In the event of a citywide or regional emergency such as a severe winter storm, flood or major earthquake, households need to be prepared to be on their own for at least a week. Neighborhoods need to be prepared for self-sufficiency, too. Volunteer neighborhood rescuers will likely be first on-the-scene when firefighters and police are slowed by impassable streets or overwhelmed by calls for help.
Neighborhood Emergency Teams (NETs) are Portland residents trained by PBEM and Portland Fire & Rescue to provide emergency disaster assistance within their own neighborhoods. NET members are trained to save lives and property until professional responders can arrive. These volunteers are specially trained to help others without putting themselves in harm’s way. NET members are:
Neighborhood Emergency Teams (NETs) are Portland residents trained by PBEM and Portland Fire & Rescue to provide emergency disaster assistance within their own neighborhoods. NET members are trained to save lives and property until professional responders can arrive. These volunteers are specially trained to help others without putting themselves in harm’s way. NET members are:
- Prepared to be self-sufficient for two weeks during any emergency.
- Able to provide emergency assistance to their family and immediate neighbors.
- Able to work within an emergency response team to save lives and property in their neighborhood.
- Able to guide untrained volunteers who want to help others during a disaster.
The Neighborhood Emergency Team (NET) program trains and organizes persons who live and work in Portland to be volunteer disaster responders. It is Portland’s equivalent to a Community Emergency Response Team (CERT), as found in other towns and cities in the United States. Since its inception in 1994, Portland NET has worked closely with Portland Fire & Rescue to train over 2,300 volunteers. The 30 hour program of basic training covers disaster medical triage, search and rescue, small fire suppression, basic radio communications, disaster psychology, and more. Once a volunteer graduates from the basic program, s/he is enrolled as a volunteer responder, becomes part of the nearest neighborhood team, and is expected to deploy in the event of a major disaster. NET volunteers keep themselves sharp and confident in their response skills through operations planning and ongoing training opportunities. NETs are also leaders in their communities, promoting and teaching emergency preparedness to their neighbors.
Quick facts:
• NET is one of the oldest CERT programs in the United States. Established in 1994, the program has trained and graduated over 4,000 volunteers.
• NET volunteers contributed 29,963 hours of service in 2020. Much of that was in response to the Clackamas Fires and COVID-19.
• Of Portland’s 91 neighborhood associations, 87 host active NETs led by a Team Leader.
• The program is rapidly expanding, with a growth in membership of 61% in only two years.
• NET teams have raised over $50,000 to improve disaster resilience in their communities.
• Though NET is a government program, volunteers also have their own political action committee.
More information is available at: www.portlandoregon.gov/net
To learn more about NET and receive notifications about NET events, please register at:
https://www.portlandoregon.gov/pbem/article/414226
http://portlandnet.tumblr.com/
Quick facts:
• NET is one of the oldest CERT programs in the United States. Established in 1994, the program has trained and graduated over 4,000 volunteers.
• NET volunteers contributed 29,963 hours of service in 2020. Much of that was in response to the Clackamas Fires and COVID-19.
• Of Portland’s 91 neighborhood associations, 87 host active NETs led by a Team Leader.
• The program is rapidly expanding, with a growth in membership of 61% in only two years.
• NET teams have raised over $50,000 to improve disaster resilience in their communities.
• Though NET is a government program, volunteers also have their own political action committee.
More information is available at: www.portlandoregon.gov/net
To learn more about NET and receive notifications about NET events, please register at:
https://www.portlandoregon.gov/pbem/article/414226
http://portlandnet.tumblr.com/
