Reflections: Harney County Deployment with Robyn Greenlund | written by Caye Gomez de Soler
In April 2025, Harney County experienced significant flooding due to the overflow of the Silvies River.
In response, the American Red Cross established an emergency shelter at the Harney County Fairgrounds, where trained volunteers managed shelter operations.
Following the shelter’s activation, a request for additional medical support was submitted to the State. Upon the Governor’s declaration of emergency, the State Emergency Registry of Volunteers in Oregon (SERV-OR) initiated volunteer activation notifications to deploy medical personnel.
The Red Cross Shelter was open to all individuals affected by the flooding, including those with companion animals. The facility featured designated areas for pets, a common area, and sleeping area designed to offer a degree of privacy for residents. Adequate parking was available for evacuees with recreational vehicles (RVs), with access to necessary services.
The first SERV-OR volunteers arrived on April 1st and operated in two daily shifts (AM and PM), with two medical volunteers assigned per shift. The deployment concluded six days later, once the medical needs had been sufficiently addressed.
Harney County Public Health also supported efforts by deploying its Mobile Medical Unit. This enabled SERV-OR volunteers to provide medical evaluations and check ins not only at the shelter, but also to evacuees staying in hotels and community centers.
Caye Gomez de Soler, a SERV-OR volunteer who deployed in response to the Harney County flooding, interviewed another SERV-OR volunteer, about the deployment experience. Robyn Greenlund was deployed for three days, providing medical support at the Harney County emergency shelter. The following is a summary of Robyn’s experience during the deployment.
Since becoming an EMT in 2000, Robyn Greenlund, has dedicated herself to serving her community. She joined SERV-OR in 2018, driven by a long-standing interest in emergency response that began with conversations she had as a young manager at a Pizza Hut with local medics.
Her recent deployment to the shelter in Harney County was her first chance to experience shelter operations firsthand. "It was quiet, and everyone had to wash their shoes before entering," she recalled. "It felt a bit awkward at first, but I was quickly welcomed and settled in."
While the shelter had few residents, the experience was rich in meaningful moments. One memorable interaction was with a resident in a wheelchair who longed to color a drawing he'd made. She gave him a box of crayons from her Psychological First Aid kit, and he soon had his artwork displayed throughout the shelter—and even featured in the daily incident action plan.
Another powerful moment came off duty, when she stopped to help a young mother loading sandbags into her truck. “We talked about the shelter, where it was, and I shared information that could help her,” she said.
Medical needs were minimal during the deployment, but she valued the chance to work alongside experienced physicians and adapt to changing conditions. With fewer shelter residents than expected, the team brought medical services directly to displaced families staying in hotels.
Her biggest takeaway? "Be flexible, be ready, and take every opportunity to grow. This experience gave me the confidence to help set up and run a shelter in my own rural community if ever needed."