COVID-19 Part 2: Ready or Not, Jason Johnson analyzes coastal emergency preparedness | Big Tourism

October 4, 2020

Emergency preparedness . . . it's a big deal. Now.

Join Arica Sears and Jason Johnson on Part 2 of the COVID-19 interview series on Big Tourism. During the chaos and confusion of COVID-19 there is one guy you won’t find buying hoards of toilet paper or creating off-beat Tik Toks. Instead, as an expert in the field of emergency preparedness and risk mitigation, Jason continues sharing important updates on the radio and analyzing the way his town of Seaside, Oregon is dealing with COVID-19. As the owner of Tonquin Trading, a retail store specializing in emergency go-kits and resiliency training,  For years, Jason has been talking about disaster education, community response strategies, and emergency supplies,  On the Oregon Coast, coastal communities have supposedly been preparing for the Cascadia Subduction Zone event for a long time. What can our current response to COVID-19 tell us about our strengths and weaknesses for other upcoming natural disasters? How would your coastal community score on an emergency preparedness and resiliency report card?  Check in with one of the professionals on this episode of Big Tourism.  Only on ASPN.

Show Transcription
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Arica Sears

Arica Sears is a fourth generation resident of a one stoplight town on the Oregon Coast. She was raised in the hand-me-down wetsuits, life jackets, and rubber boots of her two brothers and the waters of the Nestucca River. Her International Studies degree paved the way for her to research the effects of globalization in Peru on indigenous communities, count by-catch on the Ecuadorian coast, teach English in Spain & France, guide scuba diving in Mallorca, and document timber industry practices on the Oregon Coast. Arica currently works for the Oregon Coast Visitors Association as the Destination Management Coordinator for all 363 miles of Oregon coastline. She works with land management agencies, local businesses, nonprofits, government entities, and citizens to inspire travel and strengthen collaboration to create and steward a sustainable coastal economy.