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Pictured Right: Exercise participants
write info on a flipchart.
Effective emergency response relies on seamless coordination, and our most recent exercise demonstrated that Multnomah County is stronger when we work together. Bringing together 35 participants from across the county—including the offices of Emergency Management, Diversity and Equity, Communications, and the departments of Community Services, Health, and County Assets, including Purchasing, Facilities, and IT—the event also featured key support from our partners at the American Red Cross and Mount Hood Community College.
The exercise focused on a critical operational test: our ability to rapidly establish an Emergency Operations Center (EOC) in an off-site location without relying on primary infrastructure. This included a successful test of our satellite internet capabilities to ensure that, even in scenarios where traditional networks are unavailable, we maintain the essential communications needed for a coordinated response.
Richard Higgins, a manager with the County’s Office of Emergency Management, emphasized the significance of this milestone: "This exercise helped us test our readiness to support disaster response anywhere in the county by being able to quickly pivot and establish a fully staffed emergency operations center supported by its own satellite internet connection. We'll be conducting elements of this drill on regular rotation moving forward to ensure we remain ready and to ensure that County staff remain trained and practiced in supporting disaster responses across the County."
Before the exercise, participants completed an intensive orientation on the County's updated EOC Operations Manual and the Incident Support Model, an Incident Command System model specifically designed for the functions of an Emergency Operations Center supporting disaster response and recovery. By reviewing position-specific job aids and ensuring clear communication protocols, the team refined their ability to scale operations to incident support needs.
This exercise provided a practical opportunity to evaluate our documentation and workflows under simulated conditions. By integrating these training modules with hands-on application, we are identifying specific areas for improvement, ensuring our emergency procedures are accurate, actionable, and ready for deployment when needed.
Pictured Below: Exercise participants work together as the event begins.
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