When a tragedy hits, a community responds
Oct. 1, 2015, was a day that rocked our world and broke our hearts. The mass shooting at Umpqua Community College was so personal, so local, so much about us. The kind of tragedy that we somehow thought only could happen in other communities, or in other schools, actually happened to us — in Roseburg, Oregon, a town of 22,000 residents.
More in this Issue:
Community Vitality is a storytelling publication published since 2000. Send article ideas, questions or requests for past issues to communityvitality@tfff.org.
© 2000-2021 The Ford Family Foundation. Anne Kubisch, President; Mandy Elder, Editor; Megan Monson, Assistant Editor
When a tragedy hits, a community responds
Oct. 1, 2015, was a day that rocked our world and broke our hearts. The mass shooting at Umpqua Community College was so personal, so local, so much about us. The kind of tragedy that we somehow... Read More
What happened
Roseburg, Oregon: Nine people were killed when a gunman opened fire in a classroom at Umpqua Community College. Eight others were injured. The victims included the class professor, age 67, and eight... Read More
The first 72 hours
Each time a mass tragedy happens in the United States or beyond, those of us who responded to the shooting at Umpqua Community College feel a shiver. We know the horror. We know the community is... Read More
Nonstop demands test leaders
The events of Oct. 1, 2015, spun Umpqua Community College into a whirlwind that demanded much more of college leadership than anyone ever would have anticipated. Read More
Set up for donations immediately
Douglas County has become a member of a club no one wants to join — the group of communities faced with unimaginable calamity. As other agencies played their parts in the aftermath of the Umpqua... Read More
Lucas Eibel, 1997-2015
Lucas Eibel loved animals. People who knew the 18-year-old described him as thoughtful and kind, with an unexpectedly wicked sense of humor. One of five siblings in a tight-knit family, he was by all... Read More
How a foundation can help
The Ford Family Foundation was one of many organizations that stepped up to help support Umpqua Community College and the community. One small bit of good luck — if it can be called that — was that... Read More
Snapshots of support
From across the country, UCC received a wave of support. Cards and posters flooded the college mail room. A moment of silence was observed at community colleges throughout the United States. Read More
Many acts of kindness
The billboard off the interstate near Roseburg boldly proclaims “I am UCC” next to a graphic of a Riverhawk, the college mascot. For a jarring moment I wondered, How was that billboard put up so... Read More
Sharing our stories
There are distinct moments when the world changes. There is before and after. For those touched by the events at Umpqua Community College, Oct. 1, 2015, was one of those moments. All of the people... Read More
Mercy Medical Center ER rises to the challenge
As with all hospital emergency departments, Mercy Medical Center in Roseburg had drilled for a disaster, but never for an event involving multiple gunshot victims. Minutes after the Umpqua Community... Read More
An advocate for the victims
Kelly Wright, victim services director at the Douglas County District Attorney’s office, normally assists victims of felony crimes with the judicial process. She provides them with referrals and... Read More
Flood of mental health volunteers brought help and challenges
Janet Holland, head of Community Health Alliance in Roseburg, was speaking in Astoria before a group of 40 county mental health professionals in a hotel meeting room when she got the call on the... Read More
Law enforcement: Brief trauma can bring lasting stress
Six minutes after the 911 call about a shooter on the Umpqua Community College campus, two nearby Roseburg Police Department detectives rushed onto the scene. They immediately confronted the shooter... Read More
Communications needs
Every group involved in the response to the UCC shooting had overwhelming communication needs. Plans were being made quickly — from evacuations of the campus to locations for counseling. “The... Read More
When the spotlight fades
For endless days last fall, it seemed like you couldn’t turn on the news without hearing about Roseburg. The shooting at Umpqua Community College grabbed the world’s attention. Media crews besieged... Read More
Incident Command System
At the University of Oregon, Andre Le Duc and his incident management team are trained to bring order out of the chaos that inevitably results from catastrophic situations. The team is able to... Read More
Emergency management
When an emergency occurs, the need to communicate is immediate. Emergency management plans give organizations the ability to respond to crises in a calm and systematic manner, with staff who are... Read More
Select Books
Order One of These Books for Free* »Digital Distribution for Community Vitality
We offer both digital and printed editions of this publication. Printed copies are available by individual request only. Please note that we only mail Community Vitality to residents in Oregon and Siskiyou County, California. Residents outside of this geography are welcome to download any issues from this website or subscribe to the online version.
If you’re a graduate of the Ford Institute Leadership Program or a recipient of a Ford Family scholarship, you will automatically receive an online subscription. All others? Don’t miss our next issue.
Be sure to sign up at: www.tfff.org/cvsubscribe.
Don't worry. We never share our mailing list, and you can unsubscribe at any time.
Community Vitality is produced by Three60 Communications.
©2010 - 2023 The Ford Family Foundation. All rights reserved. Please direct permission to reprint inquiries here.
