Governor Kulongoski Receives Chronology of State Support in Kim Search

The Governor will appoint a task force to review state and local facts and make recommendations to strengthen search and rescue efforts in Oregon.

The body of 35-year-old James Kim was found Dec. 6th.

(SALEM) - On Friday, the Oregon Office of Emergency Management delivered a report to Governor Kulongoski outlining the facts and timelines surrounding the efforts undertaken by state agencies to assist in the search for the Kim family last month in Southwest Oregon. The Governor called for this report on December 22nd, and charged the Office of Emergency Management to lead the compilation of a chronology of steps taken by the primary state agencies participating in the search, which included the Office of Emergency Management, the Oregon National Guard and the Oregon State Police.

The chronological report includes information from these three state agencies from November 30th through December 7th, relating to their efforts assisting the local responders in the areas of public affairs, investigation, search and coordination with public and private entities. “This report provides the first round of facts relating to the state’s support of the local search effort for the Kim family last month, which is necessary in order to move forward with a broader assessment of search and rescue in Oregon,” the Governor said.

The report delivered to the Governor Friday is not an account of official actions taken by various Sheriff’s offices, local police departments, private agencies, or individual citizens during the Kim search.

The Oregon State Sheriffs’ Association is still in the process of compiling information from the numerous local agencies and private individuals involved in this search, as requested by officials in Josephine County.

It must be understood that the timeline released Friday is only one component of the facts of the entire search and bigger picture.

It is likely that the report that is forthcoming from the Sheriffs’ Association will fill in many areas in this timeline. “After we have all of the facts from both the state and local levels, I will convene a task force of federal, state, local and private sector partners to review this information and our approach to search and rescue efforts,” the Governor continued.

“I appreciate the extensive time and efforts undertaken during this search, and my goal for the task force is to identify ways to strengthen our coordination and communication in the future in order to adequately ensure the safety of Oregonians and our visitors.” The Governor will appoint his taskforce following the completion of the Sheriffs’ report. The state chronology is available on the Governor’s website: governor.oregon.gov/Gov/pdf/letters/kimchrono.pdf