The Central Aid Agency is equipped to provide a variety of capabilities and services. Our most commonly provided services are listed here and range from emergency response, to security, training and community service. At the bottom of the page we have included some of the notable events that our organization has been involved with over the years.
Emergency ResponseEmergency response is a main focus for the Central Aid Agency and because of this we have many units devoted to it. Emergencies can come in a variety of forms and can happen at a moments notice. Although we can't control when or wear a emergency occurs, we can control how we train and prepare for them. The Central Aid Agency is actively involved in the emergency management community and participates in the Lane County Community Organizations Active in Disaster (COAD) coalition. Additionally, we can be deployed directly by entities such as Lane County Emergency Management, Lane Community College Campus CERT, Eugene Emergency Management, Springfield Emergency Management, mutual aid requests from other agencies, and can self-deploy in certain circumstances. We also coordinate with entities such as the Oregon Office of Emergency Management (OEM), Oregon Health Authority (OHA), the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and the Oregon chapter of the national Volunteer Organizations Active in Disaster organization (ORVOAD).
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Security ServicesThe Central Aid Agency is registered through the Oregon Department of Public Safety Standards and Training (DPSST) as a security provider. Within C.A.A. our security services are handled by United Security Operations, a Primary Command. We mainly provide security services in-house to protect C.A.A. personnel, facilities, and assets; but also offer limited contract security services to outside entities and partner organizations. All of our Security Agents are fully certified to the appropriate DPSST certification level. Additionally, agents receive further advanced training in areas such as patrol procedures, use of force, CPR first aid, among others. Our Security Agents stand apart from the majority of security providers in that we empower them with more advanced training and capability, up to the fullest extent allowed by law and regulation. This allows them to resolve issues or take enforcement action more effectively, and can act in a way that is most appropriate for any given circumstance.
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Training ServicesBecause the Central Aid Agency mission is diverse and some of the fields we are involved with are complicated, we developed our own training group called the C.A.A. Academy to ensure that our personnel receive the highest quality training possible. Over the years we began to get training requests from other organizations and the general public. So much so that we decided to spin off our training group into its own separate company called Training Solutions International to provide a better means to offer high quality training not only within our organization, but also to other agencies, businesses, and the general public. Additionally, our goal is to create a consistent revenue stream to feed back into the Central Aid Agency to help fund operations. To that end, Training Solutions International donates back at least 10% of its earnings. TSI provides a variety of training services on topics ranging from CPR AED First Aid, to Security, Emergency Management, and Survival among others. Many C.A.A. personnel are employed as instructors and pass on their knowledge and experience gained from their service with the Central Aid Agency.
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Community Service ProjectsService projects can include a wide range of activities but are but are usually tied to an aspect of our overall mission. The Central Aid Agency often partners with other non-profits and community organizations for combined efforts or joint operations. The C.A.A. has been involved with many community service projects including SOLVE Great Oregon Beach Cleanups, building houses and supporting Habitat for Humanity, recycling old electronics with NextStep Recycling, and doing various tasks for the Eugene Mission. We even once cleared a road for a small rural community so they could get access to their water source. The list of service projects is as long as it is diverse, and has given us the opportunity to do a lot of amazing things and work with many wonderful organizations and individuals.
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A few of our notable past Deployments, Operations, and Service Projects include:
2021 COVID-19 ResponseIn early 2021 the Central Aid Agency, including members of Central Aid Agency CERT, deployed alongside Lane Community College Campus CERT to support COVID-19 vaccination clinics for the campus and community in Lane County. Central Aid Agency personnel assisted in the operation of the clinics by directing traffic, giving directions and instructions, keeping tables and chairs sanitized, conducting medical observations, and managing paperwork. Personnel were also given the opportunity to receive the vaccine if they wanted it, due to their status as emergency responders.
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2020 Holiday Farm Fire ResponseIn 2020 the Central Aid Agency participated in the community response to the devastating Holiday Farm Fire that burned much of the McKenzie River valley and surrounding areas. Central Aid Agency Emergency Response personnel deployed first to the grassroots community-led Silke Field evacuation center to help provide donations management support. The following day the Central Aid Agency was deployed by the Lane County Community Organizations Active in Disaster (COAD) to help Lane County Government, Saint Vincent DePaul of Lane County, and United Way of Lane County establish a new centralized donations center on Roosevelt at Four Corners in Eugene. The Central Aid Agency was requested to deploy again a week later to provide daytime security support for the Roosevelt Donations center, this support was provided by Security Agents of United Security Operations who were assisted by personnel from the Rapid Response Team and CERT program.
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2019 Snow Storm ResponseIn 2019 the Central Aid Agency was deployed by Lane County Emergency Management to assist with response to a massive snow storm that had blanketed the area. C.A.A. personnel from the Rapid Response Team responded and assisted with providing transportation for critical hospital workers to and from work. Several days into the deployment, the Central Aid Agency was requested to assist Lane County Search and Rescue with conducting welfare checks of snow-bound people in the area of Westfir, near Oakridge. The snow storm later became a declared disaster and the hours C.A.A. put into the response was able to be used to help match the 25% required to release FEMA emergency funds to the area.
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2018 Waldo 100k Ultra-Marathon Race SupportIn 2018 Central Aid Agency personnel from the Rapid Response Team and Incident Management and Operational Support helped provide support for the annual Waldo 100k Ultra-Marathon that takes place in the wilderness area near Willamette Pass. Racers traverse over 60 miles of backwoods trails and climb several mountains during the race. Throughout the race course checkpoints are established to keep track of racer accountability and health. C.A.A. personnel helped provide amateur radio communications for racer accountability at Aid Station 8, which required a hike in of about 3 miles and a lot of elevation gain. The Central Aid Agency has been involved in supporting this event since 2015 and continues to help support it whenever there is a need for additional amateur radio operators.
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2018 Point in Time CountIn 2018 the Central Aid Agency participated in the Point in Time Count, which is an annual census of people experiencing homelessness to get a better idea of the numbers and how they change over time. C.A.A. personnel were assigned to a grid in the Springfield area and were successful in getting many people to answer the questionnaires. The Point In Time Count is especially useful for the many non-profit organizations that serve the homeless and less fortunate, so they can have a better idea of the true level of need in the community.
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2017 Eclipse DeploymentIn 2017 the Central Aid Agency responded to a mutual aid request from Polk County CERT to help provide staffing and support for a large public event being held in Independence Oregon for the total solar eclipse. Personnel from Emergency Response, including the Rapid Response Team and Incident Management and Operational Support units deployed to Polk County to assist and got to experience the eclipse from within the path of totality.
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2017 Great Oregon Beach CleanupThe Spring and Fall SOLVE Great Oregon Beach Cleanups have been Central Aid Agency Service Project staples for many years, but the Spring 2017 Beach Cleanup stands apart from the others. On this particular beach cleanup C.A.A. personnel were assigned to Heceta Beach near Driftwood Shores. In three hours they collected over 53 pounds of garbage and won the record for the largest amount of trash collected by a single group that day on that beach.
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2016 Ice Storm ResponseIn 2016 Central Aid Agency units from the Rapid Response Team, Incident Management and Operational Support, and CERT were deployed concurrently by both Lane County Emergency Management and the City of Eugene Emergency Management to respond to calls related to a debilitating ice storm that had hit the area. C.A.A. teamed up with Lane County Search and Rescue to help clear driveways of downed trees and debris, and deliver generators to people with in home-medical equipment that were running low on battery supply. Over several days C.A.A. personnel responded to several calls around the county and within city limits. The ice storm later became a declared disaster.
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2015 Willamette River Shore CleanupIn 2015 the Central Aid Agency teamed up with the SOLVE, the Oregon Army National Guard, and hundreds of other volunteers to clean up garbage along the shores of the Willamette River in Eugene and Springfield. A lot of trash was collected by the many volunteers, trash that made the parks cleaner, and was kept out of the waterways.
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2014 Disaster Relief TrialsIn 2014 Central Aid Agency personnel from the Rapid Response Team helped support the Eugene Disaster Relief Trials by staffing race checkpoints and providing amateur radio communications to assist with racer accountability and tracking. The Eugene Disaster Relief Trials was a cargo bike race intended to mimic the transport of supplies in a post-disaster environment when roads and other infrastructure had been rendered unusable. The Disaster Relief Trials still exist in various forms in several cities across the United States.
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2013 Golden Hammer AwardIn 2013 the Central Aid Agency was awarded the Golden Hammer by Junction City / Harrisburg / Monroe Habitat for Humanity for being one of Habitat's most valuable supporters that year. The C.A.A. had been heavily involved in providing support and personnel for several Habitat projects that year, including helping with construction efforts at several houses. The Central Aid Agency and Habitat for Humanity continue to be strong strategic partners and often work together for the mutual benefit of both organizations.
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2012 Road ClearingIn 2012 the Central Aid Agency was contacted by a small rural municipality on the Oregon coast that needed assistance clearing a road so they could access their water source and replace a pump system. The C.A.A. partnered with the state of Oregon and received permission to clear the road. It took the better part of a day for C.A.A. personnel to clear a roughly quarter-mile long road through the dense coastal brush large enough for a vehicle to travel. But in the end they were successful, and the municipality was able to get trucks down the road to replace the pump system. The C.A.A. still returns periodically to clear the road of new growth and keep it open for maintenance vehicles.
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2012 Civil PatrolIn 2012 there was a rash of break-ins and burglaries affecting churches in Junction City, including the First Christian Church where C.A.A. meetings were held. As a result, the Central Aid Agency created the Civil Patrol program to coordinate C.A.A. personnel into a volunteer neighborhood watch and safety patrol. The mission of Civil Patrol was to patrol the church property, dissuade any potential miscreants, and report suspicious activity. The program conducted regular patrols for over two years then shifted focus to coordinating event security, before being functionally replaced by uniformed Security Agents of United Security Operations.
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2011 CROP Walk to Stamp out HungerIn 2011 Central Aid Agency personnel raised money for and participated in the Eugene CROP hunger walk to help raise funds for Church World Service to fight hunger around the world. CROP walks take place in many communities around the world every year and raise important funds for Church World Service to continue the fight to end hunger in our world.
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