Disaster preparedness and response in Lane County recently received a $20 million boost. The money will set up six so-called “resiliency centers.”
The Environmental Protection Agency provided the three-year grant, which will set up a network in Lane County’s more disadvantaged areas.
The designated resiliency centers are the Florence Senior & Activities Center; the Veneta Farm Ridge Service Center; Bethel Fairfield Elementary School; Willamalane Bob Keefer Center in Springfield; Cottage Grove Community Center; and the Oakridge Willamette Activity Center.
Sarah Swofford is the county’s Public Health Reserve Corps Supervisor. She told KLCC that these will be public buildings that will provide a number of services.
“Clean air respite or cool air respite, as well as sheltering when we have wildfires, evacuations and things like that," explained Swofford. "During non-emergency times, these hubs will serve as locations where community members learn about energy efficiency improvements that they can make in their own homes, as well as how they can prepare better for the emergencies and disasters that Lane County continues to face.”
One example of how the money will benefit the existing sites was the Bob Keefer Center.
"One of the key components of this grant is that the funding is going to pay for a new HVAC system," said Swofford. "So that instead of having smoke brought into the building, it will actually clean the air inside of the Bob Keefer center, making it a space that is actually safe for folks to seek shelter inside of."
The grant will upgrade and retrofit existing buildings to help during times of crisis. It’s expected most will be ready within two to three years. The United Way of Lane County is a partner, focusing on community engagement.
"The folks who are going to be there to receive you and to give you services are actually from your own community," said Swofford. "You hopefully know them. They speak your language. It's one thing that can happen to make an already traumatic experience just a little bit easier."
Most of the designated resiliency centers are expected to be built within a couple of years. Disaster preparedness in Oregon has been ramping up in recent years, mainly in anticipation of a Cascadian event. But recent winter storms, wildfires, and heat domes have also prompted communities to plan ahead.
Copyright 2024, KLCC.
