For more than a decade, Oregon’s Pathfinder exercise has helped communities across the state practice responding to a major disaster. First launched in 2012, this full‑scale training brings together medical teams, first responders, volunteers, and military partners to prepare for the Cascadia Subduction Zone earthquake and tsunami scenario, one of the most serious natural hazards facing our region.
This year, Pathfinder is coming to Newport for the first time, exercising a a casualty collection site for the Cascadia event.
Local agencies will stand shoulder‑to‑shoulder with state and federal partners in a major, two‑day, hands‑on training that strengthens medical readiness and celebrates the power of community.
A statewide effort rooted in local strength
Oregon Health Authority (OHA) sponsors Pathfinder each year to build strong relationships and share skills among emergency response partners. The exercise simulates what it would be like for coastal communities to be isolated with limited health care infrastructure after a large earthquake and tsunami. Participants practice everything from patient triage and movement to resource coordination and communication during challenging conditions.
More than 100 people from the following organizations will be participating in this year’s event:
- OHA’s State Emergency Registry of Volunteers in Oregon (SERVOR), OHA Health Security, Preparedness and Response, Public Health Division and Behavioral Health Division staff
- Oregon Disaster Medical Team (ODMT)
- Samaritan Pacific Communities and North Lincoln Hospital
- Oregon Air National Guard – 142nd MDG, Detachment 1
- U.S. Coast Guard
- Lincoln County Medical Reserve Corps
- Lincoln County and City of Newport
- Oregon Medical Coordination Center (OMCC)
- Local first responders and regional hospitals
- ODHS Office of Resiliency and Emergency Management
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
- Oregon Coast Community College (30 nursing students serving as patients)
Pathfinder 2026 highlights include:
- Use of Oregon’s Regional Resource Hospitals and the Oregon Medical Coordination Center.
- Testing advanced communication methods such as hospital radio networks, Starlink, and amateur radio to see how they work together.
- Use of drone technology to support medical resupply in a disaster.
- Detailed patient placement planning across trauma hospitals nationwide.
Building skills that save lives
Pathfinder isn’t just about medical response. It also supports the mental and emotional needs that come after a disaster. Communities may face deep trauma, and not everyone will need the same type of support. OHA and ODHS have developed an Oregon‑based Psychological First Aid curriculum that trains volunteers to provide compassionate, trauma‑informed assistance and how to find local mental health services when someone needs professional care.
The exercise also strengthens Oregon’s SERV‑OR volunteer network, a statewide registry with thousands of licensed healthcare volunteers who can be called upon during emergencies. These volunteers train year‑round and support activities such as medical triage, shelter staffing, vaccination events, and behavioral health services.
A system that works together
OHA’s Health Security, Preparedness and Response (HSPR) Program supports events like Pathfinder with training, technical guidance, and emergency planning. During real disasters, local responders lead the way, and OHA provides statewide coordination when those local resources are stretched thin. Pathfinder helps test those systems so they’re ready when needed.
Oregon’s preparedness efforts are funded largely through federal grants—over $11 million annually—which support state, local, and Tribal partners. These funds help ensure Oregon is ready to save lives when disaster strikes, and exercises like Pathfinder are a key part of that readiness.
A community effort with community benefits
By hosting Pathfinder 2026, Newport and Lincoln County are leading the way in making Oregon safer, stronger, and better connected. The exercise builds trust among partners, sharpens critical skills, and strengthens the systems that will protect residents during a real emergency.
Most importantly, it highlights the role every community member plays. Whether volunteering checking your emergency kit or simply learning more about how disasters impact the Oregon Coast, everyone contributes to a more resilient future.
OHA wants to remind all communities of the importance of personal preparedness. Take time today to review your family emergency plan or check items in your emergency kit.
Our partners at Lincoln County Emergency Management have resources on how to be Four Week Coastal Cascadia Ready on their website: https://www.co.lincoln.or.us/790/Plan-Prepare.
You can learn more about the health hazards throughout the State of Oregon and OHA’s Health Security, Preparedness and Response program at: www.healthoregon.org/preparedness.