Emergency Preparedness

"Public safety is always our number one concern and emergency preparedness has been one one of the city's top priorities since I took office. I’m very proud of the work our planning commission and our city council has accomplished with the help of DLCD to lead the way on the north Oregon Coast and help mitigate the threat of natural disasters. It’s very important that our residents and visitors have every chance to find safe evacuation routes in case of a Cascadia event and that we have critical infrastructure in place to become resilient in the face of all natural disasters."

~Former Mayor Matt Brown

Here you will find details on what the city is doing to increase emergency preparation and how working with the county and neighboring cities plays an integral part. Steps you can personally take in regards to emergency preparation are also included below in the form of links, flyers, and handouts.

Gearhart Emergency Cache Container Program

The Next Step in Pro-Active Resident Emergency Preparation

In the event of an emergency, what if you had the option to access a personal bin full of clothing, food, and other supplies you hand-selected? Join the Emergency Cache Container Program TODAY to make this possibility a reality. This program is not intended to replace the recommended 72-hour Go Bag each resident should possess; it is meant to supplement your Go Bag beyond the first three days. Our brochure with all the details can be found below!

***NEW! Click Here for the recently published "EARTHQUAKE AND TSUNAMI COMMUNITY DISASTER CACHE Planning Guide"; a collaborative effort among DOGAMI, OEM, OSUH, & DLCD. The City of Gearhart was included in the consulting and research portion of creating the guide with the purpose of educating communities and organizations on why an emergency cache is needed, how to go about creating one, and what to consider when maintaining a program. Examples of best practices are included.***

FIRST TIME REGISTRATION:

*Call City Hall to pre-register and hold your spot

*Purchase your own 30 gallon plastic drum locally from us for $70, or online -- required drum specs: measures 29 to 30" tall x 18 to 20" around, weighs 14-16 lbs empty

*Fill it with your preferred emergency preparedness supplies (minus gas, kerosene, or contaminable one-time use plastic water bottles)

*Bring your barrel to the Gearhart Fire Department on a cache site access date, whichever date is closest to when your barrel is ready to store (once in April, once in October, days TBA - check the City calendar)

*The membership agreement will be signed and annual $40 storage cost due at drop-off

RENEWING MEMBERS:

*The $40 storage cost will be billed annually, due the following year's access date month

*You can access your barrel up to 2x yearly to rotate items as you see fit; cache account must be current/paid

*The City has the original membership agreement on file and will update the necessary information through a yearly addendum [Your assigned Barrel# never changes; the S/N (serial number) changes each time you access your barrel; when the protective zip seal is broken, a new number seal is assigned]

EXISTING MEMBER ACCESS:

*YOU MUST CALL OR EMAIL PRIOR TO AN EVENT if you would like access to your barrel during an access day, whether you are renewing or not -- barrels will be pulled and brought to the fire station for access day events; as enrollment increases, wave times to the Conex may be introduced

*You can access your barrel 2x yearly to rotate items as you see fit; cache account must be current/paid

*The City has the original membership agreement on file and will update the necessary information through a yearly addendum when you access your barrel [Your assigned Barrel# never changes; the S/N (serial number) changes each time you access your barrel; when the protective zip seal is broken, a new number seal is assigned]

C.E.R.T.

Community Emergency Response Team

Gearhart C.E.R.T. is a group of volunteers who meet once a month at the firehouse. Our goal is disaster preparedness and response on a personal, neighborhood, and citywide level. Toward that goal, we have given out written materials to citizens and placed emergency supplies in three caches out of the tsunami zone around the city. We have plans to organize our chain of command, improve our radio communication skills, and hopefully put together a medical personnel list and a central safe, large emergency cache. We would also like to sponsor some emergency first responder trainings. All interested citizens are welcome! For more information on the program or meeting times and agenda contact: Sharon Kloepfer 303-817-8450

Clatsop Alerts

Emergency Notifications & Community Information

Community members, visitors and businesses can choose up to 3 ways to receive emergency notifications and community information from City, County and Public Safety Officials for Clatsop County, Oregon. During an emergency or important event, local radio, print, television and online media sources also provide additional information from local public safety officials as it becomes available.

CLICK HERE to register for Clatsop Alerts. The County intends to send test alerts quarterly. You also have the choice to opt into temporary notifications for "keyword" events that cease when the event is over. When it matters, you will want to receive notification. Get registered today!

Hazard Mitigation

Plans, Procedures & More

One of the most common questions asked regarding emergency/disaster planning is, "Does the City have a plan?" The answer is YES! A copy of the city's Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan can be found with other documents and reports HERE.

Did you know the city adopted an ordinance back in 2014 enabling operation of a reserve fund for the purpose of pre-disaster mitigation? The city budget holds a Hazard Mitigation Fund where the fiscal year begins with $15,000 in reserves available for planning and projects that seek to protect life and property from future natural disasters. Its existence has funded projects such as the conex bins for the soon-to-start Emergency Cache program, emergency supplies including medications and first aid, a HAM radio hut for emergency communications, and a starter supply of shelf-stable MRE's (Meals Ready to Eat).

Our mitigation planning extends State and County wide. As part of an intergovernmental agreement (IGA) with DLCD and thanks to FEMA dollars, Gearhart is in the process of updating its Natural Hazards Mitigation Plan. Concurrently with the County and neighboring jurisdictions, plan action items are being reviewed and completed as part of the update process. Progress reports are shared at regular steering committee meetings where representation from all who are part of the Multi-Jurisdictional NHMP attend. Moreover, Gearhart recently became one of seven coastal communities to adopt a Tsunami Hazard Overlay Zone. We continue to partner with DLCD and find their website has clear, concise information on the subject -- to learn about Natural Hazards Mitigation Planning, click HERE for a direct link.