Messaging Tools

Translated Messages

During an emergency, all community members need immediate access to safety messages. We have compiled over 260 urgent written messages about a variety of hazards. The messages are in 28 languages, including English. You can use these messages to create social media or website content, emergency alerts, and educational fliers. Below, you will find hundreds of other translated messages on wildfire, air quality, extreme heat, and winter weather. We will keep adding content to this page, so check back often. 

ASL Messages

We also offer over American Sign Language videos on the following topics:

• Emergency Preparedness
• Extreme Winter Weather
• Extreme Heat
• Other Natural Disasters
• Emergency Evacuation
• About Emergency Alerts
• Disaster Sanitation

Feedback is Welcome

Anyone is welcome to use and share the resources on this page. If you do, please complete this online form so we can track how the materials are being used and identify errors and gaps in messaging. 

150+ Translated Messages

View 150+ discrete messages in a Google Spreadsheet at bit.ly/HeatMessages. Available in Arabic, Bosnian, Cambodian, Simplified Chinese, Chuukese, English, Farsi/Persian, French, Hindi, Hmong, Japanese, Karen, Korean, Lao, Nepali, Rohingya, Romanian, Russian, Somali, Spanish, Swahili, Tagalog, Telugu, Thai, Ukrainian, and Vietnamese. 

Illustrations, Fliers & Videos

Please share our translated extreme heat resources with your community!

• Fliers 
• Videos (visit bit.ly/HeatSafetyVids)
• Copyright-free illustrations 

Audio Files of Key Messages

WAV files of these key messages. Available in Arabic, Chinese Cantonese, Chinese Mandarin, Chuukese, Farsi, Hindi, Japanese, Khmer, Korean, Lao, Nepali, Romanian, Russian, Somali, Spanish, Tagalog, Telugu, Thai, Ukrainian, and Vietnamese. 

400+ Translated Messages

View the messages in these Google Spreadsheets:

• Wildfire Prevention, Preparedness, Evacuation, Safety: bit.ly/wildfiredangermessages 
• Wildfire Smoke: bit.ly/wildfiresmokemessages

Languages include: English, Spanish, Vietnamese, Chinese (Simplified), Chinese (Traditional), Russian, Korean, Arabic, Japanese, Ukrainian, Tagalog, Khmer, Romanian, Somali, Persian, Thai, Hindi, Lao, Telugu, Hmong, Karen, Chuukese, Nepali, Swahili, French, Rohingya, Bosnian, Burmese, Pashto, Marshallese, Oromo, Amharic, and Mien

Illustrations 

Use our copyright-free illustrations however you'd like! 

100+ Translated Messages

View 100+ discrete messages in a Google Spreadsheet at bit.ly/WinterMessages. Available in Arabic, Bosnian, Cambodian, Simplified Chinese, Chuukese, English, Farsi/Persian, French, Hindi, Hmong, Japanese, Karen, Korean, Lao, Nepali, Rohingya, Romanian, Russian, Somali, Spanish, Swahili, Tagalog, Telugu, Thai, Ukrainian, Vietnamese

Illustrations 

Use our copyright-free illustrations however you'd like! 

Fliers 

Print and share these fliers. 

• Get Ready for Winter Weather - Available in Arabic, Bosnian, Cambodian, Chinese, Chuukese, English, Farsi, French, Hindi, Hmong, Japanese, Karen, Korean, Lao, Nepali, Rohingya, Romanian, Russian, Somali, Spanish, Vietnamese 
• Power Outage - Available in Arabic, Bosnian, Chinese, Chuukese, English, Farsi, Hindi, Hmong, Japanese, Karen, Khmer, Korean, Lao, Nepali, Rohingya, Romanian, Russian, Somali, Spanish, Swahili, Tagalog, Telugu, Thai, Ukrainian, Vietnamese
• Stay Safe Outside - Available in Bosnian, Chinese, Chuukese, English, Farsi, French, Hindi, Hmong, Japanese, Khmer, Lao, Nepali, Rohingya, Romanian, Russian, Somali, Spanish, Swahili, Tagalog, Telugu, Thai, Ukrainian, Vietnamese

Audio Files of Key Messages

MP3 and MP4 files of these key messages. Available in English, Arabic (with English), Mandarin Chinese (with English), Russian (with English), Somali (with English), Spanish (with English, with images), Vietnamese (with English)

Messages

The messages were gathered from many dozens of community partners, public agencies, and other subject matter experts in the Portland Metro Region. The goal was to address the needs of those most impacted by disasters, including people living outside, people with low incomes, older adults, people with medical needs vulnerable to power outages, people who do not speak or read English, and people hesitant to use utilities because of the expenses. 

Translations

Translations were done by a local vendor with a focus on cultural competency. They have been reviewed by community partners. Languages are selected using Metro’s Factor 1 Analysis and feedback from local community-based organizations.

Illustrations 

Illustrations were designed by a local vendor. The goal is to be visually informative and instructive; reflect our many communities; be scientifically and technically accurate yet friendly, non-terrifying, approachable, empowering, and culturally competent; communicate valuable information visually to low-literacy viewers; include vibrant color for social media/digital applications/color printing; leave blank space around for adding safety message text; be formattable into a variety of formats for social media; have high contrast of tones that print clearly on black and white low-quality printers; and be unbranded so anyone can use them. The illustrations include translated alt-text. 

Audio Files 

Audio files of recorded messages allow community partners to send safety messages to those who have low literacy or cannot read English. They can share the messages using the apps that are popular in the communities they serve, such as WhatsApp, WeChat, and Telegram. 

Future Message Creation

Wildfire and smoke messages will be finalized in Spring 2024. 

Project Background

This project began during the devastating heat dome that impacted the Portland Metro Region in June 2021. Community partners shared their messaging needs with the City of Portland's former COAD Coordinator, Kate Szrom. She designed this project to be responsive of their needs. The project is supported by the Disaster Messaging Work Group of the Regional Disaster Preparedness Organization (RDPO) and is funded by the Urban Areas Security Initiative. 

Feedback is Welcome

Community input is a critical part of this project. If you have feedback, please email rdpo@portlandoregon.gov or complete this online form.