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County commends disaster management team for Mount Hood exercise after FEMA absence
Summary
County Administrator Gary Schmidt praised the Office of Disaster Management and training coordinator Johnny Lewis for conducting a Mount Hood wildfire and evacuation exercise involving over 30 local agencies; Schmidt said FEMA did not participate due to federal staffing reductions and the county-led effort received high marks.
County Administrator Gary Schmidt used the June 4 meeting to recognize the Office of Disaster Management for organizing and running a Mount Hood wildfire and evacuation simulation that involved representatives from more than 30 local public‑safety agencies.
Schmidt said the exercise was especially notable because the Federal Emergency Management Agency did not participate this year due to reduced federal staffing, and county staff led the exercise themselves. He read commendations from a local chaplain and Clackamas Fire praising training and exercise coordinator Johnny Lewis for meticulous, collaborative planning.
"Hats off to Johnny and the rest of the Clackamas disaster management team," Schmidt said, relaying feedback that the exercise ranked highly among local practitioners and improved readiness for a potential wildfire evacuation.
Why it matters: the county's ability to run large multi‑agency exercises without expected federal support demonstrates local capacity for emergency preparedness and identifies staff and programs the county can point to when coordinating future response and training efforts.
