Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Emergency Preparedness - what for?


One of the initial things citizens need to do in developing their emergency preparedness plans is to determine what they should be preparing for. As I have argued previously, I think officials at all levels should be more aggressive and frank in explaining all the risks facing the public, but there are resources available that citizens can begin researching for themselves.

Your local emergency management website (or office) is a place to start. There is also assistance at the “Determine Your Risk” page of FEMA’s “Prepare for a Disaster” section. Among the steps it recommends taking: Identify possible hazards and emergencies (“Possible Hazards and Emergencies”); Review maps of your area FEMA Maps; Calculate your risk with assessment tools; Learn about FEMA’s mitigation activities; Identify possible hazards and emergencies. And, as we enter hurricane season, the National Weather Service’s “Storm Prediction Center” can also be helpful.

Ken Murphy - former Director of OEM, sworn in as Regional Administrator of FEMA Region 10



This is a sad, and a great day for Oregon. We are losing a very experienced emergency manager at the state level but Ken Murphy is going on to become the Regional Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency over Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and Alaska.

Oregon Emergency Managment will miss you Ken and we wish you all the best.