OBOA Disaster Preparedness & Response Committee

Committee Co-Chairs: Paul Vinje, Chief Plans Examiner, City of Hillsboro and Chris Wong, SE, Structural Engineer, City of Hillsboro
Simply click the name above to send an email directly to the chair about committee activities.

May is Building Safety Month - State of Oregon Proclamation

Current Updates! 

The disaster preparedness and response committee is here to assist Oregon Building Officials interested in building their organizations disaster preparedness and response capabilities and taking that first step.  To help build that foundational base, the committee will focus on providing resource documents, quick links and tips relating to developing Building Department resiliency. 

The committee will focus on the following areas:

  • Creating emergency supply lists for Building Department functions post-disaster.
  • Creating guides and templates covering various disaster preparedness and response topics (SOP for disaster response; Continuity of Operations Planning; Mutual Aid Agreements; and more).
  • Provide resources for training opportunities (Building Safety Evaluator Training; FEMA Incident Management Training (NIMS/ICS); and more).
  • Community outreach and public messaging.

Have something to share?

We’re building this toolkit together. Let us know if you have a resource to share or want to get involved!

#DisasterPreparedness #CommunityResilience #OregonStrong #OBOA #CodeOfficials #PublicSafety

We will add and update this committee page continually to keep it relevant and valuable for our members -- please bookmark this page and check back for the latest info. If you have any requests, suggestions or other ideas on ways to make this even more valuable to you, please share. 

Emergency Supply Lists

Supply List

Disaster Preparedness and Response Guides and Templates

Available Mutual Aid Agreements:

Oregon BCD Building Evaluation Support Agreement (BESA): Resource sharing for interim building official, plan review, and inspection services 

Regional Disaster Preparedness Organization (RDPO) Stranded Workers Agreement (SWAG): Resource sharing of qualified building safety evaluators (BSE) and other building related staff during emergencies - click here for information on SWAG.

For a brief overview of each program check out this guide outlining each program! 

Training Opportunities

Recommended training for Building Officials and their staff:

The National Incident Management System (NIMS) is used all across the country.  FEMA offers free online courses to help you build your base.  There are two baseline courses and two additional courses.  Click on the links for more information.

Baseline Courses

Additional Courses


Community Outreach and Public Messaging

  • To help jurisdictions get the message out to their communities about the importance of being prepared and having a plan for an emergency, the committee has compiled a list of emergency preparedness videos free to share with the public!  The first step to preparedness is awareness!

  • New Handout for Homeowners – Post Disaster Building Inspection Guide

  • Coming soon! MAY 2026 BUILDING SAFETY MONTH

 

Weekly Themes

The 2026 campaign theme is “Built to Last” and includes these special weekly themes.

Week 1: Safe Homes, Strong Communities (May 1–10) focuses on simple actions homeowners can take to improve safety at home

Week 2: Voices of the Built Environment (May 11–17) spotlights building safety professionals and the roles they play in keeping communities safe

Week 3: Prepared to Protect (May 18–24) encourages community preparedness and highlights how disaster-resilient building codes protect people and property

Week 4: Communities Without Limits (May 25–31) showcases the importance of accessibility in building construction and design

Have something to share?

We’re building this toolkit together. Let us know if you have a resource to share or want to get involved!

#BuildingSafetyMonth #DisasterPreparedness #CommunityResilience #OregonStrong #OBOA #CodeOfficials #PublicSafety

We will add and update this committee page continually to keep it relevant and valuable for our members -- please bookmark this page and check back for the latest info. If you have any requests, suggestions or other ideas on ways to make this even more valuable to you, please share. 

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