Readiness Report: After the Storm

The recent winter storm affected many parts of the state, particularly Lane County. On Jan. 16, Governor Kotek declared a state of emergency in Lane County to support the county’s response and recovery following the storms; two days later, the Governor expanded the state of emergency statewide due to the severe winter weather that impacted communities across the state. OEM Director Erin McMahon (right) recently toured Lane County’s Emergency Operations Center to see up close the collaborative work being done to help those impacted by the storm. She received a tour from Lane County Administrator Steve Mokrohisky (left) and Lane County Interim Emergency Manager Jeff Kincaid (middle). Lane County Government Policy Director Steve Adams extended the invitation and took the photo. Director McMahon was impressed by the coordination and efforts taking place to ensure the needs of Lane County residents and businesses were being prioritized and addressed.

Director McMahon also visited the National Weather Service's Portland office during the winter storm to learn about weather forecasting. In the photo at right, she joined NWS Meteorologist David Bishop as he conducted a weather briefing for the State Emergency Coordination Center. We're grateful to continue to develop these relationships with our partners, which strengthens our collective coordination efforts during times of disaster.

The Oregon Department of Justice, the Department of Consumer and Business Services, and the Construction Contractors Board offer a resource guide for Oregonians on how to avoid disaster scams. This easy-to read, 10-page booklet is available in English and Spanish and covers topics like working with your insurance company, hiring a contractor to help you rebuild, spotting and avoiding a disaster-related scam, and how to get help if you have been victimized. The booklet is designed to be shared electronically and in a printed format to community partners and local governments working with a community after a disaster. Community partners and governmental agencies looking to order printed copies of the booklet can email naturaldisasters@oregonconsumer.gov. (See the Readiness Resources below for a shareable social media post on disaster scams.)

OEM has deployed Oregon’s Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC) A-Team, including KJ Craigmiles, Tom Jenkins and Rachelle Lambert of ODHS/OREM, to provide virtual EMAC support to Hawaii from Jan. 27 to March 8. They’ll be serving as the primary point of contact for all EMAC-related missions for the island for 42 days, including sending out situation reports, posting requests for assistance, receiving and vetting offers of assistance from other states, and coordinating directly with Hawaii daily for any additional support.

FEMA announced that it will fund net-zero energy projects, including solar, heat pumps and efficient appliances, through its largest grant program -- Public Assistance, which covers the rebuilding of schools, hospitals, fire stations and other community infrastructure investments post-disasters. FEMA is also funding net-zero energy projects for its Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) and now offers incentives through its Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) annual grant program to encourage more communities to use net-zero projects that increase community resilience. FEMA funding net-zero projects will cut utility costs, increase energy reliability and reduce disaster-related costs for communities. Net-zero infrastructure and buildings are more resilient and can maintain comfort and safety in emergencies such as brown-outs, black-outs and extreme temperatures. States, tribes and territories can now submit expenses for these activities for FEMA reimbursement. For any federal disaster declared after Aug. 16, 2022, applicants may now use FEMA financial assistance for unobligated projects under these programs to take advantage of this opportunity through Public Assistance and Hazard Mitigation Grant Program funding. Read this FEMA press release for more details.

CISA is hosting a free Protecting Houses of Worship Resources Webinar at 11:30 a.m. on Feb. 1 to provide more information and technical assistance to those that have expressed interest in the Nonprofit Security Grant Program or DHS Faith-Based Community Resources. This webinar will help organizations with the Security Self-Assessment and show them how they can use the data from the assessment in their grant proposal for securing physical and cyber infrastructure and other preparedness efforts.

The U.S. Secret Service National Threat Assessment Center is offering several live virtual presentations on Preventing Mass Attacks in Our Communities. NTAC researchers will discuss important findings from their research on mass attacks perpetrated in public and semi-public spaces, including businesses, restaurants, bars, retail outlets, houses of worship, schools, open spaces and more. This training will provide guidance on how communities may develop or improve existing violence prevention programs utilizing a behavioral threat assessment model. Visit govdelivery.com to register for presentations taking place from 9-11 a.m. on Feb. 5, April 4 and June 5.

The Natural Hazards Center has released the CONVERGE Indigenous Sovereignty in Disasters Training Module, a free online resource that describes how Indigenous sovereignty can help build resilience to hazards and disasters. You can register for and access the free module here. The Natural Hazards Center will hold a 30-minute webinar at 3:30 p.m. on Feb. 6 demonstrating how the module functions and sharing resources.  Learn more and register for the webinar here.

The U.S. Small Business Administration’s Office of Disaster Recovery & Resilience is reminding small nonfarm businesses in Deschutes, Douglas, Jackson Klamath, Lake and Lane counties of the Feb. 12 deadline to apply for an SBA federal disaster loan for economic injury. These low-interest loans are to offset economic losses because of reduced revenues caused by drought that began April 15, 2023. Loans of up to $2 million can be used to pay fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable and other bills that cannot be paid because of the disaster’s impact. Apply online and receive additional disaster assistance information at SBA.gov/disaster.

Clackamas Community College and Grant Writing USA are offering a two-day grant writing workshop Feb. 12-13 in Wilsonville. This training is for grant seekers across all disciplines looking to learn how to find funding sources and write winning grant proposals. Beginning and experienced grant writers from city, county and state agencies as well as healthcare organizations, nonprofits, K-12, colleges and universities are encouraged to attend. Tuition is $495; receive a $30 discount with the code "Friends." Pricing includes two days of instruction, workbook, and access to an Alumni Forum that's packed full of tools, helpful discussions and sample grant proposals. Online reservations are necessary. Complete event details are available at https://grantstraining.com/or0224.

FEMA’s National Exercise Division has developed 10 new Exercise Starter Kits to support exercise practitioners and emergency managers at all levels of government, the private sector and nonprofit organizations as they plan, conduct and evaluate their exercises. The 10 new kits each contain a sample exercise facilitator and evaluator guide, sample conduct slides, a sample situation manual and a customizable placemat. Click here to download all Exercise Starter Kits and join a webinar to discuss the new exercise kits at 6 a.m. on Feb. 13; registration is not required to attend. Visit FEMA’s Adobe Connect Room for the Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program to participate or view a recording on the Preparedness Toolkit HSEEP Webinars page.

OEM's Exercise Program is holding an Exercise Bootcamp on Feb. 14 at its offices at 3930 Fairview Industrial Drive SE in Salem. The bootcamp will support exercise planners from local, tribal and state jurisdictions begin development of the critical exercise documentation needed to participate in the IronOR 24 State-Level Exercise (SLE) in October. View the agenda and register at EventBrite.

FEMA is accepting applications for the Youth Preparedness Council (YPC), a program that brings teens together from across the nation who are interested and engaged in community preparedness. Council members are selected based on their dedication to public service, their efforts in making a difference in their communities and their potential to expand their impact as national leaders for emergency preparedness. Students in grades eight through 11 are eligible to apply. FEMA is hosting upcoming webinars for potential applicants to learn more about the YPC application process, what YPC members actually do, and ask FEMA staff questions.

Register for the Feb 21 at 6 p.m. session.
Register for the Feb 27 at 5 p.m. session.

Oregon's National Qualification System (NQS) implementation workgroup has drafted "Oregon Qualification System Guidance” and “Historical Recognition Process Guidance” documents to provide the framework for qualification, certification and a credentialing system based on the NQS requirements for the state. OEM is asking those interested to review this guidance document and provide feedback with specific details about any concerns by Feb. 23. OEM will then arrange a virtual feedback session to examine and communicate the feedback received, along with responses to address concerns. To receive copies of the documents, please email oem.training@oem.oregon.gov.

OEM has restructured its Be 2 Weeks Ready Program, which will be released publicly in June. The new program covers eight units on preparedness: Disaster Preparedness, Emergency Plan, Food Plan, Water Plan, Waste and Hygiene Plan, Shelter, First Aid and emergency management. The units are followed by a series of activities for people to practice what they learn. Emergency managers, community-based organizations, community emergency response teams (CERT) and faith-based leaders will be trained over the next few months to facilitate the Be 2 Weeks Ready program within their circles. This program can be done individually or with a trained facilitator in the community. View the training opportunities section below for training dates. Once the program goes public, materials will be available for download from OEM's website and offered in six languages: English, Spanish, Chinese, Russian, Vietnamese and ASL. For questions regarding Be 2 Weeks Ready, please email the Community Preparedness team at community.preparedness@oem.oregon.gov.

Registration is now open for the 9th Annual Tribal Nations Training Week March 9-16 at FEMA’s Center for Domestic Preparedness in Anniston, Alabama. The weeklong training event, with the theme “Developing Generational Resiliency Through Training,” is open to all personnel who work in an emergency response capacity and are affiliated with one or more tribal nations or the Indian Health Service, and those who work directly with tribal nations. The theme for this year’s weeklong training event is “Developing Generational Resiliency Through Training.” See the 2024 Tribal Nations Training Week announcement for a complete list of course offerings. To register for the 2024 Tribal Nations Training Week, email David.Hall@fema.dhs.gov by March 6.

People with disabilities have unique needs emergencies and disasters. The Oregon Disability Emergency Management Advisory Council (DEMAC) is a statewide cross-disability council that believes equity in emergency management is possible and that people have a right to be included and treated with dignity and respect. DEMAC advises Oregon government agencies on how to focus on the needs of people with disabilities before, during, and after emergencies. The council is currently recruiting new members to serve a two-year term. Visit the DEMAC webpage for membership expectations and to apply; the application deadline is March 31.

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, Federal Bureau of Investigation and Environmental Protection Agency have published a joint Incident Response Guide for the Water and Wastewater Systems (WWS) Sector. The guide assists owners and operators in the WWS with best practices for cyber incident response and information about federal roles, resources and responsibilities for each stage of the response lifecycle. Technical expertise is not required to understand and use this guide, which was developed in collaboration with more than 25 WWS Sector industry, nonprofit, state and local government partners.

The Oregon State Fire Marshal's commitment to wildfire resilience is yielding significant successes from community wildfire risk reduction grants and investments. This innovative funding approach allows communities across the state to develop local solutions to reduce wildfire impact. Among the triumphs are 22 strategic investments totaling more than $2.6 million and 106 Community Wildfire Risk Reduction Grant projects amounting to $18 million. These funds were used to empower communities, fostering a collaborative spirit in the face of increasing wildfire risks. Check out the OSFM ArcGIS StoryMap to view highlights of how these investments are successful in communities across the state.

FEMA Region 8 recently released an educational game designed to teach high school students about decision-making during disasters. Youth, educators and emergency managers nationwide can access Disaster Mind and its supporting teaching materials on most computer-based web browsers. Disaster Mind challenges players to think quickly in the face of a flood, wildfire and blizzard, while a mysterious guide weaves twists and turns along the way. The game was developed by FEMA Region 8 and the iThrive Games Foundation, a nonprofit that uses game-based learning tools to help students develop skillsets that support their mental health and wellbeing. Reach out to FEMA-Region-8-Youth@fema.dhs.gov for facilitation support or a walkthrough of the game.

FEMA is reforming its federal assistance policies and expanding benefits for disaster survivors to cut red tape, provide funds faster and give people more flexibility. FEMA developed these new forms of assistance based on direct feedback from survivors and in response to the threats the nation faces due to our changing climate; they will create more equitable outcomes for all communities by increasing accessibility and eligibility for post-disaster support. Read the press release on the FEMA website to learn about all the changes, which FEMA expects to take effect for new disasters declared on or after March 22. In addition to the planned updates, FEMA has already made the DisasterAssistance.gov and Transitional Sheltering Assistance websites more accessible and easier to navigate for survivors.

FEMA’s “Achieving Equitable Recovery: A Post-Disaster Guide for Local Officials and Leaders” is a first of its kind framework to help rebuild communities in a more accessible, inclusive and equitable manner.  This document provides guidance for local leaders and officials to understand, prepare for and execute their leadership responsibilities to promote equity, create accountability, establish an inclusive recovery planning process and recover from disasters while rebuilding long-lasting inclusivity. It supports local officials and leaders in their efforts to identify needs, establish critical partnerships, leverage new opportunities, conduct strategic public engagement and make a strong case for recovery in an equitable manner. The guide is organized around eight goals focused on approaches to engaging and identifying the needs of all community members and ensuring a more accessible, inclusive and equitable recovery planning process. 

The Red Cross Cascades Region is urging people to give blood or platelets after back-to-back winter storms forced the cancellation of more than 70 drives, which resulted in the loss of nearly 2,100 units of blood. The American Red Cross in Oregon and Washington has had difficulty resupplying blood collection sites after road closures and icy conditions forced cancellations of blood drives across both states. Additionally, hosted blood drives were cancelled as school districts and businesses closed due to inclement weather, placing an already vulnerable inventory at critical levels. Make an appointment, download the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visit RedCrossBlood.org or call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767).

Governor Kotek has extended the homelessness state of emergency for another year. Over the past year, Oregon Housing and Community Services and OEM collaborated toward reducing unsheltered homelessness. Preliminary data shows that all EO 23-02 goals were surpassed. The work created 1,032 low-barrier shelter beds, rehoused 1,293 households experiencing unsheltered homelessness, and prevented homelessness for 8,886 households. The next phase of this work will prioritize improving access to behavioral health services and integrating them with efforts to address housing needs. Visit orhomelessnessresponse.org for more information.

The 2023 National Household Survey (NHS) on Disaster Preparedness is now available. The survey tracks progress in personal disaster preparedness through investigation of the American public's preparedness actions, attitudes and motivations. FEMA administers the survey in English and Spanish via landline and mobile telephone to a random sampling of approximately 5,000 adult respondents. The survey includes a nationally representative sample as well as hazard-specific oversamples which may include earthquake, flood, wildfire, hurricane, winter storm, extreme heat, tornado, and urban event. Visit the FEMA website to view the 2023 survey results.

FEMA has published two new guidance documents as part of the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program (NEHRP) related to public safety and the performance of buildings during and after earthquakes. The first document, Guidance and Recommendations for the Seismic Evaluation and Retrofit of Multi-Unit Wood-Frame Buildings with Weak First Stories (FEMA P-807-1), provides technical information about the expected seismic collapse performance of common soft, weak, or open-front (SWOF) building configurations, both in their original and retrofitted conditions. Besides their structural vulnerabilities, SWOF buildings often house significant numbers of people, including socially vulnerable populations. The intended audience for this publication includes building officials, practicing civil and structural engineers, and government officials interested in developing mandatory or voluntary seismic retrofit programs for SWOF buildings. The second document, Recommendations for Cordoning Earthquake-Damaged Buildings (FEMA P-2055-2), provides new recommendations for determining a more streamlined cordon area after an earthquake, based on the potential collapse mode of the building.

Climate change has caused wildfires to become a year-round threat. Firefighters, land management agencies, emergency managers, local officials and frontline communities need enhanced technological capabilities for early detection, forecasting and monitoring of wildfires. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has announced that it will award more than $34 million to six research universities in NOAA’s Cooperative Institute system to improve wildfire behavior modeling, forecasting and wildfire warnings. Over the next five years, the funding will help NOAA build and deploy new observing systems that detect and monitor wildfires and their impacts; advance high-resolution models to predict fires, emissions and air quality; establish a new NOAA Fire Weather Testbed that will allow scientists and forecasters to evaluate experimental products and speed their transition to operations; and improve the ability of NOAA’s incident meteorologists (IMETs) to provide emergency support at fire locations.

The Jackson County Expo has announced an expansion with a $60 million multi-use emergency response center. The center will start construction in the space following the 2024 fair. The center received funding through the American Rescue Plan to be used as a response center during emergencies. The Expo has played a large role as an emergency response center during the Almeda Fire as a shelter for displaced residents and during the COVID-19 pandemic, where it was used for vaccination distribution and testing. When the building isn't being used to provide emergency aid, it will be used for community events or for the Expo. The center is set to debut to the community in 2026. Congratulations to Jackson County!