On Thursday, the camp’s fourth day, the gates opened to visitors. Agency leaders, elected officials, industry partners, funders and reporters came to the Knife River Training Center in Albany to see what four days had produced. A National Guard general attended, as did the chief deputy state fire marshal. Students gave the tours. The student public information officers ran a press briefing. Knife River hosted a dinner afterward.
For a partner, the showcase is the moment the camp stops being a proposal. Several guests offered support for future camps before they left. Amber Rawson, a recovery chief at the Oregon Department of Human Services and one of the camp’s primary planners, said her boss came out to see the camp and then told the rest of his leadership team, “we’re going to do this every year.”
How the media availability ran. The communications partners wrote two invitations. One went to elected officials and agency leaders, asking them to speak with reporters and stay for the showcase. The other went to media on Tuesday, two days ahead. Both pointed to one RSVP form and the same schedule:
Time | What happens |
12:30 p.m. | Media arrive |
12:35–1 p.m. | Media tours of the camp |
1–1:20 p.m. | Brief remarks from camp organizers and partners |
1:20–2 p.m. | Individual interviews with camp leaders, students, state agency leaders and partners; elected officials as available |
The media invitation promised reporters six things: a tour and a look at the simulation, interviews with students, time with organizers and partner organizations, interviews with officials about workforce and disaster readiness, an explanation of the credentials students were earning, and a look at the student-built projects. It also covered the practical details: the signs to follow, where to park, a registration tent for visitor badges, dirt and gravel underfoot, closed-toe shoes required in the build area and protective equipment provided on site. The RSVP request told reporters why it mattered: so that the team could coordinate media access with student activities.
What leadership would do differently:
Own the showcase as a leadership team. In 2026 leaders left it largely to agency public information officers, each working with partial information.
Keep one guest list. An RSVP form existed for the media availability, but leaders said afterward that nobody knew everyone who was coming, or who was on site at a given time.
Set fixed tour times, with the PIO team coordinating them, so guests do not arrive unannounced in the middle of operations.
Free the leaders. If the chain of command is working, the camp’s leaders can host guests instead of fielding supply questions.
Tell the host’s communications staff when media and storytelling events are happening, so they can attend and share.
Check the claims in the invitation. The 2026 media invitation repeated the promise of industry-recognized certifications. Reporters will ask students what they earned.