1-10-13 PDX NIMO First Simulation for 2013

Mt Hood and the Portland Watershed

Portland NIMO began 2013 with an exercise and Google Earth simulation in Sandy, Oregon on the Mt. Hood National Forest. About 40 people, including NIMO, attended with a great cross section of the agencies involved in the exercise as well as the Regional Office.

Acting Deputy Regional Fire Director Deb Roy helps set the
scene for the simulation in the Portland Watershed

The scenario, created at the request of the regional office, addressed the possibility of a fire in the Bull Run Watershed which provides water for nearly one million people in the Portland area, one quarter of the population of the state of Oregon. The seriousness of this occurrence becomes apparent when reviewing a mudslide from years ago when about 1000 cubic yards of debris ended up in the water supply and shut the system down for 11 days.

Regional Forester Kent Connaughton (left) and
Forest Supervisor Chris Worth (center) participate in the exercise.

In attendance, representatives from the Portland Water Bureau (8), USFS Regional office (4), Regional Forester Kent Connaughton, local fire districts (6), Oregon Dept. of Forestry (6), Mt Hood Forest Supervisor, firefighters & fire staff (8).   The simulation allowed participants to talk through, and walk through, agency thinking and strategies in a situation that is rarely encountered.  Due to the size of the population, and concern for the single source water supply, good communication between agencies and  speaking with one voice were of paramount concern.

David Summer (back to us,) facilitates the exercise

The sim also included a situation similar to Dollar Lake when the nation was at PL 4 and resources were scarce. The exercise allowed participants to share and understand that the values at risk in the watershed, were competing for attention with the values at risk, like houses, across the nation. There was agreement that there would be intense pressure from elected officials and the public to take aggressive action,  but the sim allowed for discussion about how that pressure must be balanced with what resources were available, people's homes burning and danger to firefighters.

The day ended with a number of agreements about how the agencies can work together and prepare ahead of time to manage public expectations. Specific bin items were agreed to: more tactical simulations in the near future; incorporation of fire potential and information into the public tours of the watershed; communication with public around the state about these efforts to coordinate plans; build relationships ahead of time so all agencies understand specific concerns and interests; and consider the most urgent of these things ahead of the 2013 fire season.