Oregon Office of Emergency Management

Oregon Office of Emergency Management (OEM) is an emergency services system authorized by the U.S. state of Oregon legislature to coordinate efforts to "prevent, prepare for, respond to and recover from emergencies".[1]

Office of Emergency Management (OEM)
Agency overview
Formed1981
JurisdictionState of Oregon
HeadquartersSalem, Oregon
Agency executive
  • Andrew Phelps, Director
Parent agencyOregon Military Department
Websiteoregon.gov/oem/Pages/About-Us.aspx

Description

The OEM maintains emergency services systems as mandated in Oregon Revised Statutes, Chapter 401, by "planning, preparing and providing for the prevention, mitigation and management of emergencies or disasters that present a threat to the lives and property of citizens of and visitors to the State of Oregon."[1] OEM's director has said,

What we do today to prepare will save lives and property tomorrow, or whenever a disaster strikes. As we build a culture of preparedness in Oregon we are empowering Oregonians to be disaster survivors, not victims. We want Oregonians to be prepared, not scared.

— Andrew Phelps[2]

Administratively, OEM is a division of the Oregon Military Department.[3] There are four sections of OEM:

OEM manages resources for disaster assistance, cross-jurisdictional aid to protect lives, property and the environment, and other assistance with emergency incidents.[4] OEM also manages grant opportunities, preparedness workshops, state preparedness exercises and training, and toolkits for emergency managers.[4]

Within OEM's responsibilities are the disaster declaration process, the Oregon Emergency Response System, the Real-Time Assessment and Planning Tool for Oregon,[5] and the state's search and rescue program.[6]

OEM maintains a command center in Salem.[7]

History

Following federal passage of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act in 1974, and the 1979 establishment of FEMA, in 1981 the Oregon legislature established the state's Emergency Management Division.[8] In 1993, passage of Senate Bill 157 transferred the Emergency Management Division to the Department of State Police, renaming it the "Office of Emergency Management".[8]

OEM's authorization and responsibilities are defined in Oregon Revised Statutes, Chapter 401 — Emergency Management and Services.[1][9]

References
  1. "Chapter 401 — Emergency Management and Services". oregonlegislature.gov. 2019. Retrieved June 5, 2020.
  2. "Emergency Preparedness". nwnw.org. 2015. Retrieved June 5, 2020.
  3. "Oregon Office of Emergency Management : About Us : State of Oregon". www.oregon.gov. Retrieved June 5, 2020.
  4. "Emergency Management Resources : State of Oregon". www.oregon.gov. Retrieved June 5, 2020.
  5. "Oregon Office of Emergency Management : Real-time Assessment and Planning Tool for Oregon (RAPTOR) : Emergency Operations : State of Oregon". www.oregon.gov. Retrieved June 6, 2020.
  6. "Emergency Operations : State of Oregon". www.oregon.gov. Retrieved June 5, 2020.
  7. Hendricks, John. "A look inside the Oregon Office of Emergency Management's command center in Salem". KPTV.com. Retrieved June 5, 2020.
  8. Kelly, Ray (May 2004). "Background Brief on… Emergency Management" (PDF). Background Brief • Legislative Committee Services. 2 (1): 1–3.
  9. "Chapter 401 — Emergency Services; Search and Rescue;". www.paperadvantage.org. 2001. Retrieved June 5, 2020.
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