Seismic Shift – Part 4: How Redmond’s New CORE-3 Facility Will Keep Oregon’s Emergency Response Running After a Catastrophic Quake
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REDMOND, Ore. (KTVZ) — Central Oregon may be far from the coast, but when disaster strikes, its role in Oregon’s emergency response becomes critical.
A vacant lot north of the Redmond Airport will soon become home to CORE-3, a major emergency coordination hub east of the Cascades.
The planned facility will serve as a statewide operations center designed to keep communication and disaster response running even after a catastrophic event.
“When you think of the Cascadia Subduction Zone earthquake, the scope and scale of that disaster to western Oregon is going to be so significant that having capabilities and resources east of the mountains will help bolster that response,” said Nathan Garibay, former Deschutes County emergency manager.
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The $50 million project is supported by federal and state funds and is expected to break ground in 2027.
Its location was chosen for its distance from tsunami zones, access to open space, and proximity to a runway.
Redmond Airport Director Zach Bass said the site’s partnership with emergency agencies has been in the works for years. The airport is designated as an incident support base, meaning aircraft could land there carrying supplies, personnel and evacuees if coastal highways are damaged.
“We would have people from FEMA, the National Guard and emergency management groups come here to coordinate the response,” Bass said. “We would help them understand our capacity and capabilities here and work with them.”
Nearby, the Deschutes County Fairgrounds could also play a key role. The facility could transition from hosting concerts and events to providing temporary shelter or staging space for response operations.
“The fairgrounds, with support from state and federal resources, would probably be able to transition reasonably quickly to a disaster facility,” Garibay said.
The Red Cross and other emergency teams are storing generators, cots, food and water at facilities in the region to speed up future responses.
“We can pull things in from Washington and Idaho,” said Priscilla Fuentes, CEO of Red Cross for the Cascades Region. “We also have a large warehouse in Northern California that can send semi-trailers of supplies to help meet sheltering needs.”
Emergency planners warn that support from outside the region may not arrive immediately after a major earthquake. Some coastal communities will likely need to shelter in place while crews clear runways and highways.
“Some people have estimated that about 30 days after the Cascadia earthquake, Bend will become the most populous city in Oregon,” said Dan Norton, with Lincoln County Emergency Management.
Even in Central Oregon, residents could see supply delays, utility impacts and an influx of people seeking assistance.
“The impacts to Central Oregon will include a large number of responders,” Norton said. “Airports will be busy, vehicles will be moving up and down as they try to bring resources into the affected areas.”
CORE-3’s purpose extends beyond earthquake response. The facility is expected to serve as a coordination hub for wildfires, flooding and public health emergencies statewide, ensuring Oregon’s communication systems stay online when needed most.
KTVZ News presents Seismic Shift, a special four-part series exploring how Central Oregon is connected to — and preparing for — the next major tsunami event along the Oregon Coast.
Part One: Lee Anderson sets the stage, explaining the science behind a potential tsunami and why experts say it’s a matter of when, not if.
Part Two: Claire Elmer takes us to the coast to show how communities and researchers are preparing for the inevitable.
Part Three: Spencer Sacks investigates what would happen next — how mass evacuation and infrastructure challenges would impact Central Oregon.
Part Four: Jillian Fortner highlights Deschutes County’s efforts to prepare as a safe haven, including new emergency operations and response planning.
