Disaster alert system depends on everyone

Mail Tribune – A consultant’s report on the official response to the Almeda and South Obenchain fires largely confirmed what everyone who lived through the disasters already knew: firefighters and other first responders did a tremendous job under trying circumstances, helping prevent loss of life and stopping the Almeda fire before it reached Medford. But the notification system, such as it was, failed residents of Phoenix and Talent. The report on the Sept. 8, 2020, fires is the result of months of work by IEM International, Inc., a North Carolina disaster and crisis management firm commissioned by Jackson County to evaluate the official response to the fires.

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