Oregon emergency managers to hold workshop at Kah-Nee-Ta
The week of April 4 -8, emergency managers from around the state, along with tribal, private, nonprofit and federal partners, will be convening at Kah-Nee-Ta Resort in Warm Springs for the third annual Oregon Prepared! Workshop.
The workshop, which is coordinated by staff members at the Oregon Office of Emergency Management (OEM) and produced in partnership with the Oregon Health Authority, offers dozens of sessions — from dispelling disaster myths to providing detailed and hands-on discussions about incident response protocols. Nearly 300 emergency management leaders are expected to attend.
As in years past, a wide variety of experienced subject matter experts will present thoughtful and useful information to help attendees understand new technology, collaborative roles during county/state/federal emergencies, and look back at disasters experienced in 2015.
The workshop will foster dialogue and innovative approaches for leaders on how Oregon communities will respond and recover when an earthquake or other catastrophic event strikes.
Workshop class sessions and panel discussions focus on topics such as disaster preparedness, community resilience models and using social media to get out public information during emergencies.
New to the agenda this year is a health-related track with presentations by members of the Oregon Health Authority. Presentations include stress first aid, sheltering for people with access and functional needs, and a health perspective on active shooter incidents.
“The 12 months since the last workshop have been busy; historic drought, wildfires, flooding and landslides, and the tragic violence at Umpqua Community College in Roseburg reminded us all how quickly our communities can change,” said Andrew Phelps, director of the Oregon Office of Emergency Management.
“These experiences, and our day-to-day efforts to prepare our communities for whatever lay ahead, are some of the primary reasons that this workshop is so important.”
