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The 2020 Almeda Fire came dangerously close to Rogue Valley Manor pictured here with flames coursing through Phoenix and south Medford below. Photo by Brian McLemore.
enforcement officers did door-to-door evacuations and saved many lives. The county conducted the largest evacuation in our history. During the peak of the fires, level 2 and 3 evacuation orders were issued to 70,000 county residents,” he explained. Additionally, Jackson County completed a comprehensive damage assessment of over 3,500 structures, which helped quickly facilitate insurance claims and help people learn about the status of their structures. “The county also led and coordinated the establishment of a multi-agency response center in Medford, Phoenix and Talent to help people register with FEMA,” said Jordan. During the Q&A period, one attendee asked how the community could help during emergencies in the future. “We need to work with agencies outside the county to get a better idea of what they can do. For example, if churches can set up temporary shelters, we need to know that. We need to integrate with those groups so we can send people to the right locations and resources,” Jordan said. However, Jordan emphasized the importance of receiving better — and more timely — state resources, and how that was lacking during last year’s wildfires. “Last year we had to yell for help during a crisis. While we have resources here, we still need more help coming from the state level,” he said. n
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The Business Review | July 2021
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