Ex-State Police officer back in uniform as depot observer

This story was published Fri, Mar 3, 2000

By Terry Hudson
Herald Oregon bureau

HERMISTON - A year ago, Maj. Jerry Russell's job was to oversee four divisions of the Oregon State Police, including the statewide SWAT team.

Then, about nine months ago, he hung up his uniform of 26 years, not expecting to dust it off for any daily duty.

But in the past several weeks, he's become a familiar sight in Eastern Oregon communities near the Umatilla Chemical Depot, tabbed by the state to observe the progress of the Chemical Stockpile Emergency Preparedness Program and to mingle with the town folk for a 90-day period.

The temporary job introduced him to a friendly bunch of East Oregonians, he said, despite concerns they may have about the program.

"The people I've talked to are extremely friendly and easy to talk with," Russell said. "The leaders I've talked to have been extremely hospitable and professional. I can't say enough about how I've been treated."

Russell, who lives in Salem, had been retired eight months when he got a call from OSP Superintendent Ron Rucker.

"I got a phone call and was asked if I would consider coming here and taking a temporary assignment," Russell said. "I'm supposed to informally report back on the attitudes and feelings within the community. I'm the eyes and ears for the superintendent, so he can report back to the governor."

Stephanie Hallock, an aide to Gov. John Kitzhaber, first introduced Russell to the area during a Citizens Advisory Committee meeting last month.

"Jerry was selected to go out into the community and talk to the people and get a sense of how they feel," Hallock said. "He has good people skills and a good background and he seems to be a good fit for the assignment.

"He's finding out what the issues are while the independent investigation is going on. He's doing that on behalf of the superintendent, whom the governor asked to fix what needed to be fixed."

Russell set up a tiny office at the OSP office in Pendleton but is usually traveling through the communities in Umatilla and Morrow counties closest to the depot.

He's been back at work for about 30 days and - back in his OSP uniform - has become a familiar figure at meetings on CSEPP's Alert & Notification System.

"It's pretty early in the process," Russell said. "I'm just trying to meet all of the stakeholders - the commissioners, mayors, the depot commander, the sheriffs and the public. It's my intention to meet with as many stakeholders as possible and get a real understanding of the feelings that are out there."

Umatilla County Commissioner Emile Holeman is pleased to see a representative from Salem.

"I'm totally supportive of the idea and the purpose of him being here," Holeman said. "Part of what he's doing is seeing how well the different agencies work together. One of the purposes of having him here is to have an independent assessment of what's going on. His overview should give a good perspective."

Russell expects to stay through the 60-day independent evaluation of the notification system, which kicked off earlier this week.

The evaluation was called for after several incidents over the past six months - the most notable of those Dec. 30 when sirens and recorded messages falsely warned residents in the vicinity of the Umatilla Chemical Depot of a chemical emergency.

"I have no formal or informal control as far as the CSEPP program is concerned," Russell said. "All I knew is what I had read in the paper. Being 250 miles away, I had no preconceived notions, and that's probably a good thing for this job."

He said he will rely on the experts' report when it comes to sizing up the technology of the CSEPP system. He's more interested in how all the different players are working together and how area citizens are reacting.

"What I see when I talk to the community leaders is that, down to a person, they all want to provide the best possible protection to the citizens," Russell said. "It's just a matter of how we get there. The people I've talked to just want to see it fixed and successfully brought to a conclusion."

 

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