Region X

Serving AK, ID, OR, WA

Active Disasters

Evaluating Losses Avoided Through Hazard Mitigation - City of Centralia

(PDF 1MB, TXT 21KB)

Before Wild Fires Rage

Photo of Susan Reinertson Fire season is off to an early start in Pacific Northwest, and fire crews have already been mobilized to fight multiple wildfires in Idaho. With drier than normal conditions projected through July of this year, now is the time for at-risk homeowners to take precautions. Alaska may be prone to more spectacular wildfires, and Idaho may have got an early start this year, but drier than normal conditions are projected through July for Oregon and Washington as well. And it’s not just the eastern counties that are at risk. With almost unlimited fuels and denser underbrush, western wildfires can burn hotter than their eastern counterparts, can be even more difficult for firefighters to combat, and can threaten more densely populated communities. But regardless of where you live, the bottom line is that an aware, responsible and committed public plays a critical role in saving lives and safeguarding property in the face of impending disaster.

Straight forward steps for those living near forested areas, woodland/urban interface areas or near expanses of brush or dry grass include:

Cutting back flammable weeds and brush and remove tree branches to a height of 15 feet.
Stacking firewood away from your home.
Storing combustible materials only in approved containers, and away from the house.
Keeping roofs, chimneys and gutters clean.
Keeping a non-flammable screen over the flue opening of chimneys or stovepipes.
Establishing firebreaks around the perimeter of structures, power poles and property.
Using fire resistant materials when retrofitting or renovating structures.
Installing smoke detectors on every floor, and near sleeping areas.
Having fire tools (shovel, rake, water bucket and a ladder that can reach the roof) handy.
Planning and rehearsing family evacuation plans.

For more information on establishing defensible perimeters and preparing for wildfires, visit: www.fema.gov/hazard/wildfire/index.shtm

FEMA Representatives Share Information At The Grays Harbor Trade Show

Mitigation specialist Jose Ruvira talks with visitors to the FEMA Mitigation booth at the Grays Harbor Trade Fair FEMA was well represented at the popular Grays Harbor Trade Show, in Aberdeen, Washington in early February. Mitigation specialists talked with hundreds of interested residents about how to prepare for the next possible disaster by re-building safer, smarter and stronger.

More than 650 mitigation publications were distributed to those who visited the Mitigation booth. In terms that people could understand, FEMA specialists talked about best practices, what's available on the market, and what's the best siding, roofing, insulation, etc. for extreme weather.

Community Relations representatives also had a booth, which was visited by 112 people. They answered general questions about disaster assistance and were able to refer people to the SBA, the Mitigation booth or the nearby DRC. The CR specialists discussed FEMA programs with attendees and provided informational handouts in English and Spanish.

Several radio stations broadcast live from the Trade Show all day long. During the day, representatives from Mitigation, CR and PIO were interviewed and presented information about mitigation practices and FEMA disaster assistance programs.

The annual Trade Show, sponsored by the Grays Harbor Chamber of Commerce, attracted an estimated 10,000-15,000 people, who visited over 80 booths. It was held February 2nd at the South Shore Mall in Aberdeen.

Center for Homeland Defense and Security Marks Fifth Anniversary

L to R FEMA R10 Regional Administrator Susan Reinertson and Chuck Eaneff, DHS Fellow, Naval Postgraduate School, Center for Homeland Defense and Security. Photo credit: NPS (Naval Post Graduate School) News Photo Javier Chagoya. Administrator Paulison traveled to Monterey, Calif., to participate in events marking the fifth anniversary of the Naval Postgraduate School's Center for Homeland Defense and Security (CHDS). The Center's homeland security master's degree and other education programs are supported by FEMA's National Preparedness Directorate.

Speaking at the anniversary reception January 29, Paulison described the Center as "a national resource for hundreds of other academic and government organizations around the nation." He said the alumni's research, interagency and intergovernmental networking and ongoing leadership are "helping to shape the evolution of homeland security."

Susan Reinertson, FEMA's Region X Administrator and a CHDS graduate, served as a moderator for the panel discussion Homeland Security: The Past Five Years and Looking Forward Five Years. Representatives of other DHS components, the FBI, NORTHCOM and the Department of Defense also participated in the panel.

For more information on CHDS and its homeland security master's and other programs, which are free to DHS employees, see the website at www.chds.us.

Portland Hosts Regional Interagency Steering Committee

FEMA Logistics Management Directorate Assistant Administrator Eric Smith fields questions on resourcing catastrophic events. FEMA news photo/Mike Howard Over 80 state homeland security advisors, emergency managers and federal partners met in Portland, Oregon on 30 January 2007 to report out on operational capabilities and the new National Response Framework. The new FEMA Region X RISC structure consolidates the Alaska RISC and the Northwest RISC into one robust Regional RISC for Alaska, Idaho, Oregon and Washington State.

Region X Stands Up Regional Advisory Council

The Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) Region 10 announces the creation of a Regional Advisory Council for the Pacific Northwest, to advise the Regional Administrator on all aspects of emergency management in an effort to ensure close coordination with all involved.

The council is made up of elected officials, emergency managers, and emergency response providers from state, local and tribal governments from the four-state region which includes Alaska, Idaho, Oregon and Washington. According to FEMA Regional Administrator Susan Reinertson, a primary goal of the council will be to improve communication and understanding among the various organizations involved in emergency management and response.

"Our goal was to attract the most knowledgeable and dedicated people with practical experience in management and on the ground to make sure we can all work together more effectively when disaster strikes," said Reinertson. "We can't wait until a disaster strikes to start creating common understanding and shared sense of purpose."

RX Administrator Susan Reinertson chaired the first meeting of the RX Regional Advisory Council (RAC) in Bellevue, WA on November 28, 2007.

Dillingham, AK Fire Department Receives $313,500 Grant

Dennis Varner, Dillingham Mayor Alice Ruby, along with Robert Powers, FEMA's Deputy Assistant Administrator for Disaster Operations, Dillingham Fire Chief Norman Heyano and FEMA's Alaska area manager Robert Forgit at the check presentation. FEMA Photograph by Mike Howard FEMA awards a $313,500 AFG to the City of Dillingham Volunteer Fire Department and Rescue Squad. FEMA's Deputy Assistant Administrator for Disaster Operations Robert Powers presented this grant to Dillingham's Fire Department Chief Norman Heyano. The Dillingham AFG grant will be used to purchase a new pumper/tanker fire truck.

Region 10 Federal Agency Media Guide

R10 Cover (PDF 6.4MB, TXT 200KB)

What We Do

From its offices in Bothell, FEMA's Region X works in partnership with the emergency management agencies of Alaska, Idaho, Oregon and Washington to prepare for, respond to and recover from disasters. Region X's most common challenges are severe storms and winter storms that can cause flooding, flash-flooding and landslides throughout the region, and earthquakes and tornados.

Constructed on the site of a decommissioned Nike missile site, the Bothell Federal Regional Center (FRC) is one of six similar operations centers built during the late 1960s. Total cost of design, construction, etc. was $1,860,000 (estimated cost of constructing a similar building in 1983 was over $25 million, and the cost today would easily exceed $40 million). The building itself is a subterranean office structure designed to be reasonably survivable in the event of foreseeable natural or man-made disasters.

Who We Are

The Region employs 85 full-time employees, and can draw on a cadre of over 425 Disaster Assistance Employees (DAEs) or "reservists" during a Presidential Disaster Declaration.

Regional organization includes six directorates, or divisions:

Regional Administrator's Office