Oregon Office of Emergency Management
{{Short description|State agency managing emergency services}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2020}}
{{Infobox government agency
|agency_name = Office of Emergency Management (OEM)
|formed = 1981
|jurisdiction = State of Oregon
|headquarters = Salem, Oregon
|coordinates = {{coord|44.90137|-123.01192|type:landmark_region:US|display=inline,title}}{{cite web |title=Contact Us |url=https://www.oregon.gov/oem/Pages/Contact-Us.aspx |website=oregon.gov |publisher=State of Oregon |access-date=19 July 2024}}
|chief1_name = Andrew Phelps
|chief1_position = Director
|parent_agency = Oregon Military Department
|website = oregon.gov/oem/Pages/About-Us.aspx
}}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".{{Cite web|date=2019|title=Chapter 401 — Emergency Management and Services|url=https://www.oregonlegislature.gov/bills_laws/ors/ors401.html|access-date=2020-06-05|website=oregonlegislature.gov}}
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." OEM's director has said,
{{Blockquote|text=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.|author=Andrew Phelps{{Cite web|date=2015|title=Emergency Preparedness|url=http://nwnw.org/resources/emergency-preparedness/|access-date=2020-06-05|website=nwnw.org}}|title=|source=}}
Administratively, OEM is a division of the Oregon Military Department.{{Cite web|title=Oregon Office of Emergency Management : About Us : State of Oregon|url=https://www.oregon.gov/oem/Pages/About-Us.aspx|access-date=2020-06-05|website=www.oregon.gov}} There are four sections of OEM:
- Director's Office
- Technology and Response
- Operations and Preparedness
- Mitigation and Recovery Services
OEM manages resources for disaster assistance, cross-jurisdictional aid to protect lives, property and the environment, and other assistance with emergency incidents.{{Cite web|title=Emergency Management Resources : State of Oregon|url=https://www.oregon.gov/oem/emresources/Pages/default.aspx|access-date=2020-06-05|website=www.oregon.gov}} OEM also manages grant opportunities, preparedness workshops, state preparedness exercises and training, and toolkits for emergency managers.
Within OEM's responsibilities are the disaster declaration process, the Oregon Emergency Response System, the Real-Time Assessment and Planning Tool for Oregon,{{Cite web|title=Oregon Office of Emergency Management : Real-time Assessment and Planning Tool for Oregon (RAPTOR) : Emergency Operations : State of Oregon|url=https://www.oregon.gov/OEM/emops/Pages/RAPTOR.aspx|access-date=2020-06-06|website=www.oregon.gov}} and the state's search and rescue program.{{Cite web|title=Emergency Operations : State of Oregon|url=https://www.oregon.gov/oem/emops/Pages/default.aspx|access-date=2020-06-05|website=www.oregon.gov}}
OEM maintains a command center in Salem.{{Cite web|last=Hendricks|first=John|title=A look inside the Oregon Office of Emergency Management’s command center in Salem|url=https://www.kptv.com/news/a-look-inside-the-oregon-office-of-emergency-management-s-command-center-in-salem/article_111e8a22-7608-11ea-9c0e-574c73c80c04.html|access-date=2020-06-05|website=KPTV.com|language=en}}
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.{{Cite journal|last=Kelly|first=Ray|date=May 2004|title=Background Brief on… Emergency Management|url=https://www.oregonlegislature.gov/citizen_engagement/Reports/2004ED_Emergency_Management.pdf|journal=Background Brief • Legislative Committee Services|volume=2|issue=1|pages=1–3}} 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".
OEM's authorization and responsibilities are defined in Oregon Revised Statutes, Chapter 401 — Emergency Management and Services.{{Cite web|date=2001|title=Chapter 401 — Emergency Services; Search and Rescue;|url=http://www.paperadvantage.org/ORS/401.html#401.260|access-date=2020-06-05|website=www.paperadvantage.org}}