County briefs board on winter preparedness; outlines proposed MOU with Portland for day‑time shelter support
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Summary
County emergency management and human services staff briefed the board on winter preparedness plans, activation thresholds, a proposed MOU with the City of Portland to cover daytime shelter costs, consolidation of supply warehouses, and plans to scale to shelter up to 1,300 people during major events.
County emergency management and human services staff presented an informational briefing on winter preparedness, severe‑weather shelter activations, and operational changes designed to improve capacity and coordination with city partners.
Chris Foss, director of emergency management, reviewed updated standard operating procedures, activation thresholds (noting outreach actions when temperatures reach roughly 32°F and heightened concern below 25°F), and a recent consolidation of county supply warehouses to reduce costs. Foss described a near‑final MOU under negotiation with the City of Portland that would compensate the city for additional daytime staffing and services when county and city shelter operations overlap; he said the arrangement should improve capacity and reduce the risk of turning people away during major events.
Foss described supply and capacity planning: the county is planning to be ready to shelter approximately 1,300 people with contingency overage to 1,500, a rented facility on the inner east side for rapid activation, and transportation partnerships including TriMet support during declared emergencies.
Rachel Pearl, interim director for the Department of County Human Services, outlined DCHS responsibilities as ESF‑6 lead for mass care and sheltering, improvements to staffing and training (including role plays and an on‑call cadre of 15 trained persons in charge), an expanded call system so multiple staff can answer shelter calls, and a move to a more robust volunteer management tool with mock activations planned in spring.
Commissioners asked about restroom facilities at city sites, policies for transporting hospital discharges to shelters, contractor staffing back‑ups, and East County facility siting; staff described ongoing negotiations and contingency plans. Staff emphasized flexible decision‑making about opening and closing shelters based on forecast and on‑the‑ground reports.
Next steps: finalize the MOU with the City of Portland, continue volunteer recruitment and training, conduct mock activations, and refine public communications about activation thresholds and volunteer opportunities.