Update: map to exercise shuttle access site attached
MEDIA ADVISORY
Oregon’s largest coastal earthquake preparedness exercise May 15, 2024
WHAT: State legislators, Lincoln County and ODHS’ Office of Resilience and Emergency Management emergency preparedness exercise and instillation of evacuation assembly point (EAP) equipment.
WHEN: Wednesday, May 15, 2024
Due to the location at the Newport Municipal Airport, there is no direct access to the site, media and their equipment will need to be shuttled in. Therefore, arrival and departure need to be coordinated and timed. If possible, please RSVP to Lincoln County Public Information Officer Kenneth Lipp at public_affairs@co.lincoln.or.us or 541-265-4100.
- 8:00-8:15 A.M.: media shuttled to the site
- 8:30-9:00 A.M.: tour of EAP tents and equipment for media
- Pictures and video can be taken during the tour
- 9:00-9:30 A.M.: press briefing
- Representative David Gomberg
- Representative Paul Evans
- Kaety Jacobson, Lincoln County Commissioner
- Samantha Buckley, Lincoln County Emergency Manager
- Fariborz Pakseresht, ODHS Director
- 9:40-9:55 A.M.: departure shuttles for media
- The next opportunity to leave will be 1:00 P.M.
- 10:00-11:00: Lincoln County Board of Commissioners meeting in an EAP tent
- 11:00-1:00 P.M.: drone and helicopter demonstrations
- Drone flown by Scappoose Fire District
- Helicopters flown by Life Flight and the United States Coast Guard
- 1:00 P.M.: departure shuttles for media, shuttles out available until 2:00.
Video of the aerial demonstrations will be sent from Lincoln County PIO to media by 3:00 P.M. on May 15.
WHO: State legislators and leaders from Lincoln County and the Oregon Department of Human Services’ Office of Resilience and Emergency Management
WHERE: Parking lot at 145 SE 72nd St., Newport, OR 97365, then shuttle to EAP site
WHY: ODHS’ Office of Resilience and Emergency Management (OREM) supplied Lincoln County with Conex boxes that contain food, water, tents and medical supplies to support 100 people at the evacuation assembly point (EAP) for two weeks in the event of an emergency. Evacuation assembly points are short-term locations for people to gather while emergency responders work to access the impacted area. The Lincoln County EAP is located at the Newport Municipal Airport.
This is the second EAP that OREM has placed on the Oregon Coast. The first is located at the Tillamook Municipal Airport. OREM is working to place a third set of equipment on the southern Oregon coast.
EAP tents will be set up on Tuesday and Wednesday as part of an emergency preparedness exercise. OREM, as the lead state agency for mass care (e.g. shelter, food and water), has staged these supplies in coastal communities like Newport because these communities will be isolated from responders in the immediate aftermath of the Cascadia earthquake. During this exercise, OREM will teach community leaders how to set up the EAP.
A news release was sent last month.
HOW: For interviews or additional information please contact Lincoln County Public Information Officer Kenneth Lipp at public_affairs@co.lincoln.or.us or 541-265-4100.