Director's Message

Dec. 7, 2007

To: All DHS employees

From: Bruce Goldberg, M.D., director

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"The achievements of an organization are the results of the combined effort of each individual."
~Vincent Lombardi

These past few days have given me a close-up view of the tremendous devastation this past week's storms brought to Oregon and the resources that our organization and so many others can bring to bear in emergency situations. I've been impressed by and appreciative of the efforts I've seen so many of our staff make to ensure the safety of the public and to help in recovery efforts.

As the rains and wind took out power, flooded roads and homes and cut off people along the coast from the rest of the state, our staff pulled together to ensure the safety of our state's most vulnerable residents. The variety of actions we've taken to respond to people's needs highlights the many ways in which we serve Oregonians.

We have been in active emergency response mode since early in the flooding and power outages and are now involved in recovery efforts. Our Public Health Division activated our Agency Operations Center and a core group of more than 20 division staff were working 12-hour shifts with local health departments and hospitals to address immediate health and medical care needs and to help communities get potable water.

We helped evacuate and relocate elderly and disabled individuals who lived in threatened care facilities. In some cases this involved transfers to other counties. We worked with facility managers, county agencies, transportation services and health care providers to make these transitions as smooth and stress-free as possible.

We began conducting health and safety checks on medically fragile in-home clients, beginning with the most vulnerable -- those on oxygen or who use other medical equipment that requires electrical power, those with life-sustaining medication needs, and those who might not be able to reach out and ask for help.

We helped assure that people had the best information to protect themselves and their families from illnesses that could result from the local flooding, and food-related illnesses that could result from a loss of refrigeration.

We worked with local mental health directors to reach out to people who may face emotional problems resulting from the stress of the recent storms, and we worked in concert with agencies such as ODOT and the Red Cross to determine how to reach people with needed supplies.

We are now helping people and communities get the assistance and help they need to fully recover.

We are an organization that helps our most vulnerable. This storm reminds us that we are all vulnerable. Many of our staff live in the communities we are now helping and they have been personally affected by the storm. We need to do all we can to support our colleagues, many of whom have been placing the needs of their community, their clients and their neighbors over their own. Your efforts have been heroic. Thank you!

Finally, at the same time we are responding, we are also learning how we can do better next time. Preparation is crucial. This past week serves as an excellent reminder of how important it is for us -- as an agency and as individuals -- to be ready for the next emergency or disaster and to be ready to survive without power, communications or transportation in the aftermath. Just as this agency and our partners were able to more effectively respond as a result of being prepared, so will preparation help you make it through a weather or other emergency.

I urge you, if you don't already have safety kits, supplies and plans for dealing with an emergency situation, to get those plans in place now. Personal preparedness is an important aspect of family safety, and one that will make all the difference the next time -- and there will be a next time -- Oregon faces another emergency situation.

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To provide feedback email: DHS.Directorsoffice@state.or.us

This message is intended for all department employees. Please read it electronically, if possible. Managers and supervisors are asked to share the message each week with employees who do not have email access.