Why Emergency Preparedness Matters for Wilsonville
I want to thank Neil Kennedy, Charbonneau’s Community Safety Coordinator (above, right), for meeting with me and providing valuable insights and information—including the Charbonneau Emergency Response Plan—which provided a basis for this article.
Wilsonville really is a unique place. We sit at a crossroads between metro and rural Oregon, between the Willamette River and I-5, and between the comfort of our everyday routines and the natural hazards that come with living in the Pacific Northwest. The same things that make Wilsonville a great place to live—strong neighborhoods, parks and trails, good schools, and active volunteers—also give us a huge advantage when it comes to resilience.
Emergency preparedness isn’t just about stocking up on supplies or having a plan in a binder. It’s about building a mindset/culture of:
Neighbors looking out for neighbors
Community HOAs getting organized
Businesses knowing their roles
City being ready to support everyone when it counts. Because in a real emergency, especially a major one, first responders will be stretched thin.
For the first hours—or even days—it’s often the people on your own street who become the first line of help. A prime example is Charbonneau’s well-established preparedness program, which is proof that this kind of community-level readiness works. Charbonneau is a real example of Wilsonville neighbors stepping up for one another long before emergency crews can reach every part of the city.
My goal is to build a Wilsonville-wide culture of preparedness by helping neighborhoods and HOAs create a simple, Charbonneau-style emergency plan with local captains, basic training, and clear communication so that when something happens, every resident is prepared and knows someone nearby is ready to help.
The good news is that Wilsonville already has a strong foundation in place:
A City Emergency Management Program that ties everything together.
A recently updated Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) that spells out who does what during an incident.
A Natural Hazards Mitigation Plan (NHMP) that looks at our risks and how to reduce them.
Public outreach efforts like “Wilsonville Ready,” workshops, and preparedness fairs.
Now the opportunity is to bring that same sense of readiness into every neighborhood and HOA—using Charbonneau as a model but tailoring the approach to fit each community.
Are you an HOA President or Board Member in Wilsonville? I’d like to hear from you as we work on expanding this program across our city. Email me today or call 971-804-0613 to get in touch.
What We’re Actually Preparing For….?
Before any community can prepare well, it must understand the risks. Here in Wilsonville, we face a few big ones:
1. Earthquakes
We all know a Cascadia Subduction Zone earthquake is the big one. It could cause long, intense shaking, liquefaction, landslides, broken bridges (including the Boone Bridge), utility failures, and disrupted supply chains. Older buildings or homes built before seismic codes may be especially vulnerable.
2. Severe Weather: Ice, Wind, Winter Storms
If you’ve lived here long enough, you know what ice storms can do—downed trees, power outages, blocked roads. And when power is out for days, the ripple effects start adding up: frozen pipes, spoiled food, dangerous heating methods, and real challenges for older adults and people with disabilities.
3. Wildfire Smoke and Urban/Wildland Fire
We may not see flames inside the city, but the smoke can easily reach us and linger. That’s tough on kids, older adults, and anyone with breathing issues. With hotter summers and more vegetation around HOAs and parks, we also have to think seriously about reducing local fire hazards.
4. Flooding and Stormwater Issues
Heavy rains and localized flooding can quickly impact roads and low-lying areas. Something as simple as a blocked storm drain in an HOA can cause real problems.
5. Heat Waves and Public Health Emergencies
Heat waves are becoming more common and put strain on vulnerable residents and the power grid. And, as we all learned recently, public health crises can disrupt normal support systems for everyone.
The City is already working on these risks in its planning documents. The next step is syncing that city-level work with neighborhood and HOA efforts so that when something happens, we’re all on the same page.
What the City Does—and How It Supports Neighborhoods
Wilsonville’s Emergency Management Plan is all about coordinating the big picture—mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery. The goal is simple: keep people safe and limit damage. Here’s what the City focuses on:
• Planning & Coordination: Keeping the EOP up to date, staying aligned with regional partners, and defining clear roles before anything happens.
• Reducing Hazards: Using the NHMP to guide long-term improvements to infrastructure and community assets.
• Public Education: Fairs, workshops, and “Wilsonville Ready” outreach that help residents get started with the basics.
• Emergency Operations Center: Running the citywide response and coordinating mutual aid when an incident occurs.
• Alerts & Warnings: Getting information out fast through regional alerts, city websites, and social media.
Think of the City as the backbone. It provides structure, expertise, and coordination. But the truth is, the first minutes and hours of a major event belong largely to neighborhoods—and that’s where HOAs and residents play a crucial role.
Charbonneau’s Preparedness Program: What It Shows Us
An HOA-community with about 1500 households, Charbonneau has one of the strongest neighborhood-led preparedness efforts in Wilsonville, and it’s a great example of what’s possible. Some highlights:
• Leadership: A Community Safety Coordinator and an Emergency Preparedness/Public Safety Committee provide structure and consistency.
• HOA Captains & Trained Volunteers: Over 100 captains and medically trained residents who can take action if responders are delayed.
• Resident Resources: A preparedness booklet, checklists, home-readiness guides, and ongoing outreach.
• Neighbor-to-Neighbor Focus: Drills, reminders, and messaging that emphasize helping the people around you.
• City Alignment: Their work connects directly with the City’s larger preparedness goals.
Charbonneau proves a few things:
• HOAs can organize preparedness without overwhelming volunteers.
• Simple systems—maps, communications systems, captains, training—make a huge difference.
• Neighborhoods complement the City’s efforts, not replace them.
The real question moving forward is how we take what works in Charbonneau and adapt it to other parts of Wilsonville, which have different needs and layouts.
From Plans on Paper to a Prepared Community
Wilsonville is already a strong, engaged city. But when the next big earthquake, ice storm, or wildfire smoke event hits, what matters most is what happens right where people live—on each block, each cul-de-sac, and within each community HOA. Charbonneau’s approach shows that neighborhood-level organization works. With captains, trained volunteers, good communication, and regular drills, they’ve built a community that can support itself in those critical early hours.
By weaving preparedness into HOA routines, strengthening partnerships between neighborhoods and the City, and sharing the tools that already work, we can build a community where:
Every household knows the basics of what to do and has what it needs for the first days or weeks.
Every HOA has designated leaders and a simple plan they feel confident using.
The City’s professional response is strengthened by organized, prepared neighborhoods.
Preparedness isn’t a one-and-done task. It’s something we build over time. And if Wilsonville continues to invest in that effort—learning from Charbonneau, aligning neighborhood work with city planning, and supporting one another—then when the unexpected happens, we’ll be ready. We won’t face it alone; we’ll face it as a community.
My goal is to build a Wilsonville-wide culture of preparedness by helping neighborhoods and HOAs create a simple, Charbonneau-style emergency plan with local captains, basic training, and clear communication so that when something happens, every resident is prepared and knows someone nearby is ready to help.
In Part 2, I’ll lay out a practical blueprint for strengthening preparedness across all of Wilsonville.
As always, I welcome the opportunity to discuss this — or any other issues —with you. You can reach me at scull@wilsonvilleoregon.gov or 971-804-0613.