Story, Photos & Video by Don Backman
(Nehalem City Park, Nehalem, OR -July 22, 2023)
“When all else fails, there is ham radio,” Bruce Maxwell, Communication Director of the Emergency Volunteer Corps of Nehalem Bay (EVENB), told the assembled audience at Nehalem City Park. Maxwell was demonstrating the radio communication system needed in the event of a disaster or emergency when standard communication fails.
The event was a training session hosted by EVCNB and the Nehalem Bay Medical Reserve Corps (MRC). The MRC was demonstrating equipment purchased after receiving a National MRC RISE Award (2022-23) of $33,750. This money went to buy tents, stoves, PPE, waterproof patient charts, computers, scanner, printer, water purification units, vital signs equipment, and tourniquets.
The MRC and EVCNB volunteers guided groups of representatives from local city, county, and state government and agencies, other volunteer emergency preparedness groups, and local fire departments through a simulated emergency deployment that may be needed in the advent of a disaster.
Areas were set aside for various functions to demonstrate patient intake, radio communications equipment such as HAM radio and GMRS radios, heating, cooking, and water boiling systems, emergency medical supplies, and sanitation which included water filtration and purifying and waste disposal. A large command tent was erected with additional equipment such as a backup power bank to run office equipment such as printer/scanner.
Velda Handler, Nehalem Bay MRC Coordinator, explained that we “Want the City of Nehalem (and other resources) to know what human and equipment resources there are and how to activate them.”
Lee Hiltenbrand, Emergency Response Director for EVCNB, welcomed the assembled visitors. “The MRC volunteers are dedicating this time to demonstrate the equipment they acquired through a grant,“ he explained. “They are drilling with that so they can become familiar with the various components..” Hiltenbrand went on to talk about how this works in practice. “People in our area could be displaced for a number of reasons, it’s important that they go to a site that provides them safe haven.” The Nehalem City Park is a designated evacuation assembly area. “I can’t thank NANOOS enough for their tsunami mapping and their evacuation routes that they have provided to us,” Hiltenbrand added, leading a group shouted “Thank You!”.
The Northwest Association of Networked Ocean Observing Systems (NANOOS) is the Regional Association of the National Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS) in the Pacific Northwest, primarily Washington and Oregon. NANOOS brings together oceanic data gathered by itself and partners.
NBMRC is a county-wide group of mostly retired medically trained people that was formed after the events of 9/11/2001. There are currently 72 members county-wide. MRC was activated by Tillamook County to assist with the COVID epidemic for two and a half years and is credited by the Tillamook County Health Department as being a critical component in their ability to respond effectively.
A press release states that, “Nehalem Bay MRC has been acknowledged as the 2022 and 2023 MRC Unit “Innovator of the Year” by the State of Oregon SERV-OR organization. We have been deployed for 2 1/2 years for the COVID-19 Response and the Flu Vaccination effort. We have worked throughout the County and partnered with Tillamook County Community Health, Adventist Health Clinics and Hospital, Nehalem Bay Health Center and Pharmacy, and Fire Departments throughout the county, including our Nehalem Bay Fire & Rescue. The NBMRC members have volunteered 8500 hours over the past 2 ½ + years, resulting in an Economic Value to our County of $475,000!!”
“Some situations which may precipitate an activation may include flooding, wildfire, snow causing need for shelters with MRC working within that shelter, medical support and care if we become isolated, surge support for an overwhelmed clinic or other healthcare settings, or in the event of a major catastrophe such as an earthquake/tsunami event, etc.…”
“If someone is interested in joining, or even finding out more about the MRC,” Handler explained. “Please have them contact Adele Spegman, RN (retired), Nehalem Bay Medical Reserve Corps Administrator – Adele.Spegman@evcnb.org. “We can explain the program and application process.”