Kotek, Vega Pederson, Wheeler declare 90-day State of Emergency for fentanyl in Portland

PORTLAND Ore. (KPTV) – A 90-day State of Emergency to address the fentanyl crisis in Portland has been announced by both the State, City and County.

Governor Tina Kotek, Multnomah County Chair Jessica Vega Pederson and Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler all made the declarations Tuesday. The declarations commit available resources to a unified response to “address the public health and public safety crisis driven by fentanyl in Portland’s Central City.”

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“Our country and our state have never seen a drug this deadly and addictive, and all are grappling with how to respond,” Governor Kotek said. “The Chair, the Mayor and I recognize the need to act with urgency and unity across our public health and community safety systems to make a dent in this crisis. We are all in this together. The next 90 days will yield unprecedented collaboration and focused resources targeting fentanyl and provide a roadmap for next steps.”

The Governor’s Office says a command center will be set up in central city where State, City and County employees will meet to coordinate strategies and response efforts.

Multnomah County says it intends to work to prevent exposure and use of fentanyl; reduce harm among people using substances; and increase access to outreach, treatment, recovery, and housing services.

During the 90 days, the Health Department will also launch two public education campaigns on fentanyl.

The City of Portland says it will deploy public safety, addiction and public health services, crisis response, and other resources and services to those impacted by the fentanyl crisis.

“I am pleased to have Governor Kotek and Chair Vega Pederson join the City of Portland’s ongoing efforts to address the deadly fentanyl crisis impacting our community. Today, we move forward with urgency to address these challenges together under the authority of emergency declarations. This is exactly the type of coordinated action needed to make a direct impact and a lasting difference,” Mayor Wheeler said.