This paper examines equitability of critical facilities within resilience planning efforts and how it relates to accessibility and utilization for Latinx community members along the Oregon coast in relation to natural hazards including the Cascadia Subduction Zone. Interviews and focus groups were conducted with emergency management personnel and Latinx coastal community members in Newport City and Clatsop County regarding their perceptions of critical facility values and locations, in order to create an inclusive sense of place. The interviews and focus groups were analyzed and used to identify necessary changes within resilience planning efforts that will improve resilience levels for Latinx community members along the Oregon coast. This research finds that current resilience planning focus and efforts regarding critical facilities are not meeting the needs of Oregon Latinx coastal community members, creating inequitable access and utilization in times of need. This paper identifies Latinx determined critical facilities and their associated values resulting in various suggested improvements for equitable accessibility and utilization. This research is meant to expose systemic issues in resilience planning efforts regarding critical facilities, not to catalog cultural differences. A critical facility according to FEMA, provides services and functions essential to a community, especially during and after a disaster (FEMA, n.d.)
