Readiness Report: OEM's incoming director starts a conversation

To say I’m excited to serve as the next director of the Oregon Department of Emergency Management is an understatement. I’ve worked in disaster and response for the past 25 years, but I’ve lived through it for the past 50 -- from hurricanes to earthquakes to flooding to mudslides to fires and everything in between. I’ve benefited from the dedicated work of emergency managers across the world in these times of crisis, so to stand here at the state level with the opportunity to help lead this team of professionals is beyond my expectations.

For the past 25 years, I’ve traveled the world as a lawyer with the Army, doing everything from justice to family law to environmental law to intelligence and operations. It was my love for operations that brought me to the National Guard Bureau and the Oregon National Guard in 2007. There, I coordinated with other military and federal departments while working directly with our 54 states, territories and the District of Columbia to provide military support when requested in support of declared emergencies and disasters. My team supported every major disaster and national incident that impacted our nation -- from fires to the pandemic to the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection. Throughout that time, I progressed from an action officer to a division chief to the chief of staff, culminating as the principal deputy general counsel for Chief of the National Guard Bureau (and Oregon National Guard member) General Daniel Hokenson.

My experiences these past 25 years have culminated in this moment, with this opportunity to take OEM to the next level of efficiency and excellence. A level that captures our team’s experience and commitment and better integrates it with the expertise provided by our local, county and tribal partners. Let’s advance our networks, update our systems, improve our preparedness and strengthen our lines of communication. The leadership before me laid the groundwork for this future OEM, and we will build on that together.

I’ll be assisted by Travis Hampton, who’s joining OEM from DAS for a few months to assist in managing our department operations. Our new permanent Deputy Director, Patence Winningham from Lane County Emergency Management, will be my right hand, providing an additional layer of experience to inform and lead this organization. Supporting us is Matt Garrett, who has graciously agreed to stay on the team to assist me while I learn from our staff and partners.

The cornerstone of my leadership is trust based on confidence, benevolence and reliability. I will be working side-by-side with OEM’s team to understand how and why the department works the way it does. I’ll listen to challenges and ask lots of questions. I’ll also be learning from our partners, the local and tribal entities we support, and the state and non-federal agencies that support us. I will be asking how OEM can be a better partner that provides more meaningful assistance in times of crisis.

Lastly, I want to thank Governor Kotek for her trust and faith in me and this appointment. I’m so fortunate to get to work with you all as we look to better serve our state. This is just the beginning of the conversation!

Thank you for ALL you do!

Erin McMahon, OEM Interim Director

Travis Hampton has rotated into OEM to provide temporary executive leadership through Nov. 15, 2023. Hampton served with the Oregon State Police for more than 30 years, spending the bulk of his career in a field command role managing the agency’s collaborative public safety response to natural and man-made emergencies. He retired as the OSP agency head in the fall of 2020 and currently is employed at Department of Administrative Services, where he leads the agency’s statewide workplace investigation and accountability efforts. Hampton is a person of vast experience, wisdom and ability and will position OEM for greater success as the agency continues to evolve and grow.

National Preparedness Month is a time to raise awareness about planning for the unexpected before it happens. Disasters can happen anywhere without warning, so it’s imperative Oregonians take active steps to prepare in advance. Preparedness includes being aware of risks, knowing how to get information during an emergency, having a plan, making an emergency kit and knowing evacuation levels and routes. OEM’s National Preparedness Month theme is Plan Today. Ready Tomorrow. The agency has developed several infographics in multiple languages that can be downloaded from OEM’s Media Hub and shared on social media.

FEMA’s Ready theme is Take Control in 1, 2, 3 with a focus on Assess your needs, Make a Plan, Engage your support network. FEMA’s campaign focuses on preparing older adults for disasters, specifically older adults from communities that are disproportionally impacted by the all-hazard events, which continue to threaten the nation. Click here to download FEMA’s National Preparedness Month social media toolkit.

OEM is offering a series of training in September specifically for Veoci Solution end users and organizations that are part of the state contract. Training will include an introduction to Veoci features such as logging in, managing settings, navigating the platform and room views; an introduction to the COOP Solution in Veoci; demonstrations of the solution, including navigating side rooms, starting plans, dashboard tour, using COOP element dashboards, adding information, completing plans, accessing past data and bulk importing new data. Space is limited to 65 people in person for each session. Contact oem.training@oem.oregon.gov for available dates and times.

OEM has launched Media Hub, its new web-based digital asset management system. This new system gives its partners access to search for and download agency assets, including photos, infographics, publications and the OEM logo. When you first visit Media Hub, you’ll be prompted to request access. Upon approval of your request, there are several ways to efficiently find and download exactly what you need. You can search in organized folders, by photo size and orientation, or by keyword, including language, types or names of disasters, names of programs or functions, names of partner agencies and jurisdictions, and names of individuals such as dignitaries and elected officials. We’ll continue to upload assets to the new system. If you have any questions, please contact OEM_publicinfo@oem.oregon.gov.

OEM’s IT Team will be conducting routine maintenance on the OEM network from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Sept. 10. During this window, there will be short intervals of time where users will not have access to either OpsCenter or RAPTOR. During this outage, requests for assistance still can be made through OERS at 1-800-452-0311. Notifications to relevant partners will be made through alternate processes as necessary during this timeframe.

FEMA Region 2 National Preparedness Division and the Information Technology Disaster Resource Center (ITDRC) are hosting a webinar from 9-9:45 a.m. on Sept. 13 discussing how an international volunteer workforce, enabled by the world’s largest communications and technology firms, is bolstering community resiliency in the face of rising global natural and man-made crises and disasters. ITDRC is a global, volunteer-driven 501(c)3 that harnesses the collective resources of the technology community to provide no-cost Information and communications technologies that connect responders and survivors, ultimately accelerating recovery. Click here to register.

In the spirit of National Preparedness Month focusing on older adults this year, FEMA Region 10 has partnered with the Oregon Association of Area Agencies on Aging and Disabilities to co-host a webinar about services and resources available to older adults. Held from 11 a.m. to noon on Sept. 12, this workshop is designed for older adults, people with loved ones who are older adults and people who work with senior-serving organizations. Gathering and utilizing information before an emergency or disaster will help provide tools to build resilience during an event and assist with recovery after a disaster. Click here to register.

The Natural Hazards Center and FEMA will host The Future is Here: New Flood-Resilient Building Standards Raise the Bar for Risk Protection from 10-11 a.m. on Sept. 12. This webinar will cover how to access the new design standard, tools to apply it, and ways to stay engaged with the National Initiative to Advance Building Codes. John Ingargiola of FEMA’s Building Sciences Branch will discuss how the new standard is a recipe for flood-resilient design, blending ingredients that include considerations for higher recurrence intervals, expanding floodplains, and sea level rise. 

Oregon CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) will hold its monthly meeting at 3 p.m. on Sept. 20. This month's topic will be Best Practices for Community Engagement presented by Allie Callow-Spencer, Training and Exercise Senior Analyst with Multnomah County Emergency Management. Join the meeting via Zoom. Participating in CERT is a great opportunity to be involved in community preparedness. Click here to subscribe to the CERT topic in GovDelivery.

FFEMA Region 2 National Preparedness Division is hosting a webinar from 9:30-10 a.m. on Sept. 20 on how to expand the reach of mitigation activities by engaging older adults in alignment with National Preparedness Month. This webinar will focus on the Older Adults Guide in the Guides to Expanding Mitigation series. Attendees will learn about the value of creating accessible communities for all ages and hear recommendations for ways community officials can include older adults in efforts to reduce risk through hazard mitigation. This webinar and the Older Adults Guide serve as a starting point for community officials to discuss how these partnerships in mitigation can create more livable, accessible and resilient communities for all. Click here to register.

The Private Sector Preparedness Response and Recovery (PSPR2) Mass Casualty Impact and Recovery seminar series' seventh session, Negotiating Mid to Long Term Recovery, will take place from 9-10:30 a.m. on Sept. 21. This session takes a deep dive into factors that a business may not have considered during the early stages of recovering from a mass casualty event: Anniversary dates, impromptu memorials, remodeling and re-envisioning areas where the actual crime occurred, and supporting those concerned with reopening. Speakers include Executive Deputy Director of the New York Office of Emergency Management Pete Cichetti; Leadership Consultant George Roberts with Baltimore County Public Schools in Maryland; and Principal Elizabeth Brown of Ocali Charter High School in Florida. Learn more and register with Eventbrite and find recordings of previous sessions on the Region X Public/Private Partnership Platform.

The Amtrak Police Department and national rail safety education non-profit Operation Lifesaver, Inc. are hosting Rail Safety Week Sept. 18-24 to educate people on the importance of rail safety. This national first responder initiative saves lives, raises awareness and helps reduce incidents around railroad tracks and trains. Law enforcement organizations are asked to conduct in-person “Operation Clear Track” exercises on Sept. 19 at railroad sites within their jurisdiction. First responder organizations are asked to share rail safety messages online on websites, social media platforms and through email. Agencies that register receive a multi-platform social content calendar filled with a month of content, a media advisory template to help promote in-person events and a list of rail safety assets to share throughout the year. Click here to register.

Sept. 25 marks “If You See Something, Say Something®” Awareness Day, also known as #SeeSayDay. On this day, DHS and its campaign partners come together to spread the word about suspicious activity reporting. #SeeSayDay is a national awareness campaign that encourages the public to recognize and report terrorism-related suspicious activity to local authorities. Factors such as race, ethnicity, gender, national origin, religion, sexual orientation or gender identity are not suspicious. On Sept. 25, use the campaign’s #SeeSayDay social media graphics on social media accounts and use the hashtag #SeeSayDay in posts. Click here to learn more and download campaign resources.

The Central Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Conference will take place Sept. 25-26 at the Riverhouse on the Deschutes in Bend. The conference offers many workplace safety and health topics focusing on fire, chemical, transportation safety, accident prevention, worker involvement in safety programs and emerging safety technologies. There will also be safety and health sessions on challenges in fire and emergency services, created by the Oregon Fire Chiefs Association Safety and Health Section. Click here for more information or to register.

Older Americans are often the target of online and telemarketing scams – and natural disasters provide the perfect environment for scammers to move in. Join FEMA Region 2 National Preparedness Division from 10-11 a.m. on Sept. 27 for a webinar on scams targeting older adults before, during and after disasters. This webinar, presented by an attorney from the Federal Trade Commission’s Northeast Regional Office, will help you to identify common types of frauds and scams that target older Americans, focusing in particular on scams related to weather emergencies, COVID-19 and other disasters, and provide guidance on how to protect yourself from those scams. Click here to register.

On June 1, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) launched its SAFECOM Nationwide Survey (SNS), a nationwide data collection effort that captures the status of emergency response provider capabilities necessary for achieving operability, interoperability and continuity of emergency communications. The deadline to complete the survey has been extended to Sept. 29. It takes about 30 minutes to complete. Any agency or organization charged with a public safety-related mission that uses emergency communications technology is encouraged to take the survey. Click here to participate.

The Statewide Interoperability Program, in collaboration with Umatilla County Emergency Management and CISA, is hosting the Oregon Statewide Interoperable Communications Functional Exercise Oct. 18-19 at the Eastern Oregon Trade and Event Center in Hermiston. This exercise presents an invaluable opportunity to assess and enhance your proficiency in operating technical communications equipment and practice implementing plans and procedures in response to a major multi-agency incident. It will also serve as an opportunity to complete Communication, Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Branch (including COML, ITSL, and others) position task books. Click here to register; registration closes at 5 p.m. on Sept. 29. Also on Oct. 18: A special PIO training and exercise opportunity will be offered with a focus on alerts and warnings and interactions with members of the ICT Branch. PIOs interested in attending can contact the Statewide Interoperability Program at swic.or@das.oregon.gov for more details.

FEMA and the FCC will conduct a nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System (EAS) and Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) at approximately 11:20 a.m. on Oct. 4 (a backup testing date will be Oct. 11). The EAS portion of the test will be sent to radios and televisions and will be shared as a Common Alerting Protocol (CAP) message via the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System-Open Platform for Emergency Networks (IPAWS-OPEN). The WEA portion of the test will be administered via a code sent to cell phones. The test will be sent through IPAWS to participating wireless providers that will deliver the alerts to compatible handsets in geo-targeted areas. Click here to learn more.

Federal disaster assistance has been made available through FEMA to the Burns Paiute Tribe to supplement response and recovery efforts due to severe storms, flooding, landslides and mudslides from June 11-12. Public assistance federal funding is available to the tribe and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for emergency work and the repair or replacement of facilities damaged by severe storms, flooding, landslides and mudslides. Federal funding is also available on a cost-sharing basis for hazard mitigation measures for the Burns Paiute Tribe. Toney Raines has been appointed to coordinate federal recovery operations in the affected areas. Additional designations may be made at a later date if requested by the Tribal Nation and warranted by the results of further damage assessments.

Low-interest federal disaster loans are now available to certain private nonprofit organizations in the Burns Paiute Tribe following President Biden’s federal disaster declaration for Public Assistance as a result of severe storm, flooding, landslides and mudslides that occurred June 11-12. Private nonprofits that provide essential services of a governmental nature are eligible for assistance and should contact the Burns Paiute Tribe by calling 541-573-2088, emailing info@burnspaiute-nsn.gov or visiting https://burnspaiute-nsn.gov to obtain information about applicant briefings. The deadline to apply for property damage is Oct. 27.

The state’s EIS Cyber Security Services (CSS) has published the third installment of its popular Ransomware Awareness campaign. This campaign is intended as shareable and actionable information to protect, detect, respond and recover in the event of a ransomware attack. Click here for an info sheet and other resources.

CREW (Cascadia Region Earthquake Workgroup) just released six episodes in its new Ready to Recover podcast series. The podcasts feature guest experts discussing how recovery works after a damaging earthquake or other disaster, including what people may experience when they seek to finance repairs and get back on their feet. The discussions consider common challenges and options, as well as what can be done to prepare before disaster strikes. The first episode features OEM’s Althea Rizzo leading a discussion of the 2023 Hazus Estimated Annualized Earthquake Losses report, which provides a nationwide view of rising earthquake risk and potential losses, information that can help disaster planners identify priorities, guide decision-making, and draw attention to the need for mitigation and recovery planning. Click here to listen or find the series on podcast apps.

The effects of prolonged droughts, excessive heat, floods and wildfires have both direct and indirect effects on people through their impacts to infrastructure and the surrounding communities. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has released a new planning resource, Handbook on Indicators of Community Vulnerability to Extreme Events: Considering Sites and Waste Management Facilities. The handbook can be used to select, develop, map and analyze indicators of community vulnerability. It provides new methods for identifying communities that are downstream and downwind of contaminated sites and waste management facilities and includes indicators of socioeconomic, demographic and health characteristics. Click here to access the new handbook and companion fact sheets on EPA’s website.

The Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries (DOGAMI) has released two new reports. Tsunami Evacuation Analysis of Bandon, Bullards Beach SP, Langlois, and Floras Lake, Coos and Curry Counties, evaluates pedestrian evacuation routes for a local tsunami generated by an earthquake on the Cascadia Subduction Zone in the city of Bandon and nearby unincorporated communities of southern Coos and northern Curry counties. The analyses focused on a maximum considered CSZ tsunami event, termed XXL, that could be produced by a locally generated magnitude 9.1 earthquake. Click here to access the report.

Earthquake and Tsunami Impact Analysis for Coastal Curry County evaluates a Cascadia Subduction Zone earthquake (MW 9.0) and tsunami affecting coastal Curry County to understand the degree of potential destruction, including building losses, debris generated, fatalities and injuries, and estimated numbers of the displaced populations. The goal of this report is to help coastal communities prepare for this inevitable disaster. Click here to access the report.

Following the devastating wildfires on the island of Maui, the state of Hawaii reached out through the Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC) seeking support and technical assistance to ESF-6 mass care operations and coordination during recovery operations. EMAC offers assistance during governor-declared states of emergency or disaster through a responsive, straightforward system that allows states to send personnel, equipment and commodities to assist with response and recovery efforts in other states. Hawaii requested technical assistance in mass care logistics, including feeding and water distribution, Disaster Case Management program development and operations, and non-congregate sheltering. The Oregon Department of Human Services (ODHS) Recovery Support Team provides assistance to emergency management agencies with claims for human services assistance, Disaster Case Management, mass evacuee support, sheltering, feeding, distribution of emergency supplies, reunification services, services for people with disabilities or access and functional needs, and support for household pets and service animals. ODHS responded to the EMAC request, sending eight people for a 14-day mission; they arrived on Maui on Sept. 5 and will return to Oregon on Sept. 20. Click here to learn more about EMAC.

Pat Lustig

Program Operations Team Lead
9-1-1 Section
Office 503-378-3433
Cell 971-719-6602
pat.lustig@oem.oregon.gov

Pat has served more than four decades in public safety, the last 10 with OEM. He began his career here as the State 9-1-1 Program’s NG9-1-1 Project Manager; today he’s the Program Operations Team Lead, where he assists with day-to-day operations, staff assignments and deliverables, overseeing expenditures and making sure the program focus adheres to state statutes and administrative rules. Pat manages an $81 million contract to transition the state’s aging 9-1-1 system from analog to digital technologies. He was instrumental in helping replace the state’s frame relay network with a Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) Network that now delivers location information along with the 9-1-1 calls to the public safety answering point, providing better outcomes for people needing help. Pat is an identical twin whose brother is a physician in Kansas City.

Daniel Stoelb

GIS Program Coordinator
Response Section
Office 503-378-3234
Cell 971-719-0917
Daniel.stoelb@oem.oregon.gov

Daniel has worked for OEM since 2012. As the GIS Program Coordinator, he manages OEM’s Geographic Information Systems (GIS) solutions. This involves building necessary mapping products such as the Real-time Assessment and Planning Tool for Oregon (RAPTOR), data templates and services, dashboards, infographics, and supporting applications to assist decision-makers and the public in seeing how Oregon is impacted by events and what might be at risk. Many of the tools he’s created can be found at our public-facing GIS hub site. Daniel also maintains OpsCenter, OEM’s crisis management software that serves as the system of record for incident data in Oregon. Described as the “experience of a lifetime,” Daniel has sung at Carnegie Hall twice in a barbershop chorus in support of the 2011 Japanese tsunami victims.

In August, OEM’s Mitigation and Preparedness sections came together for a two-part exercise. The eight-hour in-person drill was designed to implement an updated process for managing post-disaster mitigation grants. The exercise scenario was a wildfire event impacting Deschutes County in which FEMA had released the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for available funds that had just arrived in the inbox of the OEM State Hazard Mitigation Officer (SHMO). During the exercise, Mitigation team members responded to technical assistance requests following the NOFO. They performed the entire grant process: Reviewing preapplications and subapplications, addressing FEMA application reviews and adjustments, awarding projects, and managing closeouts. The Preparedness team controlled and evaluated the exercise to determine if the objectives were met.

The exercise utilized Microsoft SharePoint as the main digital management tool, which came with updated processes and procedures for the staff to reference. Mitigation previously used Excel for tracking grants. According to Mitigation Section Manager Stephen Richardson, “As projects have scaled, Excel doesn’t have enough fail-safes to prevent data corruption provoked by human error. Shifting to a cloud-based platform offers the team a centralized location of the grant lifecycle from start to finish. Using Sharepoint benefits our team as well as our partners by offering clarity, communications and a quicker response time.”

Many of OEM’s Regional Coordinators also took part in the exercise. “This was valuable for RCs because we were able to help reconcile the processes being exercised from the locals’ perspective,” said Audrey Dewittie, Regional Coordinator for Mitigation and Recovery Services. “The processes for grants management are challenging, and maintaining communication between those processes will take time to develop, especially as our agency grows. Mitigation and Preparedness have been putting in great effort to ensure synchronicity and work together on discovering solutions through these exercises.”

This exercise, a first for OEM and for FEMA Region 10, focused on post-disaster mitigation grant dollars in preparation for expected real-world funding when BRIC and FMA FY2023 drop. The findings from this exercise will directly support staff preparing for and managing that funding.