Oregon DHS contracts for advanced evacuation software to boost emergency preparedness, just used on Rail Ridge Fire

SALEM, Ore. (KTVZ) -- In honor of National Preparedness Month, the Oregon Department of Human Services announced a new contract Tuesday that will provide advanced evacuation software to all of Oregon’s 36 counties and nine Tribes. The software, from Genasys Inc., will help manage emergency evacuations more effectively across the state.

As Oregon deals with more frequent and severe disasters, it’s essential to have a clear plan for evacuations and support services. While law enforcement handles the immediate evacuation of people, the ODHS Office of Resilience and Emergency Management works with local communities to help identify people who need evacuation assistance and ensure people are evacuated to a location that meets their needs.  

“Even well-prepared communities face challenges with evacuations, especially when multiple areas are affected. We’re thrilled to offer this new software to all our counties and Tribes,” said Ed Flick, director of OREM. “This tool will help emergency managers make quick and informed decisions to keep everyone safe.

"Over the last week, the tool was used to coordinate evacuations for the Rail Ridge Fire in Grant, Crook and Wheeler counties, which is Oregon’s top priority wildfire. National Preparedness Month is a great time for everyone to review their own emergency plans and supplies. For tips, check out Ready.gov.” 

The Genasys EVAC software helps with planning and managing evacuations. It allows emergency services to quickly create and update evacuation plans, run realistic simulations, and respond faster during an emergency.

Nick Vora, Emergency Manager for Union County, shared his enthusiasm: “Changing, exporting, and adding evacuation zones for alerts used to be slow and complicated. While there are many great mapping tools out there, they often made it time-consuming to update evacuation zones and get them ready for emergency alerts. It could take 15 to 30 minutes to make these changes and load them into the alert system. With Genasys, however, the process is much faster. You can select and adjust an area and get it ready for alerts in just a few minutes. This quick turnaround makes managing emergency alerts much easier and more efficient.”

“Genasys Protect was instrumental in notifying community members of evacuations during the Falls and Telephone Fires in Harney County. When time is of the essence, being able to instantly notify community members of updated evacuation levels is crucial. We loved the ease of use and the ability to train new staff members on how to use it under one minute. This is an essential tool during wildfires,” said Melinda Todd, Harney County Emergency Manager.

Ken Kehmna, a retired fire chief and advisor at Genasys, added, “After Oregon’s severe fires in 2020, we tested this software in Deschutes and Jackson counties. Both counties saw great results and adopted the software, leading to its statewide use.”

Michael Smith, Senior Vice President at Genasys Protect, emphasized the benefits: “EVAC’s planning and real-time communication features are vital for managing emergencies in any community, from small towns to large cities.”

This new software represents a significant step forward in making sure Oregon is ready for emergencies and can respond quickly and effectively.

About the ODHS Office of Resilience and Emergency Management

ODHS holds four distinct roles through its Office of Resilience and Emergency Management, all of which reduce the impact of disasters on people.

• Mass care:  Planning for and supporting people in the early stage and immediate aftermath of emergencies. Our work includes things like coordinating evacuation assistance, the distribution of life-sustaining goods and services, including hydration, feeding, sheltering, reunification, and distribution of emergency supplies. 
• Social services recovery:  Helping people and social services agencies recover. Our Social Services Recovery Coordinators work with survivors and their families to identify barriers to recovery, make a plan to address those barriers, and support the survivors on their journey. Our role also includes helping local social services agencies that may be impacted by the disasters to return to full functioning as soon as possible. 
• Continuity of operations:  Ensuring communities’ ongoing access to ODHS services. This includes making sure our offices are open and essential services continue, as well as supporting the agency programs and the case managers who ensure the safety of the tens of thousands of Oregonians who may need extra and early help in an emergency. 
• Legislatively directed resilience work:  Warming, cooling and cleaner air shelters; water distribution and resilience hubs. These situations don’t fit what’s traditionally been considered emergencies, but they can have significant impacts on people. The Legislature made OREM the lead for this type of work to help people. 

Across all these roles, ODHS develops and relies on partnerships and coordination with public and private organizations at the local and regional levels and with our state and Tribal Nation partners.