Depoe Bay committee pushes Everbridge signup and plans tsunami evacuation drill with local outreach

The Depoe Bay Emergency Preparedness Committee prioritized rolling out Everbridge alerts and planning a tsunami evacuation drill, Speaker 2 said, noting Kim is coordinating the Everbridge implementation and that Samantha Buckley (the Everbridge contact) should be invited to the next meeting to brief residents on sign-ups and keywords.

Discussion focused on making alerting reliable and visible. Speaker 2 said Everbridge will be the primary mechanism for county alerts and that the committee must “figure out what those needs are first to program it in.” Members emphasized targeted outreach to businesses, short-term rentals and HOAs and discussed distributing Everbridge flyers and local signage that avoids lengthy ODOT permitting.

The committee also reviewed evacuation assembly sites and maps used in a county pilot. Speaker 1 recounted meetings with neighboring cities (Seaside, Cannon Beach, Lincoln City) and said some cities identified seven cache/gathering sites and produced laminated placards for businesses that show nearby assembly points. Speakers recommended distributing placards and maps to hotels and restaurants so visitors and staff know where to go during an alert.

On exercises, members discussed timing (avoiding Veterans Day) and scope: a coordinated evacuation drill, pop-up tents, and communications checks across multiple gathering points such as Little Wild Cove. Speaker 2 underscored that the first step before a drill is establishing a dependable notification method and confirmed Everbridge outreach materials will be circulated once Samantha Buckley finalizes flyers and sign-up guidance.

Next steps: invite Samantha Buckley to present at an upcoming meeting, produce Everbridge flyers for committee distribution, and refine evacuation maps and placards for local businesses and HOAs.