Last week, nearly 70 emergency responders from across Lane County attended the Integrated Emergency Management Course (IEMC), an extensive week-long training at the National Emergency Training Center in Emmitsburg, Maryland.
“Building relationships before a disaster is key in preparing for and responding to a disaster. This training was an incredible opportunity to bring many of our emergency response partners together to focus on how we work together and what resources we can bring to bear to respond to an event such as a Cascadia Earthquake,” said Lane County Emergency Manager Patence Winningham. “We were fortunate to be selected by FEMA to do this training – only a handful of communities are invited each year.”
The training, which was specific to Lane County, helped participating agencies build the awareness, leadership and communication skills needed to respond to a complex event. It combined classroom lectures and discussions with small-group planning sessions and an immersive exercise designed to increase the coordination among responders and their agencies. The immersive exercise included elements of flooding, dam failure, hazardous materials and more.
The training was provided by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), which also provided lodging and airfare for participants.
Participating agencies include: Lane County Government, Lane County Sheriff’s Office, City of Eugene, City of Springfield, City of Veneta, Eugene Police Department, Springfield Police Department, Red Cross, Eugene Water and Electric Board (EWEB), Junction City, Junction City Police Department, Siuslaw Valley Fire & Rescue, PeaceHealth, Oregon Department of Emergency Management, Office of the State Fire Marshal, Oregon Health Authority, Oregon Department of Human Services, Community Organizations Active in Disaster, Rainbow Water District, Central Aid Agency, and Greenhill Humane Society.
Original source can be found here.
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