Benton County Emergency Management Programs Collaborate on Wildfire Evacuation Drill

CORVALLIS, Ore. – The City of Corvallis and Benton County Emergency Management (BCEM) programs are pleased to announce their collaboration on a wildfire evacuation drill for Benton County on Saturday, May 18th, from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm.

The County’s Temporary Evacuation Point (TEP) is the Kalapuya Building on SW Research Way, Corvallis. The City’s TEP will be the Northwest Hills Community Church on Walnut in Corvallis. The drills will involve Community Emergency Response Team volunteers to ensure a coordinated and effective response.

The drill will serve as a valuable opportunity for residents and emergency responders to practice wildfire evacuation procedures and test communication systems. It is part of ongoing efforts to enhance emergency preparedness in Benton County. “We are excited to partner with the City of Corvallis on this important drill,” said BCEM Manager Bryan Lee. “By working together, we can better prepare our community for emergencies and ensure that everyone is safe and informed.”

Residents can sign up for emergency evacuation route notifications with the Linn-Benton ALERT system at https://sheriff.bentoncountyor.gov/linn-benton-alert/. After signing up for the alerts you will receive all emergency-related notifications related to your location.

Participating households have been provided detailed information about the exercise. Community members may notice additional traffic in the area as the evacuation drill gets underway. Unless there is an emergency, neighbors are advised to not call 9-1-1.

Please contact the Benton County Call Center at 541-766-6200 with questions about the drill. For more information about the wildfire evacuation drill and how you can participate, please contact Benton County Emergency Management at emergencymanagement@bentoncountyor.gov or call 541-766-6864.

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