Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Emergency Management topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
McMinnville presents completed emergency operations plan, stresses training and handoff before July staffing change
Summary
Emergency management coordinator Jeff Jacobs told the council the city’s Emergency Operations Plan and continuity plan are finished, paid by ARPA and grants, and that training, tabletop exercises and transition to a local emergency planning commission are next steps ahead of his position’s July handoff.
Jeff Jacobs, the city’s emergency management coordinator, told the McMinnville City Council the city has completed its Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) and continuity plan and has developed annexes and elected-official guides to make the plan operational.
Jacobs said his position and the EOP writing contract were funded using federal ARPA funding and a separate grant for plan development. He described a tiered plan structure: a broad EOP, mid-level annexes for recovery and hazard-specific responses (earthquake, hazardous materials, severe weather), and department-level tactical templates that will guide each department’s actions in specific incidents.
The presentation emphasized interagency coordination. Jacobs said he created an Emergency Management Working Group that will transition into a Local Emergency Planning Commission (LEPC) with broader regional, business and elected-official participation. He also described partnerships with Yamhill County, McMinnville School District and Willamette Valley Medical Center for projects such as school reunification after incidents.
On readiness, Jacobs said the EOP and continuity plan are complete and that city-wide ICS (Incident Command System) online training is about 90% complete among supervisors. He said the city has identified a primary Emergency Operations Center at the police department and an alternate location at the wastewater treatment facility’s conference room, the latter having less resilient infrastructure and therefore needing improvement.
Planned next steps include a tabletop exercise for department heads to test and refine the EOP (scheduled in about a month), additional hands-on training for members of a joint city–fire district incident management team, completion of critical-facilities and resource lists, and rollout of department standard operating procedure templates. Jacobs said he hopes to meet with each department head and finish that rollout before July.
Councilors pressed staff about whether the council should formally adopt the EOP. Public works and city management staff said adoption is not required for most grants, though one specific grant type does require formal adoption; the council can still choose to adopt the plan. Councilors also asked about the possibility of re-engaging Jacobs after his July transition; Jacobs and staff said he will remain a regional resource and could be accessed through Marian County or future contracting arrangements.
Jacobs warned that federal changes to FEMA structure and grant rules could require later revisions to the plan, and that the council should weigh those potential changes when deciding whether to adopt now. He also stressed that without a sustained staffing plan the city’s recent progress could deteriorate, and recommended assigning emergency-management duties to named departments or positions before his ARPA-funded role ends.
