Emergency managers from across Oregon meet at Kah-Nee-Ta

Emergency managers from across the state are meeting in Warm Springs this week for the annual Oregon Prepared! workshop.

The workshop is presented by the Oregon Office of Emergency Management in partnership with the Oregon Health Authority. It brings together city, county, tribal, state and federal partners from the emergency management community.

More than 300 managers are participating in this year, their best turnout yet. Public Information Officer Paula Negele said this year, all nine of Oregon’s tribes signed up to participate for the first time in the conference’s three years.

The Cascade Subduction zone offshore and its threat for a major quake is the main focus.

Deschutes County sheriff’s Sgt. Nathan Garibay said Central Oregon plays a critical role in being the hub for resources for the state, as less damage is expected east of the Cascades from such a coastal calamity.

“We receive the assistance from the rest of state. And we see that every year in wildland fires,” he said.

“When we call for help, it is quite regularly the west side of the state is coming to our aid, coming to our assistance, bringing their fire engines to help save our homes.

“So really, when you look at the Cascadia Subduction Zone earthquake, that’s our opportunity to pay back to our friends and neighbors on the other side of the state,” Garibay said.

Oregon Office of Emergency Management Director Andrew Phelps said in the case of a major earthquake in that area, the I-5 corridor and the coast will be inaccessible.

As a result, Phelps said keeping a strong base in Central Oregon is vital.

“Having those conversations framed around a much larger catastrophic event — which really quite frankly, on a national level, a Cascadia Subduction Zone earthquake and tsunami is the No. 1 natural threat facing not just Oregon and the Pacific Northwest, but the country itself,” Phelps said.

Thursday’s schedule looks at state public/private partnerships for resilience, cyber security, and a health and medical hazards outlook.