ODFN Virtual Meetings
ODFN’s virtual meetings function to elevate statewide funding requests and allow space for Network Members (funders) to coordinate, share information, and network regionally. During active disasters, we both report on situations and invite community members, nonprofits, and local leadership to come and share about efforts on the ground.
Special Guests & Recordings
Barb Edwards
Clackamas County VOAD (CCVOAD)
The CCVOAD currently has 38 registered partners and key relationships with local and state partners and community based organizations and are leading the recovery efforts for the 2025 atmospheric flooding in Clackamas County. They have 26 unmet needs identified; 13 unmet needs have been addressed, and 10 completely met. Many households – with and without insurance coverage – are facing significant recovery gaps. Once life-safety and stabilization needs are met, they will shift to a long-term rebuilding phase.
Derek Burkhardt
Vale Rangeland Fire Protection Association
In 2025, Vale RFPA was awarded funds from ODFN members to purchase new tires and a used dozer. Vale RFPA covers around 1 million acres; in 2024 they had 27 fire starts which burned 138,000 acres. They gained 39 new members in 2025 and had 28 fire starts but only 4,300 acres burned. They were better prepared, more efficient, and had safer equipment in the 2025 season. Major expenses for RFPA’s include fuel, tires, and equipment maintenance, and the volunteers often cover these expenses themselves.
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Steve Meyer
Rangeland Fire Protection Associations (RFPA’s) operate as independent associations of landowners that provide their own local wildfire protection. RFPA fire prevention and suppression helps in conserving sage grouse habitat as well as safeguarding livestock forage and crop lands, which are crucial to local economies and the environment. There are currently 28 RFPA’s in Oregon, which are made up of 1,200 volunteers across 9 counties. RFPA volunteers are often the first responders to wildfires due to their rural and frontier locations. Robust RFPA’s help maintain and protect vast areas of Oregon.
Compared to 2024 fire statistics, 2025 had more fire starts but significantly fewer acres burned (168k in 2025 vs. 747k in 2024). Part of this is due to increased rangeland fire protection across the state, almost all volunteer. HB3349 awarded $1million over the biennium to be shared amongst the 28 existing RFPA’s, and each will be awarded about $8,000 from that bill. Another major grant the RFPA’s have received previously no longer allows for funds to be spent on tires, which is a major expense for RFPA’s. Recently a steering committee has been organized of and for the 28 independent nonprofits, further centralizing and strengthening this frontier network.
Oregon Department of Forestry and Rangeland Specialist
Eastern Oregon Area (RFPA)
Erin Taylor
Upstream Access
Upstream Access defines itself as a “cross-disability community committed to supporting the resilience of fellow disabled people in Oregon and Southwest Washington.” In addition to celebrating disability culture and advocating for inclusive spaces and equitable emergency management planning, this group explores and supports the intersection of disability and disaster resilience from all angles. Evacuation and transit routes, the impact of power outages on members of the disabled community, industry-standard power banks that cannot be read by someone without sight - these are some of the subjects and barriers this organization navigates, shaping a future where community disaster preparation includes all populations.
ODFN Virtual Meetings
Meeting Structure & Content
During “blue skies”–times without active disaster–the initial part of our virtual meeting includes a guest providing an update on how recovery is going in their community, or an organization which was funded by an ODFN member to share impact and any developments.
The second part of our virtual meeting includes a different guest to provide insight into the “disaster ecosystem” in general, or new developments that could affect disaster resilience, recovery and response. This guest is normally a much larger organization or network, or from the public or private sectors.
As an example, previous guests include the Oregon State Fire Marshal Mariana Ruiz-Temple, Jonna Papaefthimiou, the State Resilience Officer for the Office of Governor Tina Kotek, representatives from the Oregon Department of Forestry (sharing about the Rangeland Fire Protection Association model), and the founder and CEO of Perimeter, showcasing a web-based platform which emergency managers could use during disaster events.