Readiness Report for Nov. 15, 2023

All of us at the Oregon Department of Emergency Management were deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Chief Donald “Doc” Slyter, the esteemed leader of The Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua and Siuslaw Tribes. Chief Slyter was not only a leader but a symbol of strength, wisdom and unity for the community. His dedication and tireless efforts in guiding The Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua and Siuslaw Tribes through various challenges will always be remembered, and his vision and legacy will continue to inspire generations to come. The impact of Chief Slyter's leadership extended far beyond the borders of the tribes. His unwavering commitment to preserving and promoting the rich cultural heritage of the tribes has left an indelible mark on the entire state of Oregon. Chief Slyter’s legacy and tremendous contributions will be cherished and remembered forever.

Pictured: Chief Slyter with his wife of 50 years, Debbie, and his two proud sons, Tyler and Scott Slyter.

Congratulations to local hero, U.S. Air Force Maj. Gen. Michael E. Stencel, who has retired after more than 39 years of military service. Maj. Gen. Stencel most recently served as the Adjutant General, Oregon, since 2015 and is a Command Rated Pilot with more than 1,900 military flight hours. During his years of service, he has flown the T-37, T-38, F-4C Phantom II, and F-15A/B/C/D Eagle. In the eight years since he took the mantle of Adjutant General, Maj. Gen. Stencel responded to the global pandemic, civil unrest and multiple overseas deployments; supported Operation Allies Welcome; and managed wildfire seasons that transformed into wildfire years. He ultimately oversaw the mobilization of Oregon Guardsmen from almost every mission the National Guard does. He also oversaw our own Oregon Office of Emergency Management until July 1, 2022, when we became our own cabinet-level state department. OEM Director Erin McMahon personally thanks Maj. Gen. Stencel for his years of service and personal mentorship to her as a member of the Oregon National Guard. OEM wishes him all the best in his retirement.

Pictured: OEM Director Erin McMahon at left, U.S. Air Force Maj. Gen. Michael E. Stencel at right

Nov. 15 is GIS Day, a time to celebrate the advantages of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and its use and utility in the emergency management industry. As a key functional GIS role, OEM coordinates with response partners from all jurisdictions to provide situational awareness and important information sharing during day-to-day monitoring and emergency response operations. To help communicate and engage with the emergency management GIS community, OEM formed the Emergency Management GIS Interest Group (EMGIG). These dedicated individuals help provide key information on statewide initiatives, including OEM’s evacuation layer initiative. Through this group, GIS professionals share lessons learned and improve operations moving forward. Annually, the EMGIG conducts an after-action review and improvement plan process to engage the whole community and improve operations and information sharing moving forward. On this GIS Day, we celebrate all emergency management GIS professionals and thank them for their unending service to the communities they serve and the state. Click here to find out more about the EMGIG and get involved and click here to learn more about GIS at OEM.

OEM is seeking a Tribal Liaison (Operations & Policy Analyst 3) to serve as a dedicated and instrumental member of our team. The role of the Tribal Liaison is central to maintaining a strong and effective partnership with our tribal communities, and we are dedicated to finding the right individual who can continue to foster collaboration, understanding and effective communication. We are actively working to fill this vital position and seeking tribal support to ensure their voices are heard and respected in all emergency management matters. During this transition period, OEM Regional Coordinators will serve as the primary points of contact until the new Tribal Liaison is appointed. Click here to view the position, which expires on Nov. 28.

Congratulations to OEM Public/Private Partnership Program Manager Sonya McCormick, who was recently inducted as an honorary commander for the Oregon Air National Guard’s 142nd Wing. The honorary commander program pairs local community partners with units and Airmen from the Portland Air National Guard Base. McCormick will serve a two-year tenure as the honorary commander of the Oregon National Guard CERFP task force, part of the 142nd Fighter Wing CERFP Medical Element. CERFP – which stands for Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear (CBRN) and High-Yield Explosive Enhanced Response Force Package – is a team of Oregon Army and Air National Guard members who are trained to be subject matter experts in the event of a domestic chemical, biological, nuclear or radiological incident. McCormick, who has continuously served in this role since her original induction on April 1, 2019, supports the CERFP task force by attending functions, giving presentations, amplifying their capabilities and connecting them to other groups in the community.

Pictured: Sonya McCormick at left; Daniel J. Gates, Captain, ORANG at right.

The Private Sector Preparedness Response and Recovery (PSPR2) Mass Casualty Impact and Recovery seminar series will hold its final session at 9 a.m. on Nov. 16. The final installment will delve into the legal aspects of mass casualty events, including cautionary advice regarding the revictimization of survivors, and explore strategies for mitigation and preparedness. Speakers include Michelle Kefford, who served as principal at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, and her recovery efforts following the 2018 school shooting; Michael Bennett, a superintendent in New York, who survived being shot by an assailant following a school shooting at Columbia High School and his subsequent involvement in the Principal Recovery Network, which provides insights on how to lead your organization through similar kinds of traumatic events; and John Matthews, Executive Director of the Community Safety Institute (CSI), who is a nationally recognized expert in mass shootings and school safety. Dan Avondoglio, with the Department of Homeland Security, Active Assailant Security Branch of CISA, will provide a cumulative summary of the key business takeaways from the entire seminar series. 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.

The University of Washington Center for Disaster Resilient Communities (CDRC) was selected to lead the development of a regional public health emergency preparedness and response (PHEPR) center work plan that will help prepare the Northwest for disasters and emergencies. This Region 10 PHEPR Center will serve Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, Washington and its 271 Tribal Nations. The UW CDRC is actively recruiting individuals in Region 10 with relevant experience for multiple activities. Click here to learn more and fill out an interest form by 11:59 p.m. on Nov. 16.

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 by joining a webinar focused on data collection and brainstorming, with an emphasis on rural-focused technology and cybersecurity at 2-4 p.m. on Nov. 21. You can also 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), where participants will discuss the data and input received to craft goals and objectives to include in the SCIP.

FEMA and CISA have released Planning Considerations for Cyber Incidents: Guidance for Emergency Managers. Emergency managers should be able to understand and prepare for the potential impacts of cyber incidents on their communities and emergency operations. This guide is intended to provide state, local, tribal and territorial emergency managers with foundational knowledge of cyber incidents. The guide supports the development of a cyber incident response plan or annex. FEMA is hosting several 60-minute webinars to provide an overview of the guide. Representatives from CISA will also briefly discuss planning efforts for the 2024 update to the National Cyber Incident Response Plan (NCIRP). Advance registration is required and on a first-come, first-served basis, click each link to register. 

• Thursday, Nov. 16: Noon
• Tuesday, Nov. 21: 11 a.m.
• Wednesday, Nov. 29: Noon

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 PeaceHealth Sacred Heart University District Emergency Department in the Eugene-Springfield area will permanently close at 7 a.m. on 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.

The State Emergency Management Exercise Program's 4th quarter ECC exercise will take place on Dec. 13 and will continue 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. Click here to learn more. All local and tribal partners planning on participating in the exercise should fill out the Extent of Play Agreement (XPA) by Nov. 17.

A new video series developed by FEMA in partnership with tribal emergency managers helps improve access to FEMA assistance for Tribal Nations. The videos explain FEMA’s tribal declaration pilot guidance, the disaster declaration process, and key decision points for tribal leaders. They were created, along with FEMA’s Disaster Declaration Process Card, in response to tribal partners’ requests for products that better explain FEMA’s disaster declaration process. The Tribal Disaster Recovery Video Series covers the following topics: Declaration Process and Assessing Damage, Requesting PDAs, FEMA Disaster Assistance Programs, Disaster Declaration and the First 30 Days, and What Comes Next on The Road to Recovery.

The state Wildfire Recovery and Resilience Account (WRRA) program was developed to provide assistance to fire survivors most in need as quickly as possible through a network of local organizations to provide shelter services, interim housing and to help families complete their recovery whenever possible. According to a new report published by Oregon Housing and Community Services (OHCS), the program supported hundreds of wildfire-affected households to find temporary housing or to recover fully from the massive devastation of the 2020 Labor Day Wildfires and Straight-line Winds. Click here to read the full report.

Oregon’s Emergency Homelessness Response is underway, helping communities address homelessness and housing instability. Seven Continuum of Care (CoC) regions in the state received funding to create new shelter beds and rehouse a specific number of unsheltered residents in their communities. All of the CoCs have been working hard to meet their goals, including Multnomah County, which has reached its goal of adding 140 additional shelter beds to its system. Click here to learn more about the work and track its progress.

Small nonfarm businesses in select Oregon counties have until Dec. 1 to apply for low‑interest federal disaster loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) to offset economic losses because of reduced revenues caused by drought. Impacted counties include Baker, Crook, Deschutes, Grant, Harney, Lake, Malheur, Morrow, Umatilla, Union and Wheeler. Click here to apply online, receive additional disaster assistance information and download applications.

The SBA is also offering low-interest federal disaster loans for working capital to small businesses economically impacted by the Smith River Complex Fire that began Aug. 15. SBA acted under its own authority to declare a disaster following a request received from Gov. Gavin Newsom’s authorized representative, Nancy Ward, director of the California Office of Emergency Services, on Nov. 2. The disaster declaration makes SBA assistance available in Curry and Josephine counties in Oregon. The deadline to apply for economic injury is Aug. 6, 2024. Click here to apply online, receive additional disaster assistance information and download applications.

Anna Feigum (she/her)
State Hazard Mitigation Officer
Mitigation Section
Cell: 503-798-7240 (text & voice)
anna.r.feigum@oem.oregon.gov

Anna started with OEM in January 2021. With the recent growth of the mitigation unit, Anna's role and responsibilities as State Hazard Mitigation Officer (SHMO) have evolved to meet the needs of the mitigation team and its partners. As the Hazard Mitigation Assistance (HMA) subject matter expert with a primary focus on post-disaster grants, Anna works to provide consistency in OEM’s implementation of HMA, through internal and external training and education, and in the development and improvement of processes and procedures to better align with HMA guidance and other guiding resources. Anna also recommends internal policy and other initiatives to support OEM and jurisdictional needs, develops HMA priorities, collaborates with FEMA to streamline programmatic requirements, and works to provide realistic and transparent expectations with all partners. Anna speaks Norwegian and enjoys mountaineering and running ultra-marathons in her spare time.

OEM Director McMahon and State Resilience Officer Jonna Papaefthimiou recently met with Port of Portland State Affairs Manager Carmen Merlo, Chief Aviation Officer Dan Pippenger, and Planning and Development Director Sean Loughran to discuss the massive renovation to PDX to make the airport and supporting infrastructure more resilient. Director McMahon and Papaefthimiou took a behind-the-scenes tour of the renovation project to see how they are leaning forward to provide Oregonians enhanced capacity to support recovery operations.

Director McMahon also recently met with City of Newberg Emergency Manager Karen Tarmichael and Director of Public Works Russ Thomas to review their community response plan. Director McMahon was impressed at how Tarmichael has maximized the city's resources and worked with surrounding cities and counties to develop a true community response plan.

Scappoose Rural Fire District Fire Chief and Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) program manager Jeff Pricher recently picked up his district's new FlightWave Aerospace "Blue" Edge 130 Vertical Take-Off and Landing (VTOL) aircraft awarded through the State Homeland Security Grant. Pricher and his team opted to take a different approach in the use of their training dollars; instead of training just their staff and keeping the equipment in a silo, they invited other state UAS program managers and subject matter experts to train so the aircraft can be deployed even if SRFD is unable to staff it. According to Fire Chief Pricher, the best part of the process was watching new friendships, connections and collaborations occur during the training.

On Nov. 21, OEM Preparedness and Response Coordinator for the Metro region attended a full-scale exercise simulating the response to a terrorist attack in the TriMet Max tunnel. The responding agencies included dozens of local law enforcement and fire agencies. This was a collaborative effort led by TriMet and OHA and a positive example of interagency collaboration.