Molalla drafts hazard plan

Published: 6/24/2010 3:00:26 PM

With assistance from the Clackamas County Emergency Management office, the city of Molalla has completed work on a plan designed to reduce risk from future natural disasters.

The natural hazards mitigation plan provides the community with a set of goals, action items and resources to reduce risks arising from earthquakes, floods, winter storms and wildfires.

The draft plan is posted on the city’s website at www.molallaplanning.com. Public comments are invited, and should be directed to the City of Molalla Planning Dept., P.O. Box 248, Molalla, OR 97068. Comments may also be e-mailed to planner@molalla.net.

Benefits of having a mitigation plan include reduced injuries and fatalities when disaster strikes, reduced property losses and economic hardship, continuation of essential services and critical facilities, reduced short-term and long-term recovery and reconstruction costs; increased cooperation and communication within the community through the planning process, and increased potential for state and federal funding for recovery and reconstruction projects.

In 2000, Congress approved the Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000 that listed requirements for communities to develop and adopt local natural hazard mitigation plans to become eligible for mitigation grant funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Clackamas County adopted its Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan in 2002 and updated it in 2007. Each city within the county was encouraged to prepare an addendum to the county's plan. Clackamas County contracted with the Oregon Partnership for Disaster Resilience (OPDR) at the University of Oregon to hire staff to work with each participating city in developing an addendum to Clackamas County’s Natural Hazards Mitigation Plan.

Molalla planning staff, the planning commission, and other volunteers worked with county staff to develop the draft plan.

OREGON SEISMIC GRANT FUNDING ROUND 2

NEWS RELEASE
June 25, 2010


MEDIA CONTACTS:
Jennifer Bailey,
OEM Public Affairs Coordinator
503-750-8308
503-378-2911 Ext. 22294


Applications taken July 15 - Oct. 15

SALEM, Ore – Oregon Emergency Management (OEM) announced today that grants are again being made available for eligible applicants for seismic rehabilitation projects. Grant applications will be accepted effective July 15 through October 15, 2010. Information regarding eligibility and grant information can be located on OEM’s website: http://www.oregon.go/OMD/OEM/index.shtml.

In round 1, fourteen public education buildings and eleven emergency services facilities were awarded funds totaling $15 million dollars. The Seismic Rehabilitation Grant Program (SRGP) provides reimbursement funds to strengthen public school and emergency service buildings to ensure the safety of students and staff in the event of an earthquake and allow emergency service facilities to remain functional.

Senate President Peter Courtney has been instrumental in sponsoring legislation to provide the means to begin these projects. Approximately $30 million included in the 2009-11 Governor’s Recommended Budget to fund this program received approval by the Legislative Assembly during the 2009 Legislative Session.

“This shows that we take our responsibility to keep Oregonians as safe as possible seriously”, Senator Peter Courtney said. “I am very happy to see this program moving forward.”

A 2007 report from Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries shows over 1,000 school and emergency services buildings at high or very high risk for collapse during an earthquake such as the predicted Cascadia Subduction Zone quake off the Oregon Coast. A quake that size would result in damage at approximately $12 billion in property damage and nearly 1,000 deaths in the region, which includes Yamhill, Marion, Polk, Benton, Linn, and Lane Counties.


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Breaking Ground Ceremony for First Beaverton School to Get Seismic Upgrade

Tuesday, Oregon Emergency Management and Beaverton School District staff held a ground breaking ceremony for the first school to be upgraded under seismic grants. Held at McKay Elementary School, this event marks the first in a series of upgrades to Oregon schools using an $800,000 grant through the Oregon Emergency Management Seismic Grant Programs.

You can watch a video of the ceremony and read more about it at http://www.kgw.com/news/Beaverton-schools-get-seismic-upgrades-96976704.html

More information about Disaster Hero

Over at Kotaku, we have found some more information about Disaster Hero. The article details the education and play of the game a little more, and even includes a "concept screenshot" of what one part of the game may look like. From the article:

"When the forces of nature turn against us it seems like there's nothing we can do to prevent them, but with a little preparation we can up our chances of survival. That's the message in Disaster Hero, a web-based game and website dedicated to educating parents, children, and teachers how to prepare for and survive natural disasters."

So jump over to this page and see what the game might look like!

Disaster Hero! Emergency preparedness game for kids and teachers

Legacy Interactive recently announced Disaster Hero, a web-based game that is being designed to teach kids on how to prepare for emergency situations.

The game is being developed with the help of the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) and FEMA. Expected to be out by 2011, the project is being funded by grants from the Department of Homeland Security.

The game will be targeting children, early teens, parents, and teachers, and will be designed so that children and their parents or teachers can learn together what to do before, during, and after a disaster.

According to the press release, the game will appeal to a variety of learning styles and will focus on teaching how to prepare for common disasters - earthquakes, floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, etc. - and how the kids can prepare by determining escape routes, preparing emergency kits, and learning how to apply situational skills. The kids will use that information in disaster scenarios to help families prepare for the various disasters.

You can find out more information about it at:

http://www.disasterhero.com and the Legacy Interactive Press Release

http://ohsonline.com/articles/2010/06/17/fema-funds-disaster-hero-video-game.aspx?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

FEMA ADMINISTRATOR FUGATE APPLAUDS PRESIDENT OBAMA'S APPOINTMENT OF KENNETH MURPHY AS REGIONAL ADMINISTRATOR

WASHINGTON - Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator Craig Fugate today applauded President Obama's appointment of Kenneth Dean Murphy as FEMA Regional Administrator for Region X, which encompasses Alaska, Idaho, Oregon and Washington.

"Regional Administrators are crucial to our ability to respond effectively to emergencies based on the needs of the communities we serve," said Fugate. "Kenneth Murphy is an experienced emergency manager who knows the Northwest well and is uniquely qualified to lead our efforts there."

Murphy has served with Oregon Emergency Management since 1999, most recently as the agency's Director. In that role, he was responsible for coordinating preparedness, response, recovery, and mitigation activities with state and local emergency services agencies. He also served on the Oregon Homeland Security Council, Oregon's State Interoperability Executive Council, the Governor's Search and Rescue Policy Commission, and the Governor's Recovery Cabinet, as well as FEMA's National Advisory Council.

Biography for Kenneth Dean Murphy, FEMA Regional Administrator, Region X

Kenneth Dean Murphy brings an extensive background in emergency services and coordinated response to his position as Regional Administrator. Murphy served with Oregon Emergency Management from 1999 to 2010. As the agency's Director, Murphy was responsible for coordinating activities with state and local emergency services agencies. He also served on the Oregon Homeland Security Council, Oregon's State Interoperability Executive Council, the Governor's Search and Rescue Policy Commission, and the Governor's Recovery Cabinet, as well as on FEMA's National Advisory Council. Murphy oversaw the response and recovery for six Presidential and eight Gubernatorial disasters declarations in Oregon.

Murphy spent nearly three decades as a member of the Oregon Army National Guard, in traditional and active duty. During that time, he served as Director of Military Support to Civilian Authorities, where he was responsible for the Guard's coordination and response to emergencies. He also was Chief of the U.S. Army's European Crisis Action Team in Heidelberg, Germany, where he managed and coordinated military emergency response throughout Europe.

Murphy is a past President of the National Emergency Management Association. He is a graduate of Concordia University, the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College and the Naval Post Graduate School.

More about FEMA

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FEMA's mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards.