Readiness Report: Creating a more resilient response for future disasters

Earlier this week, Deputy Director Patence Winningham and I attended the first-ever Oregon Summit on Wildfire Recovery at the University of Oregon, led by Lane County and the UO School of Planning, Public Policy and Management. Communities in Lane, Linn, Lincoln, Jackson, Clackamas, Klamath, Marion and Douglas counties were devastated by the 2020 Labor Day wildfires. Each affected community has approached recovery differently with varying levels of success, and this summit provided a safe space to share frustrations and challenges, lessons learned, and discuss ways to improve current practices.

This was an incredible opportunity for me to hear firsthand accounts of the disaster and understand where we were successful as an agency, and where we can build on and improve. One thing was clear: The systems and planning we had in place in 2020 were not sufficient to address the dual disasters of wildfire and COVID-19, and they didn’t allow for an integrated flexibility that made them adaptable to use.

Each disaster response will look different in every community, depending on relationships, capacity and what they bring to the table. Our impacted communities are seeking a flexible framework they can modify and adapt to their specific needs. We need to create this framework, which means updating our data systems to allow for better information sharing; offering intuitive data cues that make it easy to populate information; and implementing trauma-informed care into all planning efforts. Similarly, everybody has a different definition of what recovery and housing look like. Just because a person is back in a house doesn’t mean they’re recovered. Our partners are looking to us for guidance on terms of reference so we’re all speaking the same language.

OEM is looking at how we can operate differently to best support our communities. That includes getting feedback from them instead of telling them how to do things differently. We want to be more integrated and involved. Our communities have insight and knowledge, and they’ve developed incredible plans and tools they’d like to see adopted. We need to give them that voice so we can benefit from their experience. We must take these lessons learned and create a more resilient response so we can be more productive in future disasters.

Thank you for all you do,

Erin McMahon, OEM Director

November is Native American Heritage Month, a time to recognize the achievements and contributions of Native Americans. This month provides a platform for Native people to share their culture and concerns with their local communities and officials, promoting understanding and friendship. OEM honors the history, culture and legacy of Tribal nations and Indigenous communities across the U.S., particularly Oregon's nine federally recognized Tribes: Burns Paiute Tribe; Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua and Siuslaw Indians; Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde; Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians; Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation; Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs; Coquille Indian Tribe; Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians; and Klamath Tribes. Our Tribal partners deeply enrich the quality and character of our state. 

The Oregon State Interoperability Executive Council (SIEC) is updating the Oregon Statewide Communications Interoperability Plan (SCIP), defining how it will allocate resources, establish governance, identify investment opportunities, assess potential risks, and address interoperability challenges across the emergency communications ecosystem in Oregon. You can help influence the future of Oregon's emergency communications landscape in several different ways.

• Fill out the SCIP Date Collection Survey by 5 p.m. on Nov. 1 to share your thoughts and opinions on where Oregon currently stands with maintaining and improving emergency communications interoperability.
• Participate in any of the following webinars focused on data collection and brainstorming:
• Nov. 6, 2-4 p.m.: Governance and Funding, click here to join.
• Nov. 13, 1-3 p.m.: Technology and Cybersecurity Urban Focused, click here to join.
• Nov. 21, 2-4 p.m.: Technology and Cybersecurity - Rural Focused, click here to join.
• Attend the SCIP Development Workshop from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Dec. 12 at 4034 Fairview Industrial Dr SE, Salem (and virtually, link to come). Discuss the data and input received to craft goals and objectives to include in the SCIP.

What would you do if your agency’s official social media accounts got hacked? How would you let your community know? How would you get control back? And what can you do to prevent it? The Justice Clearinghouse is offering a free webinar from 10-11:15 a.m. on Nov. 2 providing those answers from someone whose agency experienced a large-scale, international hack of their Facebook page. You’ll learn about prevention strategies, key contacts at social media platforms, informing your followers, recovery plans and more. Click here to register.

FEMA is offering a series of webinars to learn about the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) and Flood Mitigation Assistance (FMA) Fiscal Year 2023 Notices of Funding Opportunities. While this year's pre-application period is closed in Oregon, this series would still be useful for applicants who submitted this year or are considering submitting next year. Click here to register for either of the upcoming webinars.

• Nov. 2, 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.: BRIC and FMA Fiscal Year 2023 Notices of Funding Opportunities for Tribal Governments. This webinar is for tribal applicants and subapplicants.
• Nov. 7, 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.: BRIC and FMA Application Pitfalls. This webinar is for general applicants and subapplicants.

Additionally, join OEM’s Mitigation Team at 2 p.m. on Nov. 14 for a Teams webinar to discuss the FY23 NOFO.

Pictured: OEM's Mitigation Section and Mitigation and Recovery Regional Coordinators review a record 45 BRIC and FMA pre-applications!

The State Emergency Management Exercise Program has two upcoming events - calendar holds will be distributed soon. 

IronOR 24 Coordination Meeting, Nov. 13: This first coordination meeting will be open to anyone still considering participating in the IronOR 24 exercise. Future coordination meetings will be targeted directly at participating organizations and jurisdictions.

4Q23 ECC Exercise – Resource Request, Dec. 13: The 4th quarter ECC exercise continues the build-up to IronOR 24, focusing on resource requests. There will be a process training followed by a drill to practice and validate the current requesting procedures. All local and tribal partners interested in practicing submitting resource requests through OpsCenter are invited to participate. This is a great opportunity to educate additional personnel on this process and provide them time to practice submitting requests. This exercise also counts toward EMPG exercise requirements.

OEM has released Round 1 of the State and Local Cybersecurity Grant Program (SLCGP), which helps governments manage and reduce systemic cyber risk by funding the development of cybersecurity plans, projects and capability gaps. State and local partners are invited to register to apply by Nov. 15. Eligible applicants, including local and tribal units of government, will be provided access to the application portal and necessary forms to submit. Click here to learn more.

The Private Sector Preparedness Response and Recovery (PSPR2) Mass Casualty Impact and Recovery seminar series final session at 9 a.m. on Nov. 16 will cover Civil and Criminal Judicial Processes. Click here to learn more and register.

FEMA Region 10 is hosting a Zoom webinar from 11-11:45 a.m. on Nov. 16 discussing the secrets of cooking safely during a power outage using shelf-stable foods. Learn the "good, better and best" options for creating delicious and safe meals, one can of beans at a time. Even in the absence of electricity, you can be well-prepared and well-fed during any emergency situation. Click here to register.

Join FEMA Region 10 for its CERT Quarterly Webinar from 6-7 p.m. on Nov. 16. This webinar will be an open discussion and Q&A for Region 10 CERT teams to talk about ongoing efforts, best practices and lessons learned from engagement within their communities. Anyone interested or involved in CERT is welcome to join. Click here to register.

The Emergency Management Institute (EMI) has announced the start of the Fiscal Year 2025 Community-Specific Integrated Emergency Management Course (IEMC) application process. The IEMC provides an in-depth training and exercise program experience for participants from a single jurisdiction. Community-specific IEMCs are written to reflect the hazards or events facing the jurisdiction, the type of EOC used by the jurisdiction, and the organizations included in the jurisdiction’s emergency plans. EMI exercise specialists conduct a pre-course analysis with the jurisdiction to collect location information, identify critical infrastructure, study transportation systems and analyze current response plans. Participants will begin the week in a classroom environment and then culminate with an exercise to test the jurisdiction’s planned approach to specific hazards. Click here for further application information and submit your application to oem.training@oem.oregon.gov no later than Dec. 1.

The PeaceHealth Sacred Heart University District Emergency Department in the Eugene-Springfield area will permanently close at 7 a.m. on Friday, Dec. 1. After that time, people in the area needing emergency medical attention can continue to access care at the emergency departments at PeaceHealth Sacred Heart Medical Center at RiverBend in Springfield, McKenzie-Willamette Medical Center in Springfield, or PeaceHealth Cottage Grove Community Medical Center in Cottage Grove. Click here for more information and community care resources.

On Oct. 25, Governor Kotek held a Zoom call to acknowledge those who have stepped up to serve Hawaii through EMAC following the Maui fires. The Governor recognized the efforts of several ODHS/OREM, OEM, ODF and OMD personnel who immediately responded to requests for assistance on extremely short notice and generally after normal business hours. She also recognized those individuals who helped facilitate all the administrative pieces to help get everyone there. Click here to learn more about EMAC.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) recently published resources to help faith and community organizations remain safe in wake of the ongoing events in Israel and Gaza.

• Resources for Community Organizations and Service Providers
• Security and Resilience Resources for At-Risk Communities
• Protecting Places of Worship Resources
• USCIS’s Immigration Relief in Emergencies or Unforeseen Circumstances
• Allied Against Hate: A Toolkit for Faith Communities
• “If You See Something, Say Something®” Campaign Resources
• Prevention Resource Finder

In 2021, the Oregon legislature passed House Bill 2593, which created the Oregon Search and Rescue (SAR) Card program to provide grants to search and rescue teams for training and equipment. Statewide SAR efforts average 1,100 missions per year and are the responsibility of each county sheriff. Each SAR team must have the appropriate training and outfitting to perform their important role of saving lives. Given the limitations of county funding, SAR programs often don’t have enough resources to adequately equip personnel, 99% of whom are volunteers. The Oregon SAR Card program provides an avenue for the public to support SAR efforts statewide. The personalized cards are tax-deductible, feature a choice of eight Oregon landscapes, and are available as a one-year card for $10 or a five-year card for $55. All proceeds help fund SAR training, equipment and missions across Oregon by contributing to the SAR Fund managed by the Oregon State Sheriffs’ Association. Click here to learn more.

Cam Lessey
Public Assistance Program Representative
Mitigation and Recovery Division
Cell: 971-304-5263
Cam.Lessey@oem.oregon.gov

Cam has been a Public Assistance (PA) Program Representative at OEM for one year. He's assigned to the DR4562 (2020 Straight-line Winds and Wildfires) presidential disaster declaration and is responsible for monitoring and processing, with the State PA team, more than $607 million dollars in Federal Disaster Grant funds across 605 projects. He serves as the PA section’s subject matter expert for wildfire response and recovery. When disasters occur in Oregon, he is the co-lead of a Preliminary Disaster Assessment (PDA) team with FEMA. An avid map collector and dog lover, Cam also dedicates time to advocating for responsible land conservation and management.

On Oct. 23, ODEM Director McMahon traveled to Warm Springs to visit the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs with several ODEM and ODHS/Office of Resiliency and Emergency Management staff to meet with members of the Warm Springs Tribal Council, tribal emergency managers, the public safety department and community members to learn of challenges faced by the tribe and work on building relationships based on trust and mutual partnership. Several emergency management issues were discussed, including challenges with a water treatment trailer awarded through a SPIRE Grant in 2019. The equipment was delivered in May 2023 but was missing a water filtration piece that would make the water potable. The Tribe expressed frustration at the lack of timely delivery of the trailer and that it has never produced potable water. Director McMahon informed the Tribe that SPIRE funds will cover the costs of a scheduled installation.

The SPIRE equipment misstep was significant, given the fact that Warm Springs’ current water treatment plant is more than 40 years old and fails to supply enough water to meet demand for the reservation’s 3,800 residents. The plant also experiences frequent power outages and system shutdowns, and the water can have an odor that causes residents to distrust its cleanliness. Tribal emergency managers have run a water distribution facility since September 2019, where residents can pick up bottled drinking water 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Fortunately, the Environmental Protection Agency and Indian Health Authority have combined $24 million to fund a new water treatment facility that's set to start its planning phase this year.

This visit provided an opportunity for everyone involved to work together on shared interests, assist in resolving potential conflicts, maximize relationships and enhance the exchange of ideas.

(Pictured top left to right: Danny Martinez with the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs and OEM Director Erin McMahon. Pictured middle: Inspecting the water treatment facility. Pictured bottom left to right: OEM Tribal Liaison Vanessa Jackson, ODHS/OREM Director Ed Flick, Oregon Health Authority Tribal Liaison Carey Palm, and OEM Grants Coordinator Carole Sebens).