Celebrating Women in Emergency Management

Today, we join the global community in commemorating International Women’s Day. This annual event celebrates women’s countless triumphs throughout history while calling attention to the social, economic and cultural inequalities that created barriers for them.

One of the earliest proponents of women in emergency management was First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt. She persuaded her husband to appoint Florence Kerr to find a way to utilize women in the war effort, and the two women were instrumental in developing the Office of Civil Defense. In September 1941, Roosevelt was appointed Assistant Director of the Office of the Secretary of Defense, becoming the first woman in Homeland Security/Emergency Management.

Eighty years later, Deanne Criswell became the head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the first woman to hold the Senate-confirmed position, although Nancy Ward also led FEMA during the early months of President Obama’s administration as acting administrator. Just months ago, Ward again broke barriers, being named the first woman to lead California’s emergency response as director of the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services. 

Women in emergency management serve at every level – from directors, planners, trainers and responders to managers, coordinators, liaisons and policy makers. While they remain largely outnumbered by their male counterparts, these women continue to make strides in the field of disaster preparedness, response, mitigation and recovery.

Here at the Oregon Department of Emergency Management, 47% of our team members are females, and they make up 58% of our management and leadership. Today and every day, we celebrate these women and the incredible work they do to serve our state. We remain committed to prioritizing a workplace that’s diverse, equitable and inclusive and reflective of the communities we serve.

All the best,

Matt Garrett
Oregon Department of Emergency Management Interim Director

Climate change is causing sea levels around the world to rise. While the rates of sea level rise are slower in Oregon than other parts of the country, the coast is experiencing sea level rise every year. A new state project will explore ways to address the impacts of sea level rise on the North Coast, including increased flooding and erosion. The Oregon Department of Land Conservation and Development (DLCD), along with Clatsop County and Cannon Beach, is hosting a series of community workshops throughout the county in March. Each two-hour workshop will include information about local sea level rise impacts and allow people to share what risks they are most concerned about. Information gathered will help identify what’s at risk and priorities moving forward, as well as projects to address potential impacts. The goal of the two-year project is to help provide direction for communities and support projects, whether it be help with writing a grant or changing a development code. The workshops will take place in person in Clatsop County on the following dates:

• March 11, 1-3 p.m., Seaside Library
• March 14, 6- 8 p.m., Arch Cape Fire Station
• March 15, 6-8 p.m., Cannon Beach City Hall
• March 21, 6-8 p.m., Lewis and Clark Fire Department
• March 23, 6-8 p.m., Brownsmead Grange

Click here to RSVP for the workshops.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s National 911 Program will host a webinar providing an update on its nationwide programs supporting the 911 community on at 9 a.m. on March 14. During the webinar, leaders of the National 911 Program will provide updates on the following:

• The 911 DataPath Pilot Project. This project is an endeavor to develop a nationally uniform framework for collecting and sharing standardized data.
• The CAD Interoperability Assessment Project and the GIS Assessment Project. The CAD Interoperability Assessment Project attempts to fully understand the disparate nature of CAD systems to develop solutions that achieve interoperability. The GIS Assessment Project is dedicated to creating an interoperable, nationwide GIS system to meet the needs of NG911, a key element of advancing 911 systems.
• Telecommunicator Job Reclassification. The four-part Public Safety Telecommunicator Reclassification toolkit is designed to help emergency communication centers take an active role in modifying the classification of telecommunicators.

Advanced registration is required, click here to register.

FEMA is proposing changes to the implementation of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) in Oregon. As part of the process, FEMA will develop an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) under the National Environmental Policy Act to identify the potential impacts to the human environment. FEMA is soliciting public comments on potential issues, concerns and reasonable alternatives that FEMA should consider in an EIS for the National Flood Insurance Program – Endangered Species Act Integration in Oregon Plan. Public comments can be submitted through May 5 and a virtual public meeting will take place from 4-6 p.m. on March 22. All meeting information will be shared on the project website.

The Regional Building Damage Assessment Project (RBDAP) is hosting several upcoming webinars on available damage assessment tools to support counties and municipalities prepare for an emergency that damages buildings. 

Increasing efficiency after the Big One: A mobile app for building damage assessments: All jurisdictions are responsible to complete rapid damage assessments for their buildings. Learn about the online GIS-based mobile Building Damage Assessments using the rapid ATC-20 form created by Portland and the adventure training inspectors to use it. The webinar will take place from noon-1 p.m. March 23 via Zoom (Meeting ID: 880 7207 8999)

What just happened? Introducing 2PAGER for post-EQ damage information: 2PAGER is a USGS/FEMA tool for post-earthquake damage and casualty info. It relies on USGS ShakeMap and FEMA's HAZUS analysis to produce estimates for loss of property and life and building-related damage. It’s available within hours of an earthquake and gets updated and refined over time. The HAZUS summary tables at the census tract level are available for further analysis. Two webinars are available: 9-10 a.m. on April 5 via Zoom (Meeting ID: 842 7806 3145) and noon-1 p.m. on April 11 via Zoom (Meeting ID: 876 6032 3811). 

On Feb. 27, FEMA released the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for the FY23 Homeland Security Grant Program (HSGP). There were a few small changes to the standard NOFO language that have major implications to the State Homeland Security (SHSP) program. For FY23, OEM will only approve projects that have a strong anti-terrorism focus. OEM may also approve project that simultaneously support other catastrophic events, only when those projects have a strong anti-terrorism focus first. To further support efforts aligning the SHSP grants with anti-terrorism activities, applicants are highly encouraged to submit letters of support from law enforcement partners; this can be state, local or federal partners. Projects seeking competitive funds that submit letters of support from law enforcement will be prioritized for funding. Program guidance and application instructions for FY23 SHSP grants are scheduled to be released by March 31. Contact OEM Grants Coordinator Kevin Jeffries with questions.

The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Oregon announced up to $300,000 is available for eligible individuals, local and state government, non-governmental organizations and tribes through the Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) program. The CIG program supports the development and adoption of innovative conservation approaches and technologies to solve conservation challenges. The proposal must involve Environmental Quality Incentive Program (EQIP) eligible producers and should demonstrate the use of innovative technologies or approaches to address a natural resource concern. Projects must be within Oregon and may be area based or statewide in scope. Project proposals are due by May 8. Click here to learn more about the CIG program. Learn more at a CIG webinar at 10 a.m. on April 6 on Zoom (Meeting ID: 160 0685 3583).

The Oregon Fire Chiefs Association (OFCA) Spring Conference will take place April 26-28 at the Riverhouse on the Deschutes in Bend. Join fire chiefs and chief officers from across the state for 2.5 days of training, updates from important fire organizations, connection with fire service partners and networking. Click here to learn more and register.

The Climate Change Preparedness Conference 2023 will take place May 18-20 in Washington, D.C. The event unites climate experts, government officials and policymakers, community organizers, youth leaders, environmental professionals, and other stakeholders from around the country to focus on adaptive solutions to foster climate resilience. Click here for more information and to register.   

Registration is now open for the 2023 Oregon Women Veterans Conference, which will be held on May 20 and 21 at the Salem Convention Center. Hosted by the Oregon Department of Veterans’ Affairs, this free, biennial event is the largest gathering of women veterans in the state. Women veterans from every branch of military service, era and background are invited to attend this free event celebrating the service and contributions of women who answered the call to serve throughout history. The conference will include informational workshops, keynote speakers and networking opportunities. Attendance is free, but registration is required. Click here to learn more and register.

The Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries (DOGAMI) has released a new report, Landslide Inventory and Risk Reduction of the North and Central Portions of Wasco County. Landslides are common throughout Oregon due to the combination of high precipitation, steep slopes, landslide-prone geologic units, and frequent earthquakes. In June 2020, DOGAMI received a grant from FEMA through the Risk MAP program as a Cooperating Technical Partner to perform regional landslide inventory mapping of the north and central portions of Wasco County. A share of this funding was passed through to Wasco County Planning and Oregon Department of Land Conservation and Development to work on risk reduction activities. The project provided detailed information about the landslide hazards in this area and perform continued landslide risk reduction.

The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) Disaster Research Response (DR2) Program offers resources for earthquakes in its resource portal. Emergency and disaster managers, planners and public health officials can use these research tools to gather information to aid in decision making and increase their communities’ resilience to earthquakes. Several additional data collection tools can be adapted to gather information on preparedness for earthquakes and to assess the impact of earthquakes on public health. Click here to access the resource portal.

May 2023 will mark the 50th anniversary of the signing of Senate Bill 100, which created Oregon's visionary land use planning system and established the Department of Land Conservation and Development (DLCD) and Land Conservation and Development Commission. As DLCD looks back on the successes and challenges of land use planning in Oregon, and looks forward to the next 50 years, the department is gathering feedback with an online survey. Feedback will be used to deepen and improve partnerships with local governments, create more equitable land use planning outcomes, provide better service to Oregonians, continue championing sensible and sustainable urban growth, and provide appropriate protections to farms, forests, coastal and natural areas. Click here to visit the survey.

The U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) offers free materials for use in public outreach activities to help keep people with disabilities safe from home fires. Fire safety outreach materials for people with disabilities includes social media graphics and photos, statistics, fire safety messages and outreach materials from other organizations. Download a handout at Fire Safety for People With Disabilities.

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has released the following reference aid: Cybersecurity Resources for 9-1-1 Call Centers. CISA helps public safety organizations seamlessly and securely communicate during steady state and emergency operations to keep America safe, secure and resilient. This document describes several CISA resources available to public safety communications organizations to help enhance their cybersecurity posture and resilience. The document summarizes CISA’s cybersecurity advising and assessment services available to public safety communications organizations, with relevant links to the CISA website for additional information on each service. It also provides brief summaries with links to many CISA resources and tools that can help organizations manage their own public safety communication systems and program assets.