State officials say SPIRE grants have supplied emergency equipment across Oregon

At an April 29 informational hearing of the Public Safety Subcommittee of the Joint Committee on Ways and Means, Oregon Department of Emergency Management Director Erin McMahon and Preparedness Section Manager Elena Mayfield detailed the State Preparedness and Incident Response Equipment program, known as SPIRE, and its role supplying emergency equipment to local, tribal and nonprofit partners across the state.

The SPIRE grant program, created in 2017 and amended in 2021 to add a specific urban search and rescue component, uses state bond proceeds to buy equipment that jurisdictions can request during incidents, Elena Mayfield said. "SPIRE...was generated in 2017," Mayfield said, adding that the program is designed to fill local capability gaps identified through state assessments and partner input.

The program has completed three funding rounds and, as of the hearing, had awarded about 73 pieces of equipment to roughly 52 applicants statewide. Mayfield told the committee those procurements total about $15,000,000 based on bond sales and that some purchases still in procurement were expected to conclude by June 2025. Applications for SPIRE IV were scheduled to open in May 2025, with procurements for that round anticipated to begin in September or October 2025 and continue for several months.

Mayfield described the program as collaborative: the Oregon State Fire Marshal helps define eligible urban search-and-rescue equipment; the Oregon Homeland Security Council approves the program's recommended equipment list; and subject-matter experts and a statewide capability assessment inform tiered priorities. "The most important is that it's really working," Mayfield said, citing SPIRE help during the 2024 wildfire season, the 2024 winter-storm response (a federally declared disaster with more than $48,000,000 in disaster-related costs) and recent flooding in Harney County, where a SPIRE-funded sandbagging machine was deployed as the first machine on scene.

Program officials described a publicly accessible SPIRE dashboard that shows where state-purchased equipment is located and allows responders to request resources during an incident. Mayfield said OEM is modernizing systems, integrating crisis management software and resource-tracking tools to improve pre-placement and deployment of assets.

Officials also emphasized efforts to avoid duplicating federal funding. Mayfield said OEM's grants team coordinates SPIRE purchases with federal preparedness and homeland-security grants and leverages the annual state capability assessment — which maps 32 core national preparedness capabilities — to identify gaps and target SPIRE purchases where state funding can add value.

Committee members asked technical questions about individual items, including whether a "swiftwater rescue robot" was purchased; Mayfield confirmed both robots and boats were included on the equipment list and offered to provide capability specifics later. Members also asked about nonprofit eligibility; McMahon said nonprofits can apply but are expected to provide a letter of support from a county or city emergency manager when they are not a formal emergency management entity.

The presentation was informational and no formal committee action was taken. Officials directed members to OEM's most recent SPIRE report and the agency's 2024 annual report for further details.

Ending: The department said more information including the 2024 SPIRE annual report and the updated equipment list is available online through OEM's SPIRE dashboard and program materials.