City emergency manager asks HREC to help close equity gaps in disaster planning; discusses hazards and local readiness

The city of Bend's emergency management director told the Human Rights & Equity Commission that disasters disproportionately harm people with access and functional needs and asked commissioners to help the city identify gaps and improve outreach and equitable response.

Carrie Carl, director of risk and emergency management, explained the four phases of emergency management — mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery — and described the mission areas the city uses (prevention, protection, mitigation, response, recovery). "Emergency management is really about reducing the vulnerability to the hazards that we see or experience in the area in which we live," Carl said.

Carl listed hazards Central Oregon faces, including wildfire, flood, landslide, and seismic risk from both local faults and the Cascadia Subduction Zone. Carl said a Cascadia event would produce strong shaking locally and large regional impacts, and warned that many people would travel inland seeking safety. She also raised recurring concerns about air quality during wildfire season and noted that air-quality events can occur even without a local fire.

Carl described specific equity challenges from recent incidents: some people who were unhoused after the Darlene/Mile Marker 132 fire avoided or were turned away from traditional shelters and instead sought help through culturally trusted community organizations. She said the city is working with partners (for example, the Latino Community Association) to coordinate culturally appropriate sheltering and translation support during activations.

The director asked HREC to provide an equity lens in planning, saying the city has designated a liaison (Equity & Inclusion) to the emergency management committee to highlight access and functional needs in planning and response. She noted some funding comes from federal grants: the city's emergency management analyst position is partially funded by the Emergency Management Performance Grant (EMPG), a federal pass‑through to the state, which paid roughly 50% of that analyst position's salary.

Commissioners pressed on tangible preparedness steps for at‑risk neighbors. Commissioner Linda Heamer said personal preparedness (go‑kits, neighbor checks) can be burdensome and expensive; Carl agreed, saying planning is a privilege and urged neighborhood planning and use of existing support systems. Commissioner Scott Jones and others asked how the city would ensure non‑congregate or culturally appropriate shelter for people who avoid standard shelters; Carl said that is an ongoing area of work and that partnerships with community organizations are key.

On air quality the director said the county, through public health and DEQ, leads forecasting and activation decisions for clean-air or cooling shelters but that the city can provide logistical supports (cleaning, staffing, facilities) when asked. Carl urged commissioners to help spread language-access planning and neighbor‑planning efforts and suggested HREC members could host or promote community preparedness events.

Why it matters: Emergency incidents tend to magnify existing inequities. The city's emergency management staff said it needs community partners to reach people who are less likely to use conventional shelter or alerting systems and to ensure language access and culturally appropriate options during activations.

What happened next: Commissioners offered to collaborate on outreach and neighborhood preparedness, and staff said they will return with follow-ups and ask for HREC guidance on mitigation and inclusive outreach.