Author: Glenn C. Devitt

Notes from SNA EP NET Committee meeting 11/17/15, 7-9pm at Fire Station 09 (20 attendees)

(Due to space limitation, attendance at this meeting was restricted to Active NETs and a handful of the most engaged neighborhood activists. Our meetings are usually open to all, but this was a unique opportunity to engage with PBEM and PF&R, so we were compelled to give “first dibs” on limited seating to those who have been actively working on emergency preparedness in our community.)

Jeremy Van Keuren (NET Program Specialist, Portland Bureau of Emergency Management) provided a detailed update about the NET program, including current status and possible future plans. Key notes:

• There are more than 1,000 NET Applicants waiting for basic training.
• There will probably be a major training event in March for up to 400 participants. Details TBA; Applicants will be notified. In the meantime, view the prerequisite online videos and pass the quiz, and submit your background check if you haven’t already.
• A “Task Book” is in the works which will encourage Advanced Training and earn a challenge coin for successful participants. It is expected that it will require two years to complete all the requirements.
• The NET Leadership Committee, which will meet sometime in January, is considering reorganizing Teams according to geographic/functional regions, rather than the artificial neighborhood boundaries currently used. This will enable teams to work more efficiently, and share knowledge more effectively.
• Ernie Jones, PBEM Volunteer Program Development, is coordinating outreach events and trainings, including CPR and First Aid certifications.

Our gracious host firefighters at Station 09 (which serves Sunnyside) gave us a tour of the station and their equipment.

The NET team continued its discussion of the ICS (Incident Command System), a requisite component of every effective NET Team Member’s knowledge.

There will be no meeting in December. We will next meet January 19, 10a-12p. Location to be announced on www.SunnysidePrepared.com.

Notes from SNA EP NET Committee meeting 10/20/15, 10am-12pm at Hawthorne Hostel (12 attendees)

The Committee will apply for a Southeast Uplift grant, likely to create a free “tour of prepared homes”.  The tour would enable SEUL residents to see the steps others have taken to prepare for emergencies, from seismic retrofitting to bulk water storage.

The SouthEast Portland Tool Library is also applying for a grant to conduct seismic retrofitting workshops, and to procure the necessary tools. If both grants are approved, we will cross-promote with SEPTL.

OK/HELP window signs should be available from PBEM early next year.

Multnomah County Library is conducting a series of earthquake preparedness workshops, which several attendees endorsed as worthwhile.

Ann & Lee described their experience conducting a Map Your Neighborhood project. Their very interesting presentation led to a productive discussion that inspired others. MYN brochures are currently out-of-stock, but PBEM plans to have a new supply available early next year. This is a critical step to preparing your micro-neighborhood for emergencies of any kind.

Jessica from Eastmoreland is about to begin EP work in her neighborhood. She offered to share some online docs with us she will use in her work.

Tom from the soon to be built PDX Commons senior co-housing project at SE 42nd and Belmont was there, as well as nearby neighbors who wanted to learn about our commitee work.

Glenn and Jan were asked if they would be available to come and talk to small neighborhood groups about the work and they both agreed to do so. Contact: [email protected] and [email protected]

Also attending were other Sunnyside NET Team Members and Applicants including Lee and Ann, who are very supoortive of the work the committee is doing, and actively engaged NETs. They recently attended a workshop presesnted by Melanie, a Mt. Tabor Portland NET member. They talked about a slide show that Melanie presented.

Glenn and Jan talked about the integrated SNA EP NET Committee.

Micro goal:

• continue to connect all all EP and NETs within Sunnyside around emergency preparedness.

Macro goals:

• Continue to  connect NET and EP people in all of the 21 SEUL neighborhoods for regional resilience and interreliance.
• Continue to liase with NET Team Leaders citywide to share resources, replicate and magnify individual efforts, and avoid duplicating work.

Jan told the group that the committee would  probably apply for a SEUL Neighborhood Small Grant to support our macro and micro goals. Jan also mentioned that Katy Asher at SEUL is extremely supportive of all the EP work that is being done in the Sunnyside neighborhoods.

It is also possible to connect up with ONI (Office of Neighborhood Involvement) if they present a 2016 Community Summit, and become presenters at the summit.

Belmont Street Fair tabling was a great success. Thanks to the Sunnyside Neighborhood Association for giving us its booth space. Thirty-one people signed up for NET training from neighborhoods throughout the city; 10 from Sunnyside.

Stephanie led NETs in an ICS (Incident Command System) tabletop exercise. We discusssed the importance of keeping records during an emergency to facilitate communication, track equipment and people, and not let things slip through the cracks. Homework for NETs and Applicants: Complete FEMA’s basic Incident Command System courses IS-100.b, IS-200.b, and IS-700.a. Upon passing each online test you will receive a digital certificate to download / print. Log your time as ‘Advanced Training’. We will do hands-on exercises using this knowledge because it is fundamental to basic ops.

Next meeting: Tue, Oct 20, 10-11:30am. Location to be announced on www.SunnysidePrepared.com