Tribal Staff Attend Ceremony for National Preparedness Month 2025

Cow Creek Umpqua Emergency Manager Paul Crase and Cow Creek Tribal Police Chief Marty Case attended a ceremony in which Douglas County Commissioners declared September as “National Preparedness Month” in Douglas County.

National Preparedness month has been observed since 2004 across the U.S., and aims to encourage citizens to prepare for emergencies. In the ceremony, Douglas County Commissioners Tim Freeman, Tom Kress, and Chris Boice not only voiced this encouragement, but honored the people, programs, and partnerships that work together to make preparedness a priority all year long.

“We know that preparedness is a shared responsibility that requires the active involvement of individuals, families, businesses, and local government to ensure that our communites are ready to respond to and recover from emergencies of all kind,” said Commissioner Boice.

Commisioner Tim Freeman addressed the gathered staff and organizations that attended the ceremony: “I hope everybody takes a second to note all the different organizations that are represented here today. During these big emergencies we have in our communities the number of people that come forward to help is incredible. But it is you that are here today and the organizations that you represent that take the time to prepare and be ready – so you can help others in times of need. By building a wide variety of relationships, contacts, and a list of people willing to step up is what makes us get through these emergencies as a community and come out the other end stronger. Thank you all for what you do.”

Douglas County Sheriff’s Office Undersheriff Brad O’Dell also shared his thoughts with the assembled group: “Here we have partnerships that work. We have
tested them. We have tweaked the processes. But again, as I look out through the room I see just partners from all kinds of different disciplines, organizations, volunteerism and we couldn’t have emergency preparedness without every one of you at the table.”