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News Release

09-03-25 Commissioners Issue Proclamation For National Preparedness Month (Photo) - 09/04/25

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

September 3, 2025

 

Commissioners Issue Proclamation for National Preparedness Month

 

            (Douglas County, Ore.) The Douglas County Board of Commissioners, Tim Freeman, Tom Kress, and Chris Boice issued a proclamation at the Wednesday, September 3, 2025, Weekly Business Meeting calling upon all citizens of Douglas County to observe the month of September 2025 as National Preparedness Month.  The proclamation was presented by Commissioner Boice, on behalf of the Board and acknowledged that, “We know that preparedness is a shared responsibility that requires the active involvement of individuals, families, businesses, and local government to ensure that our communities are ready to respond to and recover from emergencies of all kinds.” A copy of the live video presentation can be found on the Douglas County Government Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/DouglasCountyeGovernment.

 

“Wow, what a remarkable turnout.  I hope everybody takes a second to note all the different organizations that are represented here today.  During these big emergencies we have in our communities the number of people that come forward to help is incredible.  But it is you that are here today and the organizations that you represent that take the time to prepare and be ready - so you can help others in times of need.  Our history of several once-in-a-lifetime emergencies demonstrates that you never know what you need until the emergency strikes.  By building a wide variety of relationships, contacts, and a list of people willing to step up is what makes us get through these emergencies as a community and come out the other end stronger.  Thank you all for what you do,” stated Commissioner and Board Chair Tim Freeman. 

 

Today, the Commissioners celebrated National Preparedness Month by recognizing Douglas County’s commitment to building a safer, more resilient community. From emergency response planning to public safety education, Douglas County has taken proactive steps to ensure residents are prepared for whatever challenges may come. Today we  highlighted the people, programs, and partnerships that work together to make preparedness a priority all year long in our communities.  Commissioner Freeman presented National Preparedness Month proclamation certificates to Emily Ring, Douglas County Emergency Manager; Tyler Conners, Douglas County Assistant Emergency Manager; Leslie Wilson, ARES Community Commander and CERT Central Douglas Coordinator; Tracy Stott, CERT Lead Trainer; Jamie Winning, ARES Radio Operator ad CERT Lower Umpqua Trainer; Christine Morgan, Canyonville Mayor; Dawn Bennett, Canyonville City Administrator; Sandra Donnelly, Reedsport City Councilor; Chief Gary Klopfenstein, City of Roseburg Police; Chief Tyler Christopherson, City of Roseburg Fire; Patrol Lieutenant Jim Andrews, Oregon State Police; Richard Brock, Oregon State Police; Undersheriff Brad O’Dell, Douglas County Sheriff’s Office; Chief Marty Case, Cow Creek Tribal Police; Paul Crase, Cow Creek Band of the Umpqua Tribe of Indians Emergency Manager; Pat Skrip, Douglas Forest Protective Association District Manager; Battalion Chief Mitch Doss, Central Douglas Fire and Rescue; Chief Brian Burke, North Douglas Fire and EMS and Oakland Volunteer Fire Department; AC Clough, Glide Rural Fire Department; Eli Metz, Glide Rural Fire Department; Ron Young, Glide Rural Fire Department; Ed Flick, ODHS Office of Resilience and Emergency Management Director; Terra Ralph, ODHS Office of Resilience and Emergency Management SSEL; Jeff Gilbert, ODHS Office of Resilience and Emergency Management Rec; Edith Dye-Mabie, Captain Roseburg Salvation Army; Kendall Melvin, Glide Revitalization Program Director; Jeana Beam, Glide Revitalization Executive Director; Teresa Mutschler, Douglas Public Health Network Executive Director and Emergency Preparedness Coordinator; Rob Gandy, Douglas Public Health Network Outreach Specialist; Michael Hansen, Douglas Public Health Network Community Outreach; Kellen McKinney, Mercy Medical Center Emergency Preparedness Manager; Alyson Pinkelman, Aviva Health Public Health Program Coordinator; Jessica Hand, Thrive Umpqua; Thomas McGregor, Peace at Home, Project Manager; Jared Cordon, Roseburg Public Schools Superintendent; Russell Winterstein, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints; and Wendy Patterson, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. The Commissioners would also like to acknowledge and thank all of the community partners, cities, agencies and volunteers who dedicate their time to making sure our communities are prepared for the next emergency.   Several agencies, volunteer organizations, and community groups were then invited to speak about their roles in promoting preparedness and supporting emergency response efforts in our community.

 

“Grateful is the word that comes to mind.  Grateful that we have all these partnerships. Grateful that we can leverage these partnerships in times of need – and we do - in order to get the resources, we need.  So, all of you are the pieces of the pie that make the whole thing work,” - Chief Gary Klopfenstein, Roseburg Police Department

 

“Commissioners I want to thank you for the recognition this morning.  When I look out across the room, I see a room full of partners.  These are individuals and organizations that we have worked with on a number of occasions.  I think that really is testament to our community and resiliency.  Here we have partnerships that work.  We have tested them.  We have tweaked the processes.   But again, as I look out through the room I see just partners from all kinds of different disciplines, organizations, volunteerism and we couldn’t  have emergency preparedness without every one of you at the table.  There is another component of National Preparedness Month and that is where the community is part our preparedness.  Making sure that individuals are prepared and ready for those emergencies.  To be self-sufficient until resources can get to them.  I encourage our community to have those discussions with their families and be prepared for whatever may come,” - Undersheriff Brad O’Dell, Douglas County Sheriff’s Office

 

“Douglas County has two CERT (Community Emergency Response Teams) groups.  One in Lower Umpqua and one in Central Douglas.  My understanding is that Commissioner Freeman is a twenty-year member and is the one responsible for initiating the first CERT Team in Douglas County.  We want to thank you, Commissioner Freeman, for that, and also thank all the Commissioners for your support.  CERT is made up of all citizen volunteers that are FEMA trained.  We provide services to all citizens – your neighbors, your family members, everyone in the time of community need, “ - Leslie Wilson, ARES Community Commander and CERT Central Douglas Coordinator 

 

“Commissioners, it is an honor to be here.  I really appreciate the direction you are going in your County by  creating a separate Emergency Management Department.  The work we have done here is similar to what we do all over Oregon.  My first day in this job was September 8, 2020.  That was a big day across Oregon.  Our office is responsible for supporting communities with food, water, shelter, family reunification, evacuation assistance and long-term recovery disaster case management.  We really enjoyed supporting groups like Glide Revitalization. We are honored to support the County and all the partnerships here,” - Ed Flick, ODHS Office of Resilience and Emergency Management Director

 

“It is a privilege to be here.  A privilege to live, work, support, and serve this community in times of need.  Thank you, Commissioners and Emergency Manager Emily Ring, for all you do.” - Edith Dye-Mabie, Captain Roseburg Salvation Army

 

“I just want to thank everyone here for all you do.  The County and our Commissioners have stepped up again and again to offer support.  Glide being unincorporated people sometimes think they are out there on their own.  But that has never been that case through these disasters - County, State and Federal agencies, as well as all our community partners have all been there.  Again, I can’t say enough how much it has meant to have all this support and help from our community.  All we have to do is pick up a phone and there is usually more stuff than we can use at the drop of a hat,” Jeana Beam, Glide Revitalization Executive Director

 

“We represent and work with a lot of members of faith-based organizations here in Douglas County.  We are a lot of helping hands that are willing to step up to be volunteers and offer a lot of resources – not just monetary or spiritual, but also in offering classes on financial stability, emotional preparedness and how to make an emergency plan.  The County has a wonderful book on preparedness that helps people understand the steps and checklists they need to get prepared.  We also have a Facebook page called “Umpqua Together” and we encourage people to utilize that for information about preparedness.  It is incredible to be part of the group that is engaging the community in preparedness – so we are all ready for whatever may happen.  We are so grateful to be here and lend our support however we can.  Thank you, Commissioners, for the opportunity to be a partner,”- Wendy Patterson, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints

 

National Preparedness Month has been observed since 2004 and aims to encourage Americans to prepare for emergencies.  The month of September is a great time to take small steps to make a big difference in being prepared.  The Commissioners’ proclamation this week is a reminder for our residents and businesses to be proactive and develop their own emergency preparedness plan, while working together toward creating a more prepared, safer, and more resilient community.

 

###

 

Media Contact: Tamara Howell, Douglas County Emergency Communications & Community Engagement Specialist, Douglas County Public Affairs Office | Office: (541) 957-4896 | Cell: (541) 670-2804 | Email: tamara.howell@douglascoumtyor.gov. 

Proclamation & Photo Collage Attached. Photos K.Tate/Douglas County.

 

Attached Media Files: 2025 Douglas County National Prepaedness Proclamation.jpg, 09-03-25 NATIONAL PREPAREDNESS MONTH proclamation.png,

09-03-25 Commissioners Issue Proclamation For National Preparedness Month (Photo) - 09/04/25

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

September 3, 2025

 

Commissioners Issue Proclamation for National Preparedness Month

 

            (Douglas County, Ore.) The Douglas County Board of Commissioners, Tim Freeman, Tom Kress, and Chris Boice issued a proclamation at the Wednesday, September 3, 2025, Weekly Business Meeting calling upon all citizens of Douglas County to observe the month of September 2025 as National Preparedness Month.  The proclamation was presented by Commissioner Boice, on behalf of the Board and acknowledged that, “We know that preparedness is a shared responsibility that requires the active involvement of individuals, families, businesses, and local government to ensure that our communities are ready to respond to and recover from emergencies of all kinds.” A copy of the live video presentation can be found on the Douglas County Government Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/DouglasCountyeGovernment.

 

“Wow, what a remarkable turnout.  I hope everybody takes a second to note all the different organizations that are represented here today.  During these big emergencies we have in our communities the number of people that come forward to help is incredible.  But it is you that are here today and the organizations that you represent that take the time to prepare and be ready - so you can help others in times of need.  Our history of several once-in-a-lifetime emergencies demonstrates that you never know what you need until the emergency strikes.  By building a wide variety of relationships, contacts, and a list of people willing to step up is what makes us get through these emergencies as a community and come out the other end stronger.  Thank you all for what you do,” stated Commissioner and Board Chair Tim Freeman. 

 

Today, the Commissioners celebrated National Preparedness Month by recognizing Douglas County’s commitment to building a safer, more resilient community. From emergency response planning to public safety education, Douglas County has taken proactive steps to ensure residents are prepared for whatever challenges may come. Today we  highlighted the people, programs, and partnerships that work together to make preparedness a priority all year long in our communities.  Commissioner Freeman presented National Preparedness Month proclamation certificates to Emily Ring, Douglas County Emergency Manager; Tyler Conners, Douglas County Assistant Emergency Manager; Leslie Wilson, ARES Community Commander and CERT Central Douglas Coordinator; Tracy Stott, CERT Lead Trainer; Jamie Winning, ARES Radio Operator ad CERT Lower Umpqua Trainer; Christine Morgan, Canyonville Mayor; Dawn Bennett, Canyonville City Administrator; Sandra Donnelly, Reedsport City Councilor; Chief Gary Klopfenstein, City of Roseburg Police; Chief Tyler Christopherson, City of Roseburg Fire; Patrol Lieutenant Jim Andrews, Oregon State Police; Richard Brock, Oregon State Police; Undersheriff Brad O’Dell, Douglas County Sheriff’s Office; Chief Marty Case, Cow Creek Tribal Police; Paul Crase, Cow Creek Band of the Umpqua Tribe of Indians Emergency Manager; Pat Skrip, Douglas Forest Protective Association District Manager; Battalion Chief Mitch Doss, Central Douglas Fire and Rescue; Chief Brian Burke, North Douglas Fire and EMS and Oakland Volunteer Fire Department; AC Clough, Glide Rural Fire Department; Eli Metz, Glide Rural Fire Department; Ron Young, Glide Rural Fire Department; Ed Flick, ODHS Office of Resilience and Emergency Management Director; Terra Ralph, ODHS Office of Resilience and Emergency Management SSEL; Jeff Gilbert, ODHS Office of Resilience and Emergency Management Rec; Edith Dye-Mabie, Captain Roseburg Salvation Army; Kendall Melvin, Glide Revitalization Program Director; Jeana Beam, Glide Revitalization Executive Director; Teresa Mutschler, Douglas Public Health Network Executive Director and Emergency Preparedness Coordinator; Rob Gandy, Douglas Public Health Network Outreach Specialist; Michael Hansen, Douglas Public Health Network Community Outreach; Kellen McKinney, Mercy Medical Center Emergency Preparedness Manager; Alyson Pinkelman, Aviva Health Public Health Program Coordinator; Jessica Hand, Thrive Umpqua; Thomas McGregor, Peace at Home, Project Manager; Jared Cordon, Roseburg Public Schools Superintendent; Russell Winterstein, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints; and Wendy Patterson, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. The Commissioners would also like to acknowledge and thank all of the community partners, cities, agencies and volunteers who dedicate their time to making sure our communities are prepared for the next emergency.   Several agencies, volunteer organizations, and community groups were then invited to speak about their roles in promoting preparedness and supporting emergency response efforts in our community.

 

“Grateful is the word that comes to mind.  Grateful that we have all these partnerships. Grateful that we can leverage these partnerships in times of need – and we do - in order to get the resources, we need.  So, all of you are the pieces of the pie that make the whole thing work,” - Chief Gary Klopfenstein, Roseburg Police Department

 

“Commissioners I want to thank you for the recognition this morning.  When I look out across the room, I see a room full of partners.  These are individuals and organizations that we have worked with on a number of occasions.  I think that really is testament to our community and resiliency.  Here we have partnerships that work.  We have tested them.  We have tweaked the processes.   But again, as I look out through the room I see just partners from all kinds of different disciplines, organizations, volunteerism and we couldn’t  have emergency preparedness without every one of you at the table.  There is another component of National Preparedness Month and that is where the community is part our preparedness.  Making sure that individuals are prepared and ready for those emergencies.  To be self-sufficient until resources can get to them.  I encourage our community to have those discussions with their families and be prepared for whatever may come,” - Undersheriff Brad O’Dell, Douglas County Sheriff’s Office

 

“Douglas County has two CERT (Community Emergency Response Teams) groups.  One in Lower Umpqua and one in Central Douglas.  My understanding is that Commissioner Freeman is a twenty-year member and is the one responsible for initiating the first CERT Team in Douglas County.  We want to thank you, Commissioner Freeman, for that, and also thank all the Commissioners for your support.  CERT is made up of all citizen volunteers that are FEMA trained.  We provide services to all citizens – your neighbors, your family members, everyone in the time of community need, “ - Leslie Wilson, ARES Community Commander and CERT Central Douglas Coordinator 

 

“Commissioners, it is an honor to be here.  I really appreciate the direction you are going in your County by  creating a separate Emergency Management Department.  The work we have done here is similar to what we do all over Oregon.  My first day in this job was September 8, 2020.  That was a big day across Oregon.  Our office is responsible for supporting communities with food, water, shelter, family reunification, evacuation assistance and long-term recovery disaster case management.  We really enjoyed supporting groups like Glide Revitalization. We are honored to support the County and all the partnerships here,” - Ed Flick, ODHS Office of Resilience and Emergency Management Director

 

“It is a privilege to be here.  A privilege to live, work, support, and serve this community in times of need.  Thank you, Commissioners and Emergency Manager Emily Ring, for all you do.” - Edith Dye-Mabie, Captain Roseburg Salvation Army

 

“I just want to thank everyone here for all you do.  The County and our Commissioners have stepped up again and again to offer support.  Glide being unincorporated people sometimes think they are out there on their own.  But that has never been that case through these disasters - County, State and Federal agencies, as well as all our community partners have all been there.  Again, I can’t say enough how much it has meant to have all this support and help from our community.  All we have to do is pick up a phone and there is usually more stuff than we can use at the drop of a hat,” Jeana Beam, Glide Revitalization Executive Director

 

“We represent and work with a lot of members of faith-based organizations here in Douglas County.  We are a lot of helping hands that are willing to step up to be volunteers and offer a lot of resources – not just monetary or spiritual, but also in offering classes on financial stability, emotional preparedness and how to make an emergency plan.  The County has a wonderful book on preparedness that helps people understand the steps and checklists they need to get prepared.  We also have a Facebook page called “Umpqua Together” and we encourage people to utilize that for information about preparedness.  It is incredible to be part of the group that is engaging the community in preparedness – so we are all ready for whatever may happen.  We are so grateful to be here and lend our support however we can.  Thank you, Commissioners, for the opportunity to be a partner,”- Wendy Patterson, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints

 

National Preparedness Month has been observed since 2004 and aims to encourage Americans to prepare for emergencies.  The month of September is a great time to take small steps to make a big difference in being prepared.  The Commissioners’ proclamation this week is a reminder for our residents and businesses to be proactive and develop their own emergency preparedness plan, while working together toward creating a more prepared, safer, and more resilient community.

 

###

 

Media Contact: Tamara Howell, Douglas County Emergency Communications & Community Engagement Specialist, Douglas County Public Affairs Office | Office: (541) 957-4896 | Cell: (541) 670-2804 | Email: tamara.howell@douglascoumtyor.gov. 

Proclamation & Photo Collage Attached. Photos K.Tate/Douglas County.

 

Attached Media Files: 2025 Douglas County National Prepaedness Proclamation.jpg, 09-03-25 NATIONAL PREPAREDNESS MONTH proclamation.png,