Momentum grows for Central Oregon Emergency Coordination, Training Center in Redmond

(Updated: adding video, Aycock comment)

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- The recent signing of a memorandum of understanding has brought the Central Oregon Intergovernmental Council and multi-agency partners one step closer to funding Phase 1 of the CORE3 project, which will provide local communities and the state of Oregon with a dedicated Emergency Coordination Center and integrated public safety training center campus on a site adjacent to the Redmond Airport.

The CORE3 project will include all the high-priority training needs and equipment to ensure that critical law enforcement, fire/EMS, and other emergency and preparation needs are met, and also offer a turnkey command center in the event of a public health crisis or a major regional, statewide or larger-scale disaster, COID said in Wednesday's update.

In response to requests from regional public safety agencies, COIC convened a diverse, multi-agency Steering Team composed of 25 regional and state public safety agencies to plan the proposed facility, which is scoped at $41 million for Phase 1 (including a full Emergency Coordination Center/classroom building and a variety of high-priority emergency training facilities).

Due to the statewide significance of the proposal, and the wide and diverse commitments from regional and state stakeholders, Rep. Jack Zika successfully incorporated $9.5 million in state funding for CORE3 in the 2022 Oregon legislative session.

“I’m pleased that at the end of the 2022 legislative session, I was able to help secure $9.5 million dollars in funding for the Regional Center for Public Safety and Training right here in Redmond,” said Zika. “This critical infrastructure is vital in case of a Cascadia event and illustrates that working together, we can find solutions that serve the needs of Oregonians at large.”

Furthermore, thanks to Oregon Senators Wyden and Merkley, the recently approved federal appropriations bill included $750,000 in Congressionally Directed Spending (formerly known as “earmarks”) for CORE3.

“Keeping Oregon communities safe is a worthy investment in the future of our state,” said Wyden. “I’m gratified to see these federal funds will go toward achieving key resilience and emergency preparedness objectives in Central Oregon. I will keep fighting for resources so that Central Oregonians can continue to prevent, prepare for and address disasters.”

“Oregon’s first responders are vital to keeping our communities safe in the face of ever changing challenges,” said Senator Merkley, who serves as a member of the powerful Senate Appropriations Committee that wrote this bill. “I am proud to have secured funding for the CORE3 Project in Redmond, which will make the region and Oregon safer by providing important training and resources to help dedicated Central Oregon emergency responders keep us safe.”

At their March 2 meeting, the Deschutes County Board of County Commissioners agreed to dedicate 300 acres of land for the facility, with an appraised value of $16.3 million.

“I am committed to supporting public safety and our communities' needs to be prepared for any major threats to life and property,” said Commissioner Tony DeBone. “The full Board of County Commissioners joined me in dedicating 300 acres of county land to this effort. CORE3 will help our local first responders with training, Deschutes County, and the region and the state to respond to and recover from major natural disasters or other events.” Together, these investments equal approximately $27 million of the $41 million price tag for the first phase of CORE3.

COIC is working collaboratively with project partners to pursue additional opportunities to fund the remainder of Phase 1, in addition to Phases 2 and 3 of the project. The complete buildout of CORE3 is estimated to cost approximately $116 million over the next 30-50 years.

“This project highlights COIC’s role in the region of convening partners, identifying funding, and managing a complex and multijurisdictional project that benefits all of Oregon. Emergency preparedness and response is important to the health and safety of our communities and we are thankful to our partners for supporting this initiative,” noted Tammy Baney, COIC Executive Director.

"It's very gratifying to see all those partners come together around a shared vision of better emergency preparedness training and response here for our region," Scott Aycock, community and economic development manager for COIC, told NewsChannel 21 on Thursday. "This is something that everyone can agree on. We need to be more resilient, more ready to respond to any kind of major events that happen here in the region."

More information about the CORE3 project can be found on COIC’s website at https://www.coic.org/core3/