Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) members, Oregon Lifeguard Air Medical Transport Professional Response and West Valley Fire District volunteers practice loading and unloading a victim volunteer in and out of a helicopter during the Cascadia Rising training exercise June 9, 2016, in Grand Ronde, Oregon. Photo by Staff Sgt. Anita VanderMolen 115th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment / Oregon Army National Guard
Grand Ronde coordinates preparedness training with community, tribes, government
By Sgt. Anita VanderMolen
115th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment
DOD DVIDS
dvidshub.net “Warning! Warning! Warning!” The ground begins to shake. It is an earthquake and tsunami destroying much of the Oregon coast. How will Oregon respond to such a devastating natural disaster? Victim volunteer, 92-year old Catherine Harrison expressed real concerns of an actual disaster. Harrison said, “I want to know I will be taken care of.” Jamie Baxter, Emergency Operations Coordinator with the Grand Ronde Police Department of the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde, specializes in building and organizing emergency response programs from the ground up. The Grand Ronde emergency response program is in its infancy, beginning only two years ago. Baxter and other members of the emergency management team, community members, and local agencies took their baby steps as they participated in the Cascadia Rising Exercise, June 8, 2016, at the Grand Ronde Tribal Community Center, Grand Ronde, Ore. Cascadia Rising is a four-day functional exercise focused on interagency and multi-state coordination to provide decision makers with information to implement programs and policies in the event of a Cascadia Subduction Zone earthquake and tsunami. Baxter said, “This provides a snapshot for the community on what could happen during a large Cascadia Subduction Zone earthquake or rupture.” Grand Ronde is in a unique position being the first city inland from the Oregon coast on Highway 18. Grand Ronde also has the Spirit Mountain Casino as a landmark which is an attraction to many visitors. “We know we are the first city from the coast, from Lincoln City and Pacific City,” Baxter said. “We know people will make their way here because the casino is very large and seen. So we are practicing setting up a casualty collection point (CCP).” Tonya Gleason-Shepek, elected Tribal Council member and one of the first students in the first tribal Certified Emergency Response Team (CERT) class in Grand Ronde said, “We are not going to have state or federal aid here immediately so we certainly need to take care of ourselves initially for the first few days.” Community involvement is necessary for community survival. “It’s important for everyone to be prepared and be aware and learn what they need to survive and how they can contribute and help in an event like that especially in a rural area such as Grand Ronde,” said Gleason-Shepek. “Anyone can help.” Teams practiced setting up and staffing a small CCP for the coast victims, the casino population of about 2000 people, and those with special medical needs. Agencies and individuals involved in the exercise were the Red Cross, West Valley Fire Department, Grand Ronde Clinic, West Valley Hospital, Grand Ronde Police Department, victim volunteers, medical staff volunteers, and Oregon Lifeguard helicopter rescue team. This exercise marked the first time a rescue helicopter had landed in Grand Ronde. Helicopter rescue training was provided. Volunteers also were trained on packaging, loading and unloading procedures, helicopter safety, and a general orientation of the aircraft. “We know we will have visitors, travelers, and we know many of our visitors have chronic medical issues,” she added. “Our tribal elders live here and we want to make sure we can meet their needs in an event like this while meeting the needs of the community. We want to be able to take care of our vulnerable population.” As one of the community’s vulnerable population, Harrison has concerns her health and medical needs. “I can’t walk too far,” Harrison said. “I want to know if I will have the medicine I need.” The coordination with eight of the other Oregon Native American Tribes was also a major part of the training. “Tribes understand tribal culture and how the tribe works,” said Baxter. “We are very close-knit and family oriented,” said Baxter. “Whole families have lived here their whole lives.” After a disaster, she added, “they want to bring tribal culture into the healing process of resiliency and recovery. Tribes have a particular culture in terms of how they heal and what they do to heal.” One outcome of preparing for this exercise also include a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the tribes for mutual aid. “We’ve developed a MOU for all nine tribes. It’s not legally binding,” said Baxter. “What it amounts to is a spiritual handshake that says we are going to try to help if we can.” Those not affected prepared to provide short-term aid in the first 48 hours to the affected tribal nations prior to state-level support.
Kecia Harris, a nurse practioner with the Grand Ronde Clinic, cares for victim volunteer, Catherine Harrison, during the simulated rescue operations exercise Cascadia Rising, June 9, 2016, in Grand Ronde, Oregon. Photo by Staff Sgt. Anita VanderMolen / 115th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment / Oregon Army National Guard
Andrew Phelps, Director of the Oregon Office of Emergency Management said, “This is a fantastic opportunity for all the tribes in Oregon to come together and evaluate, assess and practice their response to a catastrophic disaster like a Cascadia Subduction Zone earthquake.” He added, “This is a unique effort for the tribes to come together and evaluate their systems and unique needs during a disaster.” Communication is the first step in rescue, life-saving and recovery coordination. If regular communication systems fail, Grand Ronde can utilize amateur radio operators for emergency communication. Radio Operator classes began as part of the preparedness program. “Warm Springs also has a ham radio operator available," said Baxter. Radio communication resources will provide mutual aid assistance and support when and where it is needed. Tribes can also, for the first time, request Federal government aid through the disaster declaration process. Phelps said, “The tribes can work directly with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and request assistance directly through that system.” For the duration of the exercise, each tribe trained at their location. They dedicated time to look at the logistical processes, resources and communications available for mutual aid, and where they need to fill in the gaps for the next exercise. They looked at what they need to do to support themselves and other tribes in the event of a disaster, including the disaster declaration process. Grand Ronde is preparing to “make the tribal mutual aid concept a reality,” said Baxter. “The CCP is meant to be mobile.” Part of the mutual aid agreement is support for the initial response team. The need for immediate response, organization and coordination takes its toll on the first responders. “We can ask the Tribal Incident Management Teams (IMT) to help the Grand Ronde IMT and the Planning Section Chief for respite and relief,” said Baxter. Baxter sums up the goal of the exercise, mutual aid with the other tribal nations, local communities, and the government saying, “Alone, we would fail. Together: that’s the way to succeed.” DVIDS (Defense Video Imagery Distribution System) is a state-of-the-art, 24/7 operation that provides a timely, accurate and reliable connection between the media around the world and the military serving worldwide.
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