Oregon Prepared shows we are stronger together

Last week’s Oregon Prepared Conference was truly an amazing experience. After years of meeting virtually, it was heartening to feel the level of energy as so many colleagues and partners came together. I was impressed by the dedication and passion on display, as well as your collective advocacy for emergency management throughout the state.

While it was incredibly disappointing to end the conference early due to weather impacts, that’s what emergency managers do: We evaluate and adapt given the circumstances, identify new courses of action and move forward ensuring people and communities are protected and safe.

I would like to express my gratitude to the Oregon Prepared planning team and partners for their incredible efforts and tireless work ethic to deliver an incredible set of learning and network sessions, as well as enjoyable activities. Whether it was sharing S’mores on the patio, posing for a group photo in the snow, or hoping for a number to be called in the raffle, there was always fun to be had.

I’d like to thank all the plenary and session speakers who put together thoughtful and insightful presentations for their peers -- and especially call out those who spent time and effort developing seminars that were cut short. And I’d like to recognize all of you who were in attendance for your participation and enthusiasm throughout the event.

Emergency management is composed of several moving parts that must work together to achieve a common goal. So much of what we do is rooted in partnership and collaboration across all sectors and organizations. Over the past several years of disasters, we’ve learned flexibility and endurance, coupled with coordination and communication, are key to our success.

This conference reminds us we are stronger together, and together, we’ll make Oregon Prepared.

All the best,

Matt Garrett, Interim Director, Oregon Department of Emergency Management

In response to Executive Order 23-02, seven Continuum of Care regions have established Multi-Agency Coordination (MAC) groups tasked with developing community plans outlining specific interventions and funding requests to meet their region’s goals toward addressing unsheltered homelessness. Oregon Housing and Community Services provided a plan template and a planning workbook to ensure consistency and offered technical assistance to MAC groups. MAC groups have submitted community plans and they are currently under review. Additional regions have opted into the emergency response – ​Clatsop, Linn and Malheur Counties. The state is currently in the process of setting up listening sessions with these regions to establish MAC groups and begin planning for the work ahead. Click here to learn more.

OEM has announced planned outages for its OpsCenter and RAPTOR applications. Starting this week, the agency will perform maintenance on a regular basis every Thursday from 4-5:30 p.m. Additionally, both applications will see outages from 10 a.m. to noon on April 1. During these timeframes, services will be sporadically available but unstable until the maintenance is completed. Requests for assistance can be made through OERS at 1-800-452-0311. Notifications to relevant partners will be made through alternate processes, as necessary.

The Regional Building Damage Assessment Project (RBDAP) is hosting webinars about available damage assessment tools that support counties and municipalities to prepare for an emergency that damages buildings. 2PAGER is a USGS/FEMA tool for post-earthquake damage and casualty information. 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. Learn more at the following webinars:

• 9-10 a.m. on April 5 on Zoom (Meeting ID: 842 7806 3145)
• Noon-1 p.m. on April 6 on Zoom (Meeting ID: 876 6032 3811)

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) recently released notices for two funding opportunities to train first responders on how to respond to emergency situations involving individuals with substance use or mental health disorders.

The Rural Emergency Medical Services Training grant program is intended to recruit and train emergency medical services (EMS) personnel in rural areas with a particular focus on addressing substance use disorders and co-occurring disorders (a substance use disorder co-occurring with a mental illness). Eligible applicants are rural emergency medical service agencies operated by a local or tribal government (fire-based and non-fire based) and rural non-profit EMS agencies. The anticipated total available funding is $7,400,000, with 37 anticipated awards. Applications are due May 1, click here to learn more.

SAMHSA’s Mental Health Awareness Training grants are intended to train individuals (e.g., school personnel and emergency services personnel including fire department and law enforcement personnel, veterans, armed services members and their families, etc.) to recognize the signs and symptoms of mental disorders and how to safely de-escalate crisis situations involving individuals with a mental illness. The anticipated total available funding is $4,412,361, with 22 anticipated awards. Applications are due by May 1, click here to learn more. SAMHSA will host a pre-application webinar on the Mental Health Awareness Training grant program from noon to 1 p.m. on April 6 on Zoom (Meeting ID: 160 105 1499, Passcode: 285274).

CISA will host a webinar at 10 a.m. on April 11 on its Power of Hello and De-escalation Program. These resources empower employees to identify suspicious activity, navigate the threat of potentially escalating behavior, and take measures to stabilize or de-escalate the encounter. The presentation will also discuss how to report the situation to an organization’s multi-disciplinary threat management team or directly to local law enforcement. Click here to join the webinar.

The Oregon Health Authority has a substantial stockpile of millions of gowns, masks, gloves and face shields. Organizations that use PPE for any purposes, such as health care settings, health-related trade schools, veterinary care, event management, food production, essential services, or any other settings where PPE is used to protect workers, the community, and reduce disease or other exposures are encouraged to place an order at no charge (no re-selling). Products must be ordered by the pallet; if that amount is too large, organizations are encouraged to collaborate and share pallet orders. Click here to learn more and access the request form. Orders must be placed by April 16.

FEMA’s National Integration Center will host its When Minutes Matter: Alert and Warning Community of Practice webinar from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on April 18. Topics include Creating Effective Messages - results from recent research and the future of message design; OR-Alert; National Weather Service Updates; and IPAWS WEA Updates. Registration is open to the first 1,000 participants. Click here to learn more and register.

The Private Sector Preparedness Response and Recovery (PSPR2): Mass Casualty Impact and Recovery seminar series is a nine-part series that shares critical infrastructure best practices, valuable lessons and planning resources and tools to assist with mass casualty impact and recovery. The second session will take place from 9-10:30 a.m. on April 20 and will explore employee, customer and other business considerations and actions that must happen immediately after a mass casualty event occurs, from ensuring life safety and the integrity of the crime scene to establishing victim crisis and support services. Learn more and register with Eventbrite.

The ShakeAlert Earthquake Early Warning System detects earthquakes quickly so alerts can be delivered to people before they feel shaking. These alerts can be directly integrated into healthcare facility communication and control systems, such as intercoms, to warn people and protect patients and staff. Examples include opening elevator doors to prevent people from becoming trapped inside and shutting down delicate hospital equipment to limit damage. By giving people time to protect themselves, ShakeAlert can save lives and safeguard mission-critical equipment. ShakeAlert is holding a free, two-hour webinar from 1-3 p.m. on May 10 to share how hospitals and other healthcare partners can use ShakeAlert technology to enhance their workplace’s earthquake resilience. Click here to learn more and register.

The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality has opened the application for Community Climate Investment partners. Successful applicants will invest funds from fossil fuel suppliers regulated by Oregon’s Climate Protection Program in projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions in environmental justice communities across Oregon. Community Climate Investments support actions that reduce greenhouse gas emissions in Oregon. Emission reduction projects could include actions related to transportation, residential, industrial, and commercial activities. Investments are prioritized for projects that benefit environmental justice communities, including communities of color, tribal nations, low-income and rural communities. Applications will be accepted through May 10. Click here to learn more and apply. 

The Oregon Department of Land Conservation and Development (DLCD) and OEM are leading a project to upgrade the Oregon Natural Hazards Risk Assessment, which provides the foundation for establishing mitigation goals and identifying and making strategic investments to reduce risks to people, property and the natural environment from natural hazard events throughout the state. The agencies are convening a Risk Assessment Work Group where members will guide the development of the risk assessment tool and provide information and expertise related to hazards and vulnerabilities. In addition to natural hazards and climate change professionals, staff of organizations working with underrepresented communities and socially vulnerable Oregonians and Oregon's nine federally recognized tribes have been invited to participate. Click here to learn more and sign up for DLCD’s GovDelivery email service to receive meeting updates, information about project milestones, stay informed and learn about opportunities to participate.

The Community Wildfire Defense Grant program helps communities, tribes, non-profit organizations, state forestry agencies and Alaska Native corporations plan for and mitigate wildfire risks as the nation faces an ongoing wildfire crisis. Ten project proposals in Oregon, including one by the Oregon Department of Forestry, have been selected to be funded by the CWDG. The proposals focus on assisting communities in developing Community Wildfire Protection Plans (CWPP) and fund immediate actions to reduce wildfire risk for communities that already have an active CWPP. Scoring priority was given to proposals in an area identified as having a high or very-high wildfire hazard potential, benefit a low-income community or are located in a community impacted by a severe disaster within the previous 10 years that increased wildfire risk. Click here to learn more and view the funded proposals.

Oregon Housing and Community Services is preparing for the launch of the first ReOregon programs for households that suffered the greatest impacts from the 2020 Labor Day fire. OHCS signed a grant agreement with HUD in February to get access to grant funds and is working to build a web portal to accept applications. Once it opens, the agency will ask every survivor household still needing financial support to complete an eligibility survey. Survivors eligible for Phase 1 of the Homeowner Assistance and Reconstruction Program (HARP) will be asked to complete a full application. Click here for updates and to learn more.