The Oregon Resilience Plan – Critical and Essential Buildings – February 2013 87 <br /> <br /> <br />central building may not provide healthcare directly, it is considered a vulnerability, because damage to <br />its structure and contents can have a great impact on the entire campus’ utilities and ability to function. <br />Estimated State of Recovery <br />Currently, essential healthcare facilities in Oregon are not expected to perform well during a Cascadia <br />subduction zone seismic event. The facilities on the coast and in the valley will likely take over three <br />years to recover to an operational state. Some facilities in eastern Oregon will take approximately 30 <br />days to recover to an operational state. <br />Target State of Recovery <br />Essential healthcare facilities are critical for the life safety of the entire population and must be capable <br />of surviving the expected Cascadia subduction zone seismic event. This survival requires that the <br />buildings remain completely functional during the event and be available to respond to emergency <br />needs immediately following the earthquake and any aftershocks that may occur. For these reasons, the <br />target state of recovery for these facilities must be Event Occurs as shown in the Recovery Matrix. <br />Sector Specific Recommendations <br />As outlined in the 2011 Oregon Revised Statutes (ORS 672.107), significant structures must be designed <br />under direct supervision of a licensed structural engineer. Hospitals and other major medical facilities <br />that have surgery and emergency treatment areas are considered significant structures or essential <br />facilities according to ORS 455.447. Standby power generating equipment for essential facilities is also <br />considered essential and is covered under ORS 672.107. However, buildings that contain the balance of <br />equipment required to keep these vital facilities functional are not considered essential, and therefore <br />are typically designed to a lesser seismic standard. In order for critical healthcare facilities to be truly <br />resilient, all buildings that provide mechanical, electrical, and plumbing service to the buildings must be <br />designed to the same standard. This shift will require revisions to the building code and an expanded <br />definition of essential facility. <br />In 2001, legislation (ORS 455.400) directed that, subject to available funding, acute inpatient care <br />facilities that are determined to pose an “undue risk to life” should be rehabilitated to a life-safety <br />performance level by 2022. Currently, to our knowledge, most of the deficient acute care facilities in the <br />state have not been upgraded in accordance with this legislation. By having the “subject to available <br />funding clause” in the statute language, the legislation does not provide a mandate and therefore is not <br />proving to be effective in addressing the problem. A more effective mandate should include specific <br />measures that would give private healthcare systems incentives, whether tax credits or some other <br />vehicle, to make seismic improvements. <br />A facility’s buildings and internal infrastructure are not the only factors to take into consideration when <br />assessing the facility’s ability to operate without interruption after the expected Cascadia subduction <br />zone seismic event. Healthcare facilities are also dependent on the city for their water, on distribution- <br />center buildings for supplies, and on roadways for the delivery of supplies, to name only a few things.