Unannounced Tsunami Drill Goes Like Clockwork

Angell Job Corps staff and students move quickly during the drill

A tsunami evacuation drill at Angell Job Corps in Yachats took only 12 minutes to clear the building last month in an unannounced test. The Lincoln County Emergency Alert Notification System, “Everbridge” was used to send a “drill message” to the phones at the Angell Job Corps Center, asking students and staff to respond as if it was a real warning. Local Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) members and County Emergency Management acted as observers, monitoring the response by 218 students and 38 staff. Angell Job Corps Center is an educational and career technical training program operated by the U.S. Forest Service. The program assists youth 16-24 with career, technical and academic training. The campus covers more than 11 acres, with three dormitories, an education building, a dining hall, gymnasium, student union, Wellness Center, and eight separate vocational training buildings. The drill was held January 6.

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Americorps Volunteer Does Emergency Planning for Vulnerable Residents

Jamila Freightman with Gary Barber of Shangri-La

An Americorps volunteer recently hired by Lincoln County Health and Human Services will begin assisting Lincoln County agencies serving vulnerable residents with their emergency operations planning. Licensed facilities providing such care (e.g. foster homes, group homes, and nursing homes) can now work with

Jamila Freightman, a recent graduate from Georgia State University. Freightman’s year-long project focuses on emergency preparedness, helping vulnerable populations and facilities that serve them increase their self-sufficiency in the event of an emergency. Freightman arrived in August 2011. “During a community disaster, lack of planning makes anyone more at risk,” she said. “I am really excited to help the most vulnerable members of the community. When I…provide an assessment, it’s a chance to enhance the safety of the clients and at the same time be reminded of everyone’s individual commitment to preparation that is sometimes overlooked,” Freighman said.

A statement from Lincoln County Health and Human Services said the aftermath of disasters like the 2011 Japan earthquake revealed a continuing need to plan to help the “at risk” population. Local governmental and non-governmental agencies are encouraged to develop a Continuity of Operations Plan (COOP), an all-hazard emergency plan to ensure the business can function after an emergency. According to the Public Health Emergency Preparedness Program, the COOP specifies succession of authority, provides information on keeping vital records, identifies alternate operation facilities, provides communication plans, and validates plans through tests, training and exercises. Freightman’s role is to create a simple COOP template that can be tailored to facilities that serve vulnerable populations. As a leader with the local Red Cross, she will host emergency preparedness workshops county-wide, and meet individually with facilities to assess and evaluate. For more information on creating a COOP, call 541-265-0449, or send an email jfreightman@co.lincoln.or.us

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CERT Training Still Taking Students

Toledo’s newly organized Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) begins a nine-week training sequence Monday (January 16), and is still looking for volunteers to learn search and rescue, fire suppression and first aid. Toledo Emergency Manager and Fire Chief Will Ewing said, “I am very excited to have CERT as part of our emergency response team. They are all very large-hearted people interested in helping the community.” He described their role as working alongside Toledo emergency responders to effectively mitigate hazards. Toledo CERT received an $11,000 grant from FEMA for purchase of supplies and equipment. Training sessions are held Mondays from 6:00 – 9:00 p.m. from January 16 through March 5 with a day-long disaster simulation Saturday March 10 at the Toledo Fire Hall (285 NE Burgess).

Training Schedule:

Monday Jan 16 6-9 Disaster Preparedness

Monday Jan 23 6-9 Introduction, Fire Control

Monday Jan 30 6-9 Search and Rescue

Monday Feb 6 6-9 Psychology

Monday Feb 13 6-9 Medical Operations

Monday Feb 20 6-9 Medical Operations, Continued

Monday Feb 27 6-9 Cert Organization

Monday Mar 5 6-9 Terrorism and Cert

Saturday Mar 10 9-2 Fire Control Practicals, Course Review and Disaster Simulation

Monday Mar 12 6-9 Final Test, Graduation

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Emergency Preparedness Class Offered

Newport Family Literacy and HELP Center are partnering with the Lincoln County Health Department and the American Red Cross to present a free Emergency Preparedness Workshop on Wednesday, November 30.

The one-hour program will begin at 5:30 p.m. at the former Yaquina View school building, 351 S.E. Harney Drive.Parents are welcome to bring their children, as fun activities are planned for them, as well.

For information, call 541-574-5824.

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Toledo Begins Earthquake Readiness Planning

Toledo Fire Chief Will Ewing takes disaster planning seriously. And he laid out a sober assessment of the area’s readiness for a major earthquake for City Council members at their November 8 work session. Geologists agree the region is fairly close to an extreme earthquake and tsunami. The wake-up call was the Japanese disaster earlier this year. His assessment – Toledo is not ready, but is ahead of many surrounding communities in its preparation, and in its local government’s willingness to get ready. “We have to start planning for it falling in on our watch,” he said, or at the very least, leaving the next generation ready. Experts believe a major subduction earthquake happens in the Pacific Northwest every 300 to 500 years. The last one was known to have occurred in 1700, thanks to Japanese records of a damaging tsunami that year.

Ewing explained the eventual earthquake will likely leave coastal communities severely damaged, and cut off from substantial outside assistance for up to three weeks. Major search and rescue and relief efforts will be concentrated first in heavily populated areas. Local emergency services and supplies “are going to be the only resources we are going to have for a very long time,” Ewing said, adding it will be important for local residents to be as prepared as possible to take care of themselves, with three weeks of food and at least 72 hours of drinking water.

Public education efforts will continue, as will continued training for area Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT). Toledo re-certified its first CERT class earlier this year. Ewing said the more training the better because most Oregon construction is “ill-prepared” for the four or five minutes of intense shaking the earthquake will provide. Toledo may also be subjected to tsunami effects even though it is 12 river miles from the ocean, “and the earthquake will be the warning device for the tsunami,” Ewing said.

He admitted to council members it was a difficult message to deliver, but a necessary one. “People do not like to hear this stuff. It is a once in a 300 to 500 year event – who wants to talk about it?” However, he said the community should take a tip from CERT itself. “The mission of CERT is to do the most good for the most people, and that has to be the mantra for something like this,” he said.

(Editor’s note: This is part of a Wavelength “Signature Issue” series that will continue into 2012). Read other stories in the series here)

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