Oregon emergency services bolstered with new evacuation management software
By Garrett Christensen on Wednesday, September 11th, 2024 in More Top Stories Northeastern Oregon News
EASTERN OREGON – During any form of large scale emergency, natural or manmade, evacuations are often necessary for the safety of both local populations and emergency responders. Ensuring evacuations are carried out timely and in an organized fashion is nothing short of a herculean task, however. During major disasters, minutes can make the difference between a smooth exodus, and a chaotic tragedy. With those stakes in mind, emergency services across Oregon are getting access to a potentially life-saving bit of software.
Genasys Protect, an advanced evacuation management software developed by Genasys Inc, is now at the forefront of Oregon’s wildfire management operations. Provided to the state of Oregon via contract, the software allows emergency responders to easily map hazard zones as well as update and send evacuation notices via purpose-built tools, potentially cutting upwards of half an hour off notices being sent in some areas. As explained by Union County Emergency Manager Nick Vora:
“Prior to getting Genasys, Union County did not have evacuation management and mapping software. We instead have used more general-purpose mapping tools that are highly functional, but with these systems there are several, and often time-consuming, steps in the process from mapping the fire location and evacuation areas to publishing and publicly-communicating evacuation advisories.”
Union County specifically has been using the software since mid-July and is currently in the process of defining its local hazard zones before publishing them to the Genasys Protect system. Once uploaded, these zones will be available online and via an app for the public to view. Of course, it’s not just Union County that’s been making good use of the new tools. As also explained by Melinda Todd, Harney County Emergency Manager, in a release by the Oregon Department of Human Services:
“Genasys Protect was instrumental in notifying community members of evacuations during the Falls and Telephone Fires in Harney County. When time is of the essence, being able to instantly notify community members of updated evacuation levels is crucial.”
Aside from general streamlining of evacuation management, the software being rolled out statewide will allow for standardization of evacuation management tools. While many counties have developed unique evacuation systems that work at the local level, cooperation between emergency agencies is frequent within Oregon, causing potential slow downs as different teams adapt to local systems. As again elaborated by Vora:
“I’ve spent considerable time this summer assisting other counties with fire evacuations and have used Genasys to communicate evacuations on numerous incidents. So far, my impression has been incredibly positive on the utility, functionality, and public reception of the program when we have used it on rapidly-escalating critical incidents. Having pre-defined zones with easy to communicate nomenclature so far has significantly eased communication between on-scene responders, emergency management, and the public. When we are making changes quickly and clear, concise communication is key.”
As of the time of writing, the software is being rolled out to all 36 counties in Oregon as well as 9 tribes according to the Oregon Department of Human Services. Seen above is a screenshot of Genasys Protect in practice, taken from the Service Fire in Wheeler County.
