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Oregon Emergency Management

Oregon Emergency Response System (OERS)
The purpose of the Oregon Emergency Response System (OERS) is to coordinate and manage state resources in response to natural and technological emergencies and civil unrest involving multi-jurisdictional cooperation between all levels of government and the private sector.
  • OERS is the primary point of contact by which any public agency provides the state notification of an emergency or disaster, or requests access to state or federal resources.  
  • OERS was established in 1972 by the Governor of Oregon to improve communications and coordination between government agencies responding to hazardous materials incidents across the state.
This was the first state plan of its type in the country.
 
OERS is the cornerstone of the State Emergency Services System.
 
Activating OERS:
  • Local public safety agencies such as law enforcement, fire and emergency medical services normally provide the first response to an incident.   Access to this local assistance is through 9-1-1.  
  • Once notified, local public safety agencies would call OERS at 800-452-0311 or Salem Area 503 378 6377 . If necessary, responsible parties would then call the National Response Center at 800-424-8802.

OERS provides 24-hour service through Oregon Emergency Management (OEM), of the Department of State Police. The OEM duty officer will ask you to provide the following information:  
 
1. Your name and agency.
2. Your telephone number.
3. Type of incident and the materials involved.
4. Location/time of incident.
5. Background/how the incident occurred.
6. On-scene contact and how to reach them.
7. Severity of incident - threat to people, property, or the environment.
8. Actions taken - containment, evacuation.
9. Responsible party and telephone number.

Compliance with Law:
  • ORS 466.635 requires any person owning or having control over oil or hazardous material who has knowledge of a spill or release shall immediately notify OEM as soon as that person knows the spill or release is a reportable quantity.  
  • ORS 824.088 requires each railroad that gives notice to the United States Department of Transportation of an incident that occurs during the course of transporting hazardous materials as defined by federal regulations shall also notify OEM by contacting OERS. 
  • OAR 345-60-030 requires similar notification for radioactive material incidents.  
  • Sections 304, Title III of the Federal superfund Amendments and Re-authorization Act (SARA) of 1986 requires facilities to notify the Local Emergency Planning committee (LEPC) and the State Emergency Response Commission (SERC) if there is a release of a listed hazardous substance that exceeds the reportable quantity for that substances.

Your call to OERS will satisfy these notification requirements:
  • Advise the duty officer that you are making a SERC/LEPC notification and submit the required written report to:
SERC/LEPC
c/o CR2K,
4760 Portland Rd NE, Salem, OR 97305-1760
  • You may also be required to notify the local 9-1-1 Center and the National Response Center.

OERS Brochure
OERS Council

Department of Administrative Services DAS
Oregon Department of Agriculture ODA
Department of Consumer and Business Services DCBS
Department of Corrections DOC
Oregon State Police
Office of State Fire Marshal
 OSP

OSFM
Department of Environmental Quality DEQ
Department of Fish and Wildlife ODFW
Department of Forestry ODF
Department of Geology and Mineral Industries DOGAMI
Department of Justice DOJ
Department of Land Conservation and Development  DLCD
Oregon Emergency Management OEM
Oregon Office of Energy OOE
Oregon Military Department OMD
Occupational Safety and Health OR-OSHA
Division of State Lands DSL
Department of Parks and Recreation OPRD
Public Utility Commission PUC
Oregon Department of Transportation ODOT
Water Resources Department WRD
Department of Human Services  
Oregon Health Division  
 DHS

OHD
Department of Education DOE
 
For more information on OERS, contact Ken Keim or OERS STAFF.
 
Page updated: July 16, 2008

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