Press Releases

July 24, 2006

Oregon Department of Human Services contracts with Planet Productions to develop emergency preparedness e-learning programs

Planet Productions, an expert in custom e-learning solutions, announced today that the Oregon Department of Human Services (DHS) has contracted with them to develop five new e-learning programs designed to better prepare Oregon for public health emergencies. The project is funded by an emergency preparedness grant from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

An effective response to a public health emergency requires that DHS and other state and local partners including county health departments, fire departments, law enforcement and hospitals work together smoothly, often in ways that are very different from their routine work. For instance, emergency plans often require moving state employees to different positions and bringing in volunteers to help with added demands, according to Joy Weyer, training specialist in the department's public health emergency preparedness program.

"Knowing how things work in an emergency will give people the confidence they need to do the work required. Planet Productions’ e-learning expertise will help us move forward to accomplish emergency preparedness goals," said Weyer.

“States need to be ready at every level to respond to public health emergencies," said Governor Ted Kulongoski. "It is not enough to have good plans in place, because plans do not respond--people respond and through programs like OR Prepare, our emergency responders are better equipped to quickly and effectively take action.”

“Through custom designed e-learning courses, participants in the OR Prepare program will be better prepared to participate in DHS’s emergency preparedness response plan by knowing how to take appropriate first steps and where to go for more information,” said Dean McCrea, vice president, sales and marketing for Planet Productions. “This project represents an aggressive approach by the state of Oregon to use new technology to deliver important information in a quick and cost effective manner.”

About Planet Productions

Planet Productions develops custom e-Learning programs to address business challenges through a creative, collaborative and flexible design process. Established in 1991, Planet Productions is based in Portland, Oregon. For more information, visit www.planetproductions.com, or call us at 503-241-1644.

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