Readiness Report: Get to Know the People at OEM

Three state agencies have partnered on a video highlighting what happens when wildfire impacts Oregonians. “When the Smoke Clears: The Road to Recovery” features several homeowners who recently lost property to the Golden Fire in Klamath County sharing their emotional stories. State agency representatives also discuss their roles in a wildfire, from fire suppression to immediate response to long-term recovery. The Oregon Department of Forestry, the Department of Emergency Management and the Department of Human Services are collectively working together to reduce the impacts of wildfire on individuals, families, and communities and help those who have suffered a loss move forward into recovery and rebuilding. Click here to watch the video.

The next session of the Natural Hazards Center’s Making Mitigation Work webinar series will take place from 10-11 a.m. on Aug. 15. Research With Impact: Improving Mitigation Practice and Increasing Community Resilience will talk about issues related to infrastructure equity, risk education, and individual adaptation during and after disaster. The webinar will feature a series of short presentations by scholars and next generation leaders from a variety of disciplinary backgrounds. Each presenter will have 20 slides and seven minutes to share the story of their work. The remaining time will be dedicated to audience questions and comments. The webinar is eligible for one contact hour of emergency management training in the International Association of Emergency Managers certification program. Click here to learn more and register.

CISA Region 10 is holding an Active Shooter Preparedness webinar from 10 a.m. to noon on Aug. 15 to provide awareness training that supports the development of emergency action planning capabilities. The webinar will provide information about best practices, communications protocols and resources that will assist stakeholders to develop or enhance their emergency planning, preparedness and response to active shooter incidents. Expert instructors will discuss the elements of active shooter incident response planning; describe common behaviors, conditions and situations associated with active shooter events; and discuss how to recognize potential workplace violence indicators. Learn more and register on Eventbrite.com.

FEMA is hosting an upcoming webinar for state, local, tribal and territorial officials to help promote preparedness and resilience against extreme heat events. The Extreme Heat Webinar will take place from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Aug. 16. Panelists will discuss funding opportunities to make communities more resilient to extreme heat. Representatives from other federal agencies will discuss climate conditions and extreme heat, the impacts of extreme heat on people and infrastructure, examples of successful extreme heat projects and other funding opportunities. Click here to learn more and register.

The 20th annual 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.

The Private Sector Preparedness Response and Recovery (PSPR2) Mass Casualty Impact and Recovery seminar series' sixth session, The Immediate Aftermath: What Short Term Recovery Looks Like, will take place from 9-10:30 a.m. on Aug. 17. Speakers include Amy Nitza, Ph.D., who serves as the Executive Director of the Institute for Disaster Mental Health at SUNY New Paltz; and Richard V. Branigan, Regional Chief Operating Officer for the Connecticut and Rhode Island Region of the American Red Cross. Recovery from a traumatic event is a long process, and companies can help employees and customers begin their journey in the aftermath of such events. This session aims to help participants understand how to engage recovery resources and how best to provide help to employees, staff, and Individuals within and outside the organization. Learn more and register with Eventbrite and find recordings of previous sessions on the Region X Public/Private Partnership Platform.

Members of the State Training Program will hold virtual office hours from 9-11 a.m. on Aug. 17 via Zoom to talk about the direction and development of the state training program, including the rollout of the National Qualification System (NQS) this fall. Anyone with specific questions or concerns they’d like addressed at the office hours is encouraged to email oem.training@oem.oregon.gov in advance.      

Just in time for September’s National Preparedness Month, FEMA Region 10’s Individual and Community Preparedness Team is hosting a Zoom webinar on effortless and cost-effective ways to stay prepared for a disaster. The Prep Without the Price Tag presentation will take place from 11:30 a.m. to noon on Aug. 17. Click here to register.

FEMA Region 10 is hosting a Zoom webinar on engaging opportunities for CERT volunteers. The webinar will take place from 6-7 p.m. on Aug. 17. Guest speakers will be active CERT members from Alaska, Idaho, Oregon and Washington, along with state and local partners in collaboration with CERT teams. Click here to register.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is launching a pilot program to fully fund small water resources projects for economically disadvantaged communities. Project proposals are due by Aug. 21. Click here to see the Federal Register Notice, a fact sheet on the program requirements, a template letter of intent and information on how to apply.

Floods are the most common natural disaster in the U.S. FEMA Region 2’s National Preparedness Division is collaborating with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration for a webinar on how to become better prepared for a flood. Taking place from 10-11:30 a.m. on Aug. 24, the webinar is designed for all audiences. Click here to register.

National non-profit All Clear Foundation is hosting a free Mental Health Curriculum Train the Trainer Workshop from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Aug. 25 at the College of Emergency Services in Clackamas. In-person and virtual options are available. Created for responders by responders, this program supports the overall health and well-being of emergency responders and their families and is designed to bolster resiliency, erode stigma and decrease stress injury, including burnout, compassion fatigue, anxiety, depression and suicidality. All emergency responders are invited. Every attendee becomes certified to reteach content within their community and will have continued access to the curriculum, supporting materials and updates. Click here to register.

The Individual and Community Preparedness Teams from FEMA HQ and Region 2 are hosting a webinar on Organizations Preparing for Emergency Needs (OPEN) training to help keep organizations OPEN before, during and after disasters. OPEN training provides a variety of organizations (community and faith-based organizations, local businesses, other non-profit, non-governmental, or charitable organizations) with the tools they need to prepare for disasters and sustain operations to provide critical services to those disproportionately impacted by an incident. This webinar is for members of these organizations and local emergency managers to get better acquainted with the training and its resources. The webinar will take place from 7-9 a.m. on Aug. 30. Click here to register.

The second 2023 Community of Practice webinar for Alerts and Warnings Communications will take place from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Aug. 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. Click here to learn more and register.

The American Red Cross has seen a shortfall of about 25,000 blood donations in the first two months of summer, making it hard to keep hospital shelves stocked with lifesaving blood products. By making an appointment to give blood or platelets in August, donors can keep the national blood supply from falling to shortage levels. The Red Cross especially needs type O negative, type O positive, type B negative and type A negative blood donors, as well as platelet donors. Schedule an appointment to give by downloading the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visiting RedCrossBlood.org or calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767). All who come to give throughout the month of August will get a $10 e-gift card to a movie merchant of their choice.

Lincoln County Emergency Management and Lincoln County Fire Defense Board recently released three new Wildfire Public Service Announcements (PSAs) in both English and Spanish. These videos were created through a collaborative effort between emergency management and local fire agencies after the Echo Mountain Complex Fire. Funding for the PSAs was awarded through two Oregon State Fire Marshal (OSFM) funding sources: The 2021 OSFM Wildland Urban Interface Assistance Grant, awarded to North Lincoln Fire & Rescue; and the 2023 OSFM Wildfire Local Outreach program, awarded to Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office – Emergency Management Division. The PSAs cover three different topic areas and are visible on the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office YouTube channel or click the links below.

• Lincoln Alerts in English and Spanish.
• Wildfire - Be Ready, Be Set, Go Now Evacuation Levels in English and Spanish.
• Wildfire - General Preparedness in English and Spanish.

The International Association of Emergency Managers held the 2023 National Access and Functional Needs Symposium in July to advance the mission of integrating access and functional needs throughout every facet of the emergency management process. For those who were unable to attend, a post-event resource document provides access to the tools, documents, best practices and information referenced by speakers and panelists throughout the Symposium. Additionally, the symposium was recorded, and the entire playlist of session recordings is available with American Sign Language (ASL) and closed caption (CC) in both English and Spanish.

OEM recently hosted office hours for the 2023 Capabilities Assessment and THIRA/SPR Training. Both sessions were recorded. For those who missed them, click on the links to view the presentations.

The Oregon Department of Transportation has released a newly updated Official Oregon State Map. The map includes updates to state highways, interchanges and other roadways as a result of construction projects completed since the last publication in 2019. The map contains important safety messages, a welcome from Governor Tina Kotek, travel resource contacts, a list of statewide visitor centers and other valuable information for travelers. Maps are free and available at visitor centers, DMV offices, chambers of commerce and other outlets. Click here for more information, including how to order maps.

Vanessa R. Jackson, JD

Tribal Liaison
Strategic Communications and Partnerships Section
Office 503-378-2911
Cell 971-719-6539
vanessa.jackson@oem.oregon.gov

Vanessa joined OEM this past May. As the Tribal Liaison, she advises agency directors and staff on division-wide policies and programs that support partnerships with the nine federally recognized tribes of Oregon. She offers guidance for tribal consultation and government-to-government relations and provides access and resources for tribes and tribal members that have questions, concerns or ideas about OEM, emergency management and programs. She recently toured the state, meeting with several members of the tribes. She’s a Harry Potter superfan.

Shawna Jepson

Interagency Strategic Recovery Program Manager
Regional Mitigation and Recovery Coordination Manager
Mitigation and Recovery Division
Office 503-378-2210
Cell 971-719-1176
shawna.jepson@oem.oregon.gov

Shawna has been with OEM since September 2020. As the Interagency Strategic Recovery Program Manager, she serves as the State Disaster Recovery Coordinator and oversees the State Recovery Functions. She’s also the State Voluntary Agency Liaison and works with local jurisdictions to provide technical assistance to Community Organizations Active in Disaster (COADs) and Long-Term Recovery Groups (LTRGs) throughout the state. For recovery efforts outside of mitigation and public assistance, she’s your point person. In addition to these responsibilities, she's recently taken on managing the Regional Mitigation and Recovery Coordination. In her spare time, you can find this native Oregonian outside with her family, most likely near water as she’s in her third year of dragon boat racing.