The City of Medford kicked off its first 2025 Council Town Hall focused on emergency preparedness Wednesday, April 30, at the Medford Police Headquarters. The event marked the first of two Town Halls designed to equip residents with knowledge and resources to help them prepare for emergencies, while also providing a platform to ask questions.
The Town Hall was hosted by Ward 1 and 3 City Councilors Jessica Ayres, Mike Kerlinger, Kevin Stine, and Garrett West, along with Mayor Michael Zarosinski. City leaders, including City Manager Rob Field, Fire Chief Eric Thompson, Police Chief Justin Ivens, City Attorney Eric Mitton, Public Works Director John Vial, Fire Marshal Tanner Fairrington, Emergency Manager Aaron Ott, and Parks and Open Space Manager Tim Stevens, also joined the panel.
During the event, Councilors and staff discussed City plans for emergency preparedness, including preparation efforts for fire season, wildfire fuel mitigation, and emergency response coordination and efforts.
Residents asked questions about Jackson Alerts, preparing for a wildfire or earthquake, mutual aid in the event of an emergency, and funding for reducing fire fuels.
Attendees were provided with information to help guide them in putting together an emergency kit, learning their evacuation zone, and signing up for real-time evacuation and emergency updates.
The second town hall will be held Thursday, May 15, from 6:00-7:30 p.m. at the Smullin Health Education Center.
For more information, including resources, an evacuation checklist,(PDF, 136KB) and emergency preparedness tips, click here.(PDF, 6MB)
To watch a recording of the town hall, click here.
Find resource links below:
Jackson Alerts
Sign up for Jackson Alerts, formerly known as Citizen Alert, to receive emergency notifications for your home, workplace, schools, and more.
https://jacksoncountyor.gov/departments/emergency_management/jackson_alerts_.php
Know Your Zone
Enter your address on the interactive map to find out your evacuation zone and plan your escape route ahead of time.
https://jacksoncountyor.gov/departments/emergency_management/know_your_zone.php
City of Medford's Interactive Ward Map
Find out what ward you live in by entering your address on our interactive map. Each ward is depicted on the map by a different colored area.
https://medford.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=48c1d6009f874d98b8a38fca6755d932