The City of Aumsville and Santiam Hospital & Clinics are in line to receive new emergency preparedness gear from the state.
The grants are part of the $8.1 million State Preparedness and Incipient Response Equipment (SPIRE) program that is in its fourth year. The program will pass out 120 pieces of equipment to 83 jurisdictions statewide. The program provides life-saving emergency response equipment to state, local, tribal and other eligible agencies across Oregon to strengthen statewide disaster preparedness and response.
Aumsville will be receiving a large generator worth $150,000. The new equipment, said city administrator Ron Harding, will help Aumsville cope with a loss of power in an emergency.
“Some of the city’s water systems have emergency backup generation, but not all of our systems can operate during a loss of power event,” Harding told Our Town. “Some of the city’s wells do not have backup power. As of today, the city could sustain a loss of power for limited periods, but if the loss of power were during a peak demand event or there was some sort of large draw on the system, like a large fire, we would struggle to produce the amount of water needed.
“The generator is a redundancy measure that will ensure the city can respond to any circumstances related to loss of power.”
The hospital, meanwhile, will receive $20,400 worth of portable lighting, which can be used in the Stayton area as well as up and down the Santiam Canyon, hospital officials said.
Melissa Baurer, the hospital’s executive director of community development, told Our Town that the new equipment will “help during emergencies such as natural disasters, power outages, or other critical situations. This lighting will be used at emergency sites, evacuation centers, or wherever it’s needed most through the Oregon emergency management program. It will also be available for everyday use at the hospital when not activated for emergency response.”
Baurer said that the lighting will be particularly useful in the winter when daylight ends early and during emergencies such as natural disasters or unforeseen events that require lighting, particularly in evening hours.
“The lighting equipment will fill a critical capability gap, supporting operations during power outages, natural disasters, and other emergency scenarios,” Baurer said.
The lighting will be stored and maintained at Santiam Hospital’s main campus in Stayton, Baurer said.
“It will serve the Santiam service region, including areas between Jefferson, Scio, Sublimity, Turner and Idanha, including rural areas of the Santiam Canyon. Having portable lighting ready to go means we can respond faster and more safely during emergencies.”
Other examples of the grant program include modular vehicle barriers for the Mt. Angel Police Department, a utility terrain vehicle for the Silverton Fire District and portable radios for the Mt. Angel Fire District.
More exotic examples statewide include sandbagging machines, unmanned aerial vehicles (or drones), solar charging stations and high-axle water evacuation rescue vehicles.
