TVF&R must provide critical services under adverse conditions. In order to do this, the District must have comprehensive emergency plans and effectively coordinate internally and among partner organizations during major incidents and disasters. Toward this goal, TVF&R is participating in a full-scale exercise that simulates a devastating 9.0 earthquake including aftershocks, related utility outages, damaged infrastructure (such as roads), a failure of Scoggins dam and a tsunami on the Oregon coast. The exercise is called Cascadia Rising. It is named after the Cascadia Subduction Zone — a 600-mile-long fault just off the coast that runs from Northern California to British Columbia.
Many agencies in two states are participating in Cascadia Rising including FEMA Region X, the states of Oregon and Washington, several cities, fire departments, law enforcement agencies and the Oregon National Guard. During the exercise, TVF&R will focus on several high-priority areas for our service area, including damage assessments, disaster communications, continuity of operations, employee/family welfare, and critical resource prioritization.