October 23, 2023 3:20 a.m.
Douglas County Commissioners Tom Kress, Chris Boice and Tim Freeman have announced that the new Douglas County Emergency Manager is Emily Ring.
A County release said Ring joined the Emergency Management team in April, and worked under former Emergency Manager Wayne Stinson until his retirement in September. The role of the emergency manager is to help local communities and organizations identify, anticipate and prepare for possible hazards and vulnerabilities, while undertaking and establishing measures to effectively deal with, mitigate and recover during and after disasters.
Like many other county-led emergency management programs across the United States, Douglas County’s disaster response and emergency preparedness programs were brought into existence following the creation of the Federal Civil Defense program and the Federal Emergency Management Agency in 1979. Sheriff Norm Neal is credited with helping to develop the first civil defense program within the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office in the early 1980s. Since its inception, Wayne Stinson was the one responsible for the county’s disaster response and emergency preparedness division. Wayne spent the better part of his career building the foundation for the successful emergency management program the county has today.
Historically the Douglas County Emergency Management Division has operated behind the scenes preparing plans and procedures for responding to and recovering from disasters and emergency events as part of the Sheriff’s Office. While overseen by DCSO, these efforts operated in coordination with the county commissioners, public safety officials, other elected officials, nonprofit organizations and other municipal and government agencies. Douglas County Emergency Management has evolved into a full-fledged independent county department.
Before being hired by Douglas County, Ring spent 6 years working for Josephine County as the assistant emergency manager and then the county emergency manager. Her background also includes experience as a crisis counselor, domestic violence case manager, national resources ranger and a seasonal wildland firefighter.
Commissioner Tim Freeman said, “We are very excited about the future of our Emergency Management program! We will of course continue to honor the legacy of our successful Emergency Management program built by Wayne but look forward to the energy and skills that our new Emergency Manager Emily brings to the table.
For more information about the Douglas County Emergency Management Department and the services provided, go to the new webpage: https://douglascountyor.gov/856/Emergency-Management