Keizer officials told the City Council on Feb. 24 they have contracted a consultant, using a Marion County grant, to update the city’s Emergency Operations Plan to add modern response annexes for man-made disasters.

City staff said the 2009 plan focused mainly on natural disasters and needs additions for terrorism, active-shooter incidents and other man-made incidents. The consultant will incorporate those response annexes and update contacts, grammar and operational procedures to reflect contemporary standards.

The consultant work is funded through a Marion County grant, not by the city’s general fund, and staff said that should reduce cost concerns. City staff estimated the consulting process will likely occur within a 12-month window and stated their target for adoption is by December 2025, although the timeline depends on the consultant’s schedule.

Councilors pressed for clarity on the scope and coordination. Staff said many annexes can be adapted from adjacent jurisdictions (including Salem and Marion County) because of shared emergency-management resources and previously prepared annexes by the county emergency manager. Staff described the update as feasible inside the two‑year planning window the council is using to set short‑term goals.

Councilors asked whether the consultant was necessary if material could be reused from Salem. Staff and councilors confirmed Marion County obtained a grant to pay for consultant services that will be made available to cities within the county, and staff said much of the work will be adapted from neighboring jurisdictions’ annexes to save time.

Staff said the update is primarily an operational revision to add man‑made disaster responses, modernize and correct the existing document, and prepare the plan for eventual council adoption.

Looking ahead, staff said they will return to the council with a draft for review and adoption after the consultant’s work is complete. A firm adoption deadline or formal council action date was not set during the work session.