Sisters prepares for disaster

Whether its fire, flood or a deep freeze, Sisters' emergency responders are ready. They have a plan - the Greater Sisters Emergency Operations Plan.

The plan, several years in development, was signed last month by representatives of all the agencies who participated in the creation and implementation of the detailed plan for emergency response - from local fire departments to local government.

"It gives us a template to uniformly address emergencies in northwest Deschutes County," said Sisters Fire Chief, Tay Robertson. "Prior to this plan, we really had no plan as a community."

The plan was funded through a Homeland Security Grant of $75,000 for planning with an additional $8,000 for exercises. It consists of detailed layouts of responsibilities and resources to cope with a range of identified likely threats.

These include: wildfire; flood; hazardous materials spills; a public health emergency; a release of the Carver Lake dam; terrorist attack; a mass casualty incident (most likely a multiple-vehicle wreck with numerous casualties); a severe weather event.

In fact, the plan was enacted before it was signed last month, during a severe cold snap that led to a power outage in Sisters. Robertson triggered the planned response to staff an emergency command center to coordinate response to the potential emergency posed by having hundreds of local residents without power and heat in subzero temperatures.

Robertson said that the plan will make response smoother and more efficient, allowing agencies to "deploy resources in a logical fashion based on a predetermined system."

The plan also provides procedures and protocols for notifying citizens of a pending crisis, so that people aren't missed in the scramble to respond.

"While we all like to think we know what we're supposed to do, when it gets really busy, it's real nice to have a guide," he said.

A key feature of the plan is a comprehensive list of equipment and personnel resources available to emergency responders so that they don't have to try to figure out where to get a backhoe in the midst of an emergency.

One of the benefits of the plan, in Robertson's estimation, is that the very act of putting the plan together strengthened communications and relationships between the variety of agencies who are tasked with managing emergencies.

Signatories to the plan are: the Sisters-Camp Sherman, Black Butte Ranch and Cloverdale fire departments; the Oregon State Forest Service; Oregon Department of Forestry; Deschutes County; the City of Sisters; Oregon Department of Transportation; and the Red Cross.

At the December signing, Sisters City Manager, Eileen Stein, said, "It feels good to be able to look community members in the eye and say, 'Your community is protected.'"

Author Bio

Jim Cornelius, Editor in Chief

Jim Cornelius is editor in chief of The Nugget and author of “Warriors of the Wildlands: True Tales of the Frontier Partisans.” A history buff, he explores frontier history across three centuries and several continents on his podcast, The Frontier Partisans. For more information visit www.frontierpartisans.com.

• Email: editor@nuggetnews.com
• Phone: 5415499941