Readiness Report: Statewide Alert Mishap

On July 22, Klamath County Emergency Management requested state assistance in sending a life safety message through Everbridge, the state-supported alert and warning system, to alert Klamath County residents of a Level 3 evacuation due to the Golden Fire.

Klamath County officials sent the verbiage to OEM’s Emergency Communications Officer outlining a 5-mile radius evacuation zone in eastern Klamath County. The alert was sent at 4:22 p.m. to TV and radio broadcast stations through the Emergency Alert System (EAS) and cell phones using Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA). The mandatory event code for the Klamath County alert was EVI – Evacuation Immediate.

OEM’s default setting for EAS and WEA messaging in Everbridge is checked for the entire state, with an option to unselect the state and choose one or more counties. The WEA was correctly selected for Klamath County, with the 5-mile radius identified through geofencing. Unfortunately, the EAS message default setting was not unchecked, and the message was sent statewide to radio and TV stations and digital billboards.

EAS is automated through most TV and radio stations. The hardware and software at the individual broadcast locations can correctly transmit the text as entered through Everbridge or display a generic message based on the event code. In this situation, some broadcasters displayed or read the full message: “Level 3 – GO NOW – Evacuate immediately for Bly Mt from Kodiak Road south to Coyote Road east of Hwy 140.” Unfortunately, others displayed or read a generic “Civil Authorities have issued an Evacuation Immediate for All of Oregon.”

As soon as the mistake was caught, at around 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, OEM public affairs sent an advisory to statewide media informing them the “Evacuation Immediate for All of Oregon” EAS was caused by user error. OEM deliberately chose to not send a second EAS message as there was no guarantee the corrected language would be picked up, thereby causing even more confusion.

OEM is truly sorry for this incident, especially for the concern it caused individuals and families throughout the state. Some hard lessons have been learned, and we are working to ensure this won’t happen again. We’ve pledged to make internal changes, including:

• Updating the alert software to require users to fill out critical fields rather than defaulting to statewide.
• Mandating alert and warning training and exercise opportunities for OEM staff authorized to send alerts.
• Providing step-by-step written instructions and a checklist for authorized OEM staff to complete when sending an alert.
• Notifying critical partners such as Public Safety Answering Points and emergency managers when an alert is going to be sent.
• Facilitating a discussion with the State Emergency Communications Committee and broadcasters about message settings within broadcast systems and to determine whether additional support is needed to update equipment or settings.

We serve the people of Oregon, and we understand trust in our agency has been blemished. Even worse, the impact and seriousness of a life safety emergency alert was diminished. We own this and we will work hard to do better. Thank you for your grace and understanding.

All the best,

Matt Garrett, Director
Oregon Department of Emergency Management

The Veoci system for the Continuity of Operations Planning (COOP) Solution Replacement Project is live! Accounts have been created in the Veoci system for all state agencies and existing local, tribal and other users of the BOLDPlanning system with confirmed lead points of contact. Additional accounts for agencies and organizations already set up in Veoci and for new users can be requested by emailing the DAS COOP project team at coopproject@das.oregon.gov. Account setup for state agencies and existing other users of the BOLDPlanning system will be prioritized as requests come in. Learn more about the COOP platform and the statewide COOP program on the OEM website.

One year after the rollout of the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and its 988 Lifeline partners announced the addition of Spanish text and chat services. People who speak Spanish can now connect directly to Spanish-speaking crisis counselors by texting “AYUDA” to 988 or chatting online at 988lineadevida.org. Spanish speakers can also call 988 and press option 2. Additionally, the 988 Lifeline network now offers an option for LGBTQI+ youth and young adults under the age of 25 who want to connect with a counselor specifically focused on meeting their needs.

According to the Oregon Health Authority, Oregon’s 988 crisis call centers provided mental health support during more than 53,000 calls, texts and chats over the past year—a significant increase from before. In calls alone, 988 crisis call centers answered 33% more calls than came in the previous year using the old 10-digit number. The easy-to-remember 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline welcomes calls, texts and chats 24/7 from anyone with a behavioral health crisis, including mental health-related distress, thoughts of suicide or self-harm or substance use crises. Oregonians can also call 988 for advice to support their loved ones, as well as get connections for local behavioral health care and referrals.

The Regional Preparedness Disaster Organization has compiled more than 400 translated messages on wildfire prevention, preparedness, evacuation, safety and smoke. Languages include English, Spanish, Vietnamese, Chinese (Simplified), Chinese (Traditional), Russian, Korean, Arabic, Japanese, Ukrainian, Tagalog, Khmer, Romanian, Somali, Persian, Thai, Hindi, Lao, Telugu, Hmong, Karen, Chuukese, Nepali, Swahili, French, Rohingya, Bosnian, Burmese, Pashto, Marshallese, Oromo, Amharic and Mien. Illustrations and audio files of these wildfire messages will be available in late 2023. View and download the messages at publicalerts.org.

House Bill 4087, which went into effect this year, grants journalists unescorted access to natural disaster scenes on non-federal public lands. Training is now available specifically for wildfire access. Journalists need to take a free, online training course that needs to be renewed every year. After completing the training, journalists will receive a certificate to display in their vehicles and on their phones. Journalists must wear proper personal protective equipment, follow all safety precautions outlined within the training, and do whatever they can to avoid interfering with firefighters or other responding agencies. Incident commanders retain the right to deny access if circumstances call for it. This year’s training materials is specific to wildfire, but future versions will cover all natural disasters. Learn more by visiting OEM's website.

The Red Cross Cascades Region is on pace to open more wildfire evacuation shelters this summer compared to last. Shelter openings are four times what they were in June/July 2022. Last summer, 90% of wildfire shelter responses happened in late August/September. For up-to-date information and alerts about emergencies in an area and shelter locations, download the free Red Cross Emergency App from the app store. You can also view current evacuation levels on OEM's State of Oregon Fires and Hotspots Dashboard; click on the incident name in the right column to bring up specific details.

OEM is accepting applications for the Continuous Improvement Working Group (CIWG). The CIWG aims to bring together individuals with diverse backgrounds and expertise to address areas of improvement for the implementation of corrective actions within state agencies. Those interested can reach out to Emmanuel.ELIZARRAGA@oem.oregon.gov to request more information and an application form.

Join FEMA from 11:30 a.m. to noon on July 27 for an engaging webinar on Neighborhood Preparedness. The presentation will highlight the ongoing work being done by residents to build resilient communities in Washington and Alaska. The Hood Canal Improvement Club and Alaska CERT members will talk about how they promote neighborhood preparedness and what to do to get started. Register at zoomgov.com.

Every October, millions of people participate in ShakeOut, the world’s largest earthquake drill. Free-choice learning environments—including museums, parks, libraries and other public settings—can participate by hosting drills, public events and other creative activities that promote earthquake preparedness. USGS ShakeAlert is hosting a ShakeOut in Free-Choice Learning Environments Webinar at 2 p.m. on July 31. Hear from a variety of institutions that have participated in ShakeOut and connect with colleagues across the country to share ideas, get inspired and start planning for ShakeOut 2023. Register at caltech.zoom.us.

The second 2023 Community of Practice webinar for Alerts and Warnings Communications will take place from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on August 30. Presented by FEMA and the National Weather Service, the webinar continues the peer-to-peer learning, social science insights and technical discussions initiated through When Minutes Matter Technical Assistance deliveries. The Federal Communication Commission (FCC) will share details about its recent proposed rulemaking related to WEAs and provide a demonstration of the proposed WEA database and interface to evaluate real-time WEA distribution and performance. There will also be updates from the National Weather Service and the status of NWSChat2.0 rollout as well as the latest news from the FEMA IPAWS team. Registration is open to the first 1000 participants. Learn more and register at FEMA Alert and Warning Community of Practice Webinar Series.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has posted a funding opportunity on Grants.gov to assist communities at risk from catastrophic wildland fires. The National Fire Plan-Wildland Urban Interface Community Fire Assistance grant provides $25 million in awards between $5,000 and $1 million each. A variety of activities are eligible for this funding, which supports the implementation of the National Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy. All state, local, and tribal governments, special district governments, as well as non-profits, public or private institutions of higher education, small businesses and individuals may apply. Learn more about this opportunity (F23AS00395) on Grants.gov. Applications are due by Sept. 1.

Lane County has updated its emergency alerting service to the statewide Everbridge alerting system. Lane Alerts allows people to opt-in to receive notifications via phone call, text message and email based on locations they care about. At minimum, people signing up must provide their name and one method of contact. Subscribers can choose to receive notifications about emergency events that may affect their home, workplace, child’s school, etc. The types of emergencies that people may receive alerts about include evacuations, severe weather, flooding, police activity, and more. Community members can go to LaneAlerts.org to create a free Lane Alerts account and select where and how they'd like to receive emergency alerts. They can also text their ZIP code to 888777.

OEM will be hosting office hours to discuss the new approach on the Capabilities Assessment from 1 to 2 p.m. on Aug. 8.  This year marks the first year of a three-year cycle to rotate through all 32 core capabilities. Each year will include the three cross cutting capabilities: Planning, Operational Coordination and Public Information and Warning. Additionally, 2023 will focus on Forensics and Attribution; Screening, Search and Detection; Interdiction and Disruption; Physical Protective Measures; Access Control and Identity Information; Search and Rescue; On scene Security and Protection; Fire Management and Suppression and Environmental Response health and safety. Join on Zoom.

The 2023 National Tribal Emergency Management Conference will take place Aug. 16-17 at the Tulalip Resort Casino in Tulalip, Wash. The agenda includes two full days of training opportunities, followed by three days of presentations, break-out sessions and workshops. Learn more and register at Eventbrite.

Oregon Housing and Community Services (OHCS) will resume accepting new applications for the Oregon Homeowner Assistance Fund (HAF) program. The agency estimates there are enough funds to support about 500 additional eligible homeowners. The program offers federal temporary COVID-19 emergency mortgage relief intended to support homeowners who have experienced severe financial hardships due to the pandemic. It provides funding for past-due mortgages and other housing expenses, as well as ongoing payment assistance, to a limited number of homeowners with low to moderate incomes. Homeowners can learn more about eligibility requirements and, if eligible, apply online starting at 10 a.m. Aug. 2 at oregonhomeownerassistance.org.

While OEM staff are professionals with helping advocate for greater community resilience, they can also be impacted by local incidents in their own neighborhoods. Recently, neighbors notified OEM Preparedness and Response Regional Coordinator Tom Jenkins and his family of a reported water main break that was going to have the water utility shut down for repairs first thing the following morning. Tom and his family leapt into action, quickly filling two 5-gallon collapsible cubes with clean water, running their dishwasher and prioritizing taking showers the night before water was turned off. The local public works professionals were on the job when the sun came up and had water service restored after less than six hours of disruption. Impacted residents were advised to boil their water through the remainder of the day until public health test results verified it was safe to consume. This story shows several key pieces of preparedness that reinforced one another: Neighbors getting to know each other and sharing information for community safety; having some simple preparedness supplies available to use when an emergency occurs; and informing the public when multiple public agencies have a role to play in restoring community services.

Several OEMers have spent this week in Chicago at the National Homeland Security Conference, joining professionals in homeland security, law enforcement, fire and emergency management. From left: State Training Officer Elijah Davis, Preparedness Section Manager Alaina Mayfield, Emergency Preparedness Planner Sarah Puls and Grants Coordinator Kevin Jeffries are learning about emerging trends in homeland security and seeing the new equipment and technology available to support OEM's mission.