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

Interested in resource sharing for interim building official, plan review, and inspection services - Click Here for Information on Oregon BCD Building Evaluation Support Agreement (BESA)

Interested in resource sharing of qualified building safety evaluators (BSE) and other building related staff during emergencies - Click Here for Information on Regional Disaster Preparedness Organization (RDPO) Stranded Workers Agreement (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 to build a foundation for their organization’s emergency response preparedness.  Emergency response and incident management all begins at the local level.  FEMA has developed standards and principles to managing and responding to incidents.  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 that we would recommend for Building Officials and their staff.  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!

In honor of Building Safety Month – Week 3: Build Your Defense, the OBOA Disaster Preparedness & Response Committee has updated its webpage with tools to help Oregon communities prepare, respond, and recover.

The theme of Week 3 focuses on building up your disaster preparedness toolkit.  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! 

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. 

Disaster Preparedness and Response Guides and Templates

Available Mutual Aid Agreements:

Interested in resource sharing for interim building official, plan review, and inspection services - Click Here for Information on Oregon BCD Building Evaluation Support Agreement (BESA)

Interested in resource sharing of qualified building safety evaluators (BSE) and other building related staff during emergencies - Click Here for Information on Regional Disaster Preparedness Organization (RDPO) Stranded Workers Agreement (SWAG)

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

SHARE YOUR EXPERTISE AND GET INVOLVED!  Every single OBOA member has skillsets and perspectives that are extremely valuable to the association!  We hope you take full advantage of your OBOA membership by participating in one (or more!) of these important peer groups. These volunteers are what makes OBOA successful and advancing our profession. To find out more, simply reach out to a committee chair directly or contact the OBOA office via email or call 503.691.OBOA (6262). We would be happy to connect you with the appropriate group!

Please note that joining a committee is a benefit of OBOA membership; only current members of OBOA may participate on committees.  If you aren't a current member, JOIN TODAY! We would love to have you.

Thanks for your support of OBOA!