Thursday, May 9,
2013
WATER, SEWER SYSTEMS
FOCUS OF DISASTER RESPONSE EXERCISE
How will local
cities, utility districts and other public agencies react when a major disaster
disrupts water and sewer service on the northern Oregon Coast?
Local officials from
Clatsop and Tillamook counties and representatives of state agencies and other
organizations – 40 in all – gathered recently at Camp Rilea Armed Forces
Training Center in Warrenton to review how well-prepared they are.
The April 17
table-top exercise was organized by Clatsop County’s Public Health Department
and Emergency Management Division and facilitated by the University of
Washington Northwest Center for Public Health Practice.
“We had participated
in previous planning sessions but had never exercised a multi-disciplinary
response to water sanitation issues,” Public Health Director Margo Lalich said.
“This was a first for us and it was a huge learning moment.”
The exercise
simulated a fictional earthquake and tsunami off the north coast of Oregon that
would cause severe damage to water and sewer lines and treatment plants, knock
out power and flood low-lying areas with contaminated water. Participants were
asked to examine each other’s agency plans and policies and discuss ways to
coordinate resources in response to such scenarios as handling illness from
tainted water, reduced fire-fighting capability and service to evacuation
shelters and vulnerable populations.
NWCPHP faculty
member, Carl Osaki, developed and led the exercise and was pleased with the
group’s progress. “Tabletops are a chance to identify gaps and that can be
disconcerting. Most agencies don’t want to expose their vulnerabilities,” he
said. “This group was willing to lay out their plans and tackle complicated
issues.”
Along with the five
incorporated cities, Clatsop County has 11 water districts and five sewer
districts providing service to residents and businesses.
Maureen
Sheffield-Taylor, Clatsop County Environmental Health Supervisor, said “this
tabletop was a great start but it was just the beginning. Now we see how much
more work we have to do.”
Released
by: Tom
Bennett
Community Relations
Coordinator
(503) 338-3622
