Multnomah County Emergency Management Monthly Newsletter
June 2021
Multnomah County Office of Emergency Management (MCEM) compiles this monthly email to provide information related to emergency management activities. If you have content for this newsletter, please submit to em.dutyofficer@multco.us by the 20th of each month.

This newsletter is being resumed after a long COVID-19 pandemic hiatus. For COVID-19 information and updates, visit Multnomah County's COVID-19 website.
Upcoming National Level Exercise - Cascadia Earthquake (2022)
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will be hosting their next National Level Exercise here in the Pacific Northwest during 2022. This exercise offers public, private, and non-profit sector partners an opportunity to prepare for the Cascadia Subduction Zone Earthquake hazard collectively through pre-event training events, a 5-day response-focused exercise (June 2022), and a 4-day recovery-focused exercise (October 2022).

Multnomah County will be hosting our first planning meeting on July 8, 2021 from 10:00-11:00 AM to provide additional exercise overview and assist organizations determine their potential level of involvement.

Attached is the DRAFT Meeting Agenda. Interested in attending? Use the following link to register.
The new Multnomah County courthouse
Interview of the Month - Wildfire Smoke Response:
Cory Johnson, Multnomah County Facilities

After last year's wildfire smoke event, there’s a new focus and urgency for maintaining healthy indoor air quality.

Cory Johnson is an Engineer Program Manager for Multnomah County Facilities and Property Management. The Engineer Program takes care of, among other things, County HVAC systems. We asked Cory a few questions about last year’s wildfire smoke, the impact that it had on County Facilities, and lessons learned for this year. Read the interview.
Summer Safety & Extreme Heat

Current Actions
MCEM’s annual Excessive Heat kickoff call was held last week in preparation for forecasted heat in early June. These heat calls are a means for multiple disciplines to share planned actions and address the needs of people and places that are disproportionately impacted by excessive heat. The threshold to initiate this initial call is the first day of the year when the temperature is forecasted to reach 90 degrees or warmer. Read the goals, objectives, and thresholds.

Heat is the leading cause of weather-related deaths in the United States, and its impact can be greater when the heat is more severe, lasts longer, or when it occurs early in the season before human bodies have had time to acclimate. MCEM will continue to monitor temperatures throughout the summer and activate cooling centers when necessary.

What you can do
Check out and share Multnomah County’s Help For When It’s Hot website, which includes tips for staying cool and first aid information for heat-related illnesses.

When the temperatures rise, check on neighbors who may be vulnerable to the heat, particularly older adults, babies and young children, people living alone, and people living on upper floors of multistory buildings are at greatest risk.
Pet Preparedness

June is Pet Preparedness Month. Summer hazards for pets include heatstroke and smoke irritation from wildfires. 

Heat
It's important to protect pets from the heat to avoid heatstroke, which can be difficult to treat once it begins, and can be life threatening. Please observe and share the guidelines and resources for keeping pets cool in hot weather from Multnomah County Animal Services.

Smoke
Your pets can also be affected by wildfire smoke. If you feel the effects of smoke, they probably do, too! Smoke can irritate your pet’s eyes and respiratory tract. Bring your pets inside, and closely watch them during all periods of poor air quality. Learn the signs to look for and recommended actions.

Emergencies
Prepare in advance to make sure your pets are supplied and have a place to go if you need to leave at a moment’s notice.
MCEM Staff Updates
A number of changes have taken place in our office over this past year!

New staff
  • Gail Zuro and Kirsten Kuppenbender are supporting Multnomah County's Emergency Operations Center and vaccine clinics.
  • Justin Gibbs joined our Planning Division last August. He has been supporting the County EOC in our Planning Section.

Other changes
  • Jamie Smeland has accepted a temporary work out of class position with the Multnomah County Health Department to continue supporting the COVID-19 public information team.
  • Jenny Carver, who joined our Planning Division last year, has accepted the ESF-6 Lead position at the Department of County Human Services.
  • Sophia Grimm (Emergency Planner) and Lisa Corbly (Planning Division Lead) have moved on to emergency management positions elsewhere. We wish them well!
Upcoming Training & Exercises Events

Please review the upcoming training opportunities for June and July through the following events calendars: Multnomah County, the Regional Disaster Preparedness Organization, the State of Oregon, and the State of Washington.

Below are some events we would like to highlight:
Have something you'd like to include in one of our future newsletters? We'd love to hear from you! To have your upcoming trainings, exercises, events, or other announcements added, please email em.dutyofficer@multco.us.

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