Mission Statement

The Oregon Emergency Management Association is committed to minimizing the impact of disasters on communities throughout Oregon.

Purpose Statement

The Oregon Emergency Management Association (OEMA) adopts the following Purpose Statement to clarify its direction and priorities.

The OEMA is a statewide association of individuals who share an interest in the emergency management profession. The Association exists to:

• Promote communication by providing a forum for ideas, suggestions, and courses of action
• Promote emergency management principles and programs
• Provide training and educational opportunities
• Provide liaison to partner organizations
• Influence public policy decisions affecting emergency management
• Establish and maintain professional standards

Core Values

We embrace and foster the following core values to serve our customers and the needs of Oregon communities:

• Innovation, coordination, and service
• Commitment and dedication
• Individual and team professionalism
• Trust in and respect for others
• Sharing of time, resources, and knowledge
• Adherence to public law
• Customer Focus

We are committed to the delivery of quality products and services to our customers. These customers include:

Internal

• Association members
• Member's organizational governing bodies, executive managers, and staff

External

• The public
• Other emergency management and public safety agencies (local, state, and federal)
• Other local governments, businesses, and community organizations
• Other professionally-related organizations
   

Organizational Strengths

What are we doing right as an organization? As a professional organization, we ask this fundamental question in order to maximize our efforts while using sound management principles in the use of our resources. Some of the things that we are doing right as an organization include:

• Providing a forum for the sharing of knowledge, ideas, and processes (i.e., networking)
• Developing agreements and partnerships
• Providing a collective voice for emergency management issues/concerns
• Strengthening interpersonal and inter-organizational relationships
• Increasing program visibility and building respect for the emergency management profession
• Planning for and delivering an annual emergency management workshop
• Seeking enactment of comprehensive emergency management legislation in the state of Oregon

Organizational Challenges

What are we doing organizationally that we need to improve? Since we see ourselves as an effective statewide organization committed to serving the needs of a diverse group of internal and external customers, we must operate in a manner that supports pursuit of our mission, purpose, and goals. To this end, we must ensure that we are:

• Addressing issues that are of the greatest relevance/concern to the majority of the membership
• Investing in our members to strengthen them individually and collectively
• Pursuing activities that will provide the greatest benefit to the organization's customers
• Establishing objectives that are realistic and achievable
• Meeting commitments to the organization
• Maintaining a positive and professional working environment

Organizational Goals

Within the framework of our mission, purpose, and values, we have adopted and prioritized the following goals as the focus of our current efforts/endeavors.

Ongoing:

• Build partnerships with organizations, associations, and agencies with a stake in the emergency management program
• Increase OEMA representation on relevant regional and statewide committees and task forces
• Increase association membership
• Capitalize on opportunities to educate state and local officials on the emergency management program and profession
• Increase member participation in association activities and programs
• Promote ORCEMS as a respected professional certification standard
• Monitor emergency management related issues and affairs

Short Term:

• Strengthen the relationship between the OEMA and the state Office of Emergency Management (OEM)
• Develop a more effective internal committee structure and liaison program to pursue the Association's mission, purpose, and goals
• Clarify and formalize relationships with existing partner organizations, associations, and agencies
• Formalize the Oregon Certified Emergency Management Specialist (ORCEMS) certification and recertification processes
• Seek clarification of OEMA's County Liaison program

Long Term:

• Promote passage of the Oregon Comprehensive Emergency Management Act (OCEMA) or equivalent legislation that includes statewide funding for the emergency management program, disaster relief, and pre-disaster mitigation
• Enhance hazardous materials spill response planning throughout the state through improved coordination and partnering with the state's Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC)
• Foster a partnership between OEM and local emergency managers in implementation of the EMPG Program
• Pursue improvements and stability in the statewide emergency management training program
• Build a political advocacy base in the state
• Seek stable funding for the emergency management program statewide
• Evaluate the implications of NFPA 1600 and FEMA's Local Capabilities Assessment Review (CAR) and work aggressively to manage how the standards are applied to agencies, organizations, and businesses in the state
• Develop and seek approval of emergency management staffing standards by agencies and organizations in the state
• Promote adoption of a statewide emergency management mutual aid agreement
• Support efforts to design and develop a statewide emergency management communications network
• Encourage active participation of state agencies in local and state emergency management program activities

From the above list, we have identified the following goals as our “Top Five” in terms of their importance to the Association:

• Strengthen the relationship between OEMA members and the state Office of Emergency Management (OEM)
• Develop a more effective internal committee structure and liaison program to pursue the Association's mission, purpose, and goals
• Promote passage of the Oregon Comprehensive Emergency Management Act (OCEMA) or equivalent legislation that includes statewide funding for the emergency management program, disaster relief, and pre-disaster mitigation
• Enhance hazardous materials spill response planning throughout the state through improved coordination and partnering with the state's Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC)
• Increase member participation in Association activities and programs