingency operating plans in the event of a disruptive space weather event. Learn more and take the course on EMI’s website.