Safety Matters - January 2007

The Flood of 2007 is over but the rebuilding of the Upper Nehalem Valley continues. Daily we have seen the massive destruction and frayed lives being rebuilt. I have mentioned my tremendous pride watching emergency responders, friends, neighbors, family and strangers pulling together to try to help each other out in this disaster. The resiliency of the valley residents continues to amaze those who are viewing our peril from a distance. Though we were and are down we are most certainly not out, nor will we be anytime soon. I want to publicly thank all of the numerous police agencies who helped supplement our manpower to ensure we had 24hr coverage. The fire department has also received help from numerous departments to ensure adequate fire protection for the district. The outpouring of volunteers, corporations, and agencies was not only amazing to see but helped restore faith that people do still care about those in need. To everyone, too numerous to mention, I want to say thank you and would like them to know if they are ever in need, we will be there for them! As with the Katrina Disaster many scammers are seizing the opportunity to prey on the generosity of the public and the vulnerability of victims. Even with the smaller scale Vernonia Flood there are Red Cross Donation scams trying to get people to contribute money. An elderly woman in Aloha was telephoned and asked to give credit card and bank information to the caller. Never give out personal information to anyone on the telephone. Other scammers have been going door-to-door asking for donations. Any monitary donations should go through the legitimate accounts set up at the Wauna Federal Credit Union and the US Banks. If you feel you have been contacted by a scammer or if you are the victim of any type of crime be sure to report it to your local police. Governor Kulongoski and Attorney General Meyers are warning both storm victims and the general public about scams. For the general public they advise that though Oregonians want to help meet the recovery needs, crooks often try to capitalize on the generosity by soliciting for non-existant charities. Charities authorized to solicit funds are registered with the DOJ and can be confirmed by calling 971-673-1880 or by going online at www.doj.state.or.us/charigroup. There are also numerous charity watchdogs that can be found on the internet. For vitcims, the governor and AG advise to be cautious of consumer scams. Avoid unlicensed contractors promising immediate, cheap home repair or tree removal. Phony clean-up crews and tree-cutting services als may begin soliciting services with an advance deposit on future work that is never performed. They reminded everyone of Senate Bill 118 that was passed in 2007 outlawing price gouging in selling basic products and services during certain times of emergency. More information and reporting mechanisms can be found on the AG website at www.doj.state.or.us/ . All of this information can also be found on the VPD website under the “Storm Scams” link.