Event Health
and Safety
The purpose of the Fleet Event Health & Safety Policy is to ensure we can cultivate safe spaces, and to help prevent illnesses and injuries. This policy applies to any Fleet event, on water and on land. The Fleet envisions a Portland where the air, soil and water is healthy and protected, and not exploited by the harmful powers that prioritize profit over health and safety. Until then, we will do our best to protect ourselves and our community while fighting for a just and healthy future.
HEAT
During summer months, Portland is experiencing increasingly hot temperatures. While the Fleet’s mission is to fight for climate justice on the water (including against many of the bad actors that have contributed to climate change and increasingly hot temperatures), we will cancel any events that are scheduled to take place on days where the temperature is 90°F or above.
AIR QUALITY
Wildfires are also increasingly common during summer months, and can impact outdoor air quality. The U.S. AQI is EPA’s index for reporting air quality; the higher the AQI value, the greater the level of air pollution and the greater the health concern. We will cancel any events that are scheduled to take place on days where the AQI is 101 or above, which is described as ‘Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups’.
WATER QUALITY
In Portland, the Fleet most commonly paddles on the Willamette River, a waterway that has been violently colonized and industrialized for decades. Unfortunately, as a byproduct of the harm that has been done to the river, we often see toxic algae blooms during summer months, namely the cyanobacteria bloom that originates in the Ross Island Lagoon. We regularly monitor the reporting done by the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) and Human Access Project (HAP). In the event the water quality status for Cathedral Park is ‘Advisory in Effect’ or ‘Precaution in Effect’, we will either cancel or change the location of the on-water event. HAP provides some very valuable information on the cyanobacteria bloom in the Ross Island Lagoon via this story map here.
COVID-19
We know that COVID-19 is not a seasonal virus like other respiratory viruses. We have seen surges of COVID-19 every summer, and therefore must be prepared to protect ourselves and our community year round. We require well-fitted masks for all indoor events, and welcome masks for outdoor events as well. We aim to provide KN95 masks at all events, and encourage folks to stay at home and test regularly, if experiencing symptoms. For more event information, check out our COVID Policy for Trainings and Camps.
Last Updated: Summer 2024