Oregon's commitment to strengthening its cities' and towns' ability to withstand the unthinkable took a multimillion-dollar step forward with the Oregon Department of Human Services (ODHS) Office of Resilience and Emergency Management (OREM)'s announcement of grant recipients for its Resilience Hubs and Networks program. As reported by the ODHS OREM website, 87 organizations across the Oregon state have been selected to receive funding from a total pot of $10 million, aiming to shore up emergency preparedness and resilience.
The grant program, borne out of House Bill 3409 passed by the Oregon Legislature in 2023, is a catalyst for developing physical hubs and networks designed to provide critical communal support during emergencies. A representative example among the beneficiaries is the Spray General Store in Spray, Oregon. "When they told me I got our grant, and they told me we could have heat I got really choked up. I got really emotional. Rarely do we get funding for building issues. That bathroom and kitchen are really freezing. We would hear people scream when they went into the bathroom. Getting heat in the kitchen and bathroom is going to be a game changer for us," Joni Kabana, the store's event and building manager, told the ODHS OREM website.
The surge of interest, as evidenced by the 700 applications submitted, underscores the acute need for such resilience-building initiatives. "I am pleased that our initial investment of $10M is supporting 87 localized projects, including building repair, outreach, communications and emergency response equipment, vehicles, training, operational expenses, and more," Representative Pam Marsh, sponsor of the bill, mentioned. Noteworthily, $2 million of the fund was earmarked specifically for the Nine Tribes of Oregon, each receiving $222,222 to bolster their community defenses.
Applications were encouraged for both, existing or nascent resilience hubs and networks, or for a set of emergency equipment, dubbed a 'typed package.' The latter, comprising an array of essential emergency readiness tools, are provided through contracts with local companies such as Fixed Resilience, ensuring preparedness is not only reactionary but a step ahead. "This grant is a game changer for Oregon. The streamlined application process and the flexibility to support a wide range of projects really underscores the truth that local communities know best what they need to thrive," OREM Director Ed Flick stated in an interview with ODHS OREM website.
