Public comment: Preserve the Lane County Public Health Reserve Corps

Presenter: Lane County is at risk of losing its Public Health Reserve Corps. Sharing public comment May 13 with county commissioners, Dr. Fran Munkenbeck:

Dr. Fran Munkenbeck: I’m concerned about the future of the Lane County Public Health Reserve Corps. The Reserve Corps was formed as a medical reserve corps of SERV-OR to help in public health emergencies and in disasters in Lane County.

[00:00:22] The Reserve Corps and the county obtained a grant through the EPA to build six resilient centers in Lane County that would open as a place for people to stay when their home is no longer livable due to a disaster. That grant has been rescinded with the new Trump administration.

[00:00:37] Most of the people in the Public Health Reserve Corps are volunteers, but there’s a Corps coordinator and a field operation supervisor who provide the planning and structure of the group.

Their salaries were to be funded by the grant which no longer exists. Without the funding, the two job positions in the organization dissolve.

[00:00:55] I spoke at Lane County commissioners meeting in January 2024 after the winter storm. I was a volunteer at Egan (Warming Centers) at the Springfield/Memorial (Building) site during the ice storm before the county declared a state of emergency.

We took in not only the chronically homeless but other people who lost function of their homes in the ice storm and had no place to go. The police dropped them off and some walked in.

[00:01:16] Many had significant medical needs but the ambulances were also strained so people stayed with us till paramedics could come to transport them to hospitals in Springfield.

I know one elderly lady who was quite ill, unstable, and I stayed with her until an ambulance arrived for both her and another person in order to take them to a Springfield hospital.

[00:01:36] We found places for all who came young and old, but we got low on food, we lost electricity the last night we were open, and port-a-potties overflowed as no service could come to pump them out due to weather conditions.

I was thrilled when Lane County Public Health Reserve Corps got the EPA grant so we had six resilience centers throughout Lane County to help during disasters, to care for people during times of needs.

[00:01:58] Over the past few years, volunteers have been formally trained through courses at the volunteer expense (when not free) and through formal exercises in order to be ready for disasters and to care for people in need.

However, we just lost the grant to support running the organization, including the salaries of two paid members who are the backbone of the organization, they are wonderful people, and they know what they’re doing.

[00:02:21] I know Lane County cannot replace the dissolved grant entirely, but please consider basic funding so the Reserve Corps remains active and ready with the two employees, in order to adequately respond to disasters that will continue to come, funding or not.

[00:02:35] Thank you for your time and willingness to listen. Thank you.

[00:02:39] Presenter: Dr. Fran Munkenbeck asks commissioners to fund paid staff supporting the Public Health Reserve Corps, after the Trump administration refuses to honor a signed agreement with Lane County.

This story produced by John Q for Whole Community News, reporting on preparedness and public comment for KEPW 97.3, Eugene’s PeaceWorks community radio.