Pictured Above: Governmental partners listen to presentations

regarding winter preparedness at the Multnomah County Emergency Operations Center. Photo credit: Matt Burke of MCEM.

On Wednesday November 19th, MCEM convened governmental partners for our annual Winter Seasonal Preparedness meeting. This meeting allows partners to provide updates to one another ahead of the potential severe winter weather that calls for the activation of emergency shelters.

The County's Passenger Transportation Unit (PTU) was among the topics discussed. In timely fashion, PTU hosted an orientation on November 10th and a "Snow School" training on November 4th, where potential drivers during severe winter weather learned how to properly put chains on vehicles in addition to other safety tips.

Interested in serving in Passenger Transportation Unit or another Emergency Operations Center role? Contact em.dutyofficer@multco.us and you'll be directed to the right contact. Interested in volunteering in a shelter directly? Visit the Department of County Human Services website for training opportunities.

Upcoming Events

You can view upcoming training opportunities through the following events calendars: Multnomah County, the Regional Disaster Preparedness Organization (subscribe option), the State of Oregon (subscribe option), and the State of Washington.

Training Offerings

December 4: Leveraging Tools for Coordinated Community Disaster Communications (AWR-329)

• Host: National Disaster Preparedness Training Center
• Time: 10:00am-2pm PST
• Location: Virtual
• Cost: Free 
• Prerequisites: None
• Registration: Register Here
• Learn More

December 12: Severe Weather Shelter/Disaster Resource Center Info Session

• Host: Multnomah County Department of County Human Services
• Time: 10:00am-10:45am PST
• Location: Virtual (Google Meet Link)
• Cost: Free 
• Prerequisites: None
• Registration: N/A
• Learn More

December 17: Disaster Resource Center Roles Training

• Host: Multnomah County Department of County Human Services
• Time: 9:00am-11:00am PST
• Location: Virtual
• Cost: Free 
• Prerequisites: None
• Registration: Register Here
• Learn More

January 13-14 2026: Flooding Hazards: Science & Preparedness (AWR-362)

• Host: National Disaster Preparedness Training Center
• Time: 10:00am-2pm PST
• Location: Virtual
• Cost: Free 
• Prerequisites: None
• Registration: Register Here
• Learn More

January 20-21 2026: Evacuation Planning Strategies and Solutions (MGT-461)

• Host: National Disaster Preparedness Training Center
• Time: 9:00am-1pm PST
• Location: Virtual
• Cost: Free 
• Prerequisites: None
• Registration: Register Here
• Learn More