Oregon state Rep. Paul Evans, D-Monmouth, has been introducing legislation to modernize the state’s emergency preparedness and response processes for years. He called the state’s tsunami warnings last week to residents on the Oregon Coast — raised due to strong currents and unpredictable waves as a result of a massive earthquake off the coast of Russia — “a good warmup.” No one was injured, and the Oregon Department of Emergency Management called the warning off within 24 hours.

But, Evans said, it also highlighted the ways in which Oregon is behind other states in providing quality information quickly to everyone in a potential disaster impact zone, and when it comes to training volunteers to respond to them.

“We just have a lot more to do because ultimately, even as we’re working to im

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