SNA EP NET Meeting Notes – Feb 16 2016

Notes from our February, 2016 meeting, and additional information

In this message:

  1. Meeting notes and follow-up tips & links
  2. Next meeting: Tue Mar 15, 2016, 10a-12p
  3. BEECN drill next Sat Feb 27, 2016
  4. Friends of Portland NET
  5. Mark your calendar: First-person account of the 2015 earthquake in Nepal
1. Meeting notes and follow-up tips & links
Committee co-chair Jan led us in interactive exercises to discuss the Map Your Neighborhood (MYN) “9 Steps Immediately Following a Disaster.” This was followed by a discussion of the general question: Are you prepared for an emergency before, during and after the emergency event?

Tips for emergency prep actions that can be done now:
  • Take PBEM’s five-minute Portland Preparedness Survey and enter to win free preparedness kits and emergency gear.
  • American Red Cross Emergency phone app provides weather and emergency alerts for yourself and loved ones, and check their status. Available for iPhone and Android.
  • 211 info phone app www.211info.org
  • FEMA phone app www.ready.gov
  • Choose an out-of-state contact phone number to store in your mobile contact list under “!ICE” (in case of emergency; the exclamation point ensures that it will display first in your alphabetical contact list)
  • Have you signed up for Public Alerts messages, delivered via email and/or text?
  • Weather related: Learn about and know the difference between a weather advisory, a watch, and a warning
  • Get certified in CPR/AED and First Aid. Courses range in cost from $30 – $120. Some free classes are available, e.g. the Timbers Army offers classes quarterly to 107ist members only, courtesy of Dale Montgomery.
  • Know what a neighborhood BEECN is and where yours is located
  • Do you have a “by-the-bed” mini kit? (sturdy boots, socks, small LED flashlight, gloves, whistle, bottle of water, pry bar to open doors. Put them in a large plastic bag and tie it to your headboard/bed frame for easy location.)
  • Do you have emergency preparedness materials and plans for you home, work (including knowing the plans at your kids’ school(s), and pets?
  • After a disaster, to let loved ones know you are safe, sign up on the Red Cross Safe and Well service.
2. Next meeting
Tue, Mar 15, 2016, 10a-12p at the Jeff Morris Fire Museum kitchen (corner of Belmont St and 35th Ave). The Emergency Prep portion will focus on the FEMA Earthquake Home Hazard Hunt. We’ll have large-format posters, but suggest that you review the online materials in advance and come prepared with questions. RSVP appreciated but not required.
3. BEECN drill Sat, Feb 27, 1pm
Join us at the pavilion in Col Summers Park for a test of the BEECN (Basic Earthquake Emergency Communication Node). You’ll see how the procedures works as we check in with nearby fire station(s) . Open to all. NETs, log your time as Advanced Training.
4. Friends of Portland NET
With Michael Schilmoeller (NET Team Leader in Parkrose/Argay) Glenn has co-founded “Friends of Portland NET” to raise our collective voice by mobilizing NET members, NET program applicants, and other supporters to urge our elected and appointed officials to support the NET program. You might be aware that the State legislature has slashed funding for Portland Fire & Rescue personnel to teach NET Basic Training, causing a massive backlog. (There are currently 740 trained NETs and 1,100+ waiting for training.) If you are a NET or Applicant, you’re on our email list and will receive more info soon. (You’ll be able to opt out if uninterested, of course.) If you are not affiliated with the NET program but want to stay in the loop, let me know and I’ll be happy to add you to the ‘allies’ list.
(NOTE: This effort is being coordinated by NET members on an independent, volunteer basis. It is not endorsed, directed, or supported by PBEM.)

5. First-person account of the 2015 earthquake in Nepal
Evening of Tue, Jun 21, time and location TBA. Dr. Erin Moore, a naturopath and development/aid worker was in a remote village in Nepal when a devastating 7.8 earthquake struck on Apr 25, 2015. When she’s not working in Nepal, Erin lives in our neighborhood, and has generously offered to share her real-world experience with Southeast residents. It’s a few months off, but mark your calendar — we promise you won’t want to miss this. Sunnyside NET helped arrange these presentations and three of us attended in St John’s last week; the session was both educational and inspiring. People who have attended SNA EP NET Committee meetings and joined our mailing list will be the first to receive an invitation and registration link.

SNA EP NET Committee Agenda – Feb 16 2016

Tue, Feb 16, 2016
7 – 8:30pm (We start — and finish ! — on time.)
Southeast Uplift, Fireside Room
3534 SE Main St

  • RSVP greatly appreciated, but not required. More than 110 people receive meeting invitations, so it’s helpful to know in advance if we’ll have a large crowd.
  • If you cannot join us this time, please mark your calendar for the next meeting, Tue, Mar 15, 10am at the Jeff Morris Firehouse Museum.

7:00 – 7:05 : Brief attendee introductions – name and organizational affiliation, if any.

7:05 – 7:08 : (Glenn) For first-time attendees, a very brief explanation of the closer collaboration we’re developing for Sunnyside NET and the Sunnyside Neighborhood Association Emergency Preparedness Committee.

7:08 – 7:10 : (Jan) www.PDXtimebank.com credit for Committee participants

7:10 – 7:25 : (Jan + group discussion) Review of Map Your Neighborhood (MYN) “9 Steps Immediately Following a Disaster.” This activity generated valuable collaborative discussion last month, so we’ll repeat it to introduce the concepts to new attendees, and to reinforce it for veterans planning their own MYN project.

7:25 – 7:40 : (Jan + group discussion) Earthquake Home Hazard Hunt activity using the large-format FEMA poster. We’ll also discuss how you can integrate this activity into your own Map Your Neighborhood efforts.

7:40 – 8:00 : (Jan + group discussion) Discussion of small actions individuals/families/neighborhoods can take immediately for disaster preparedness. Share with others what YOU have done!

8:00 – 8:10 : (Stephanie & Glenn) What do NETs do? For those unfamiliar with the NET program, we’ll share our experience with basic training, operations, and opportunities for advanced training and certifications. Questions are welcome!

8:10 – 8:15 : (Glenn) A quick update of what other nearby NET teams are doing. Since we’re trying to build regional cooperation, we should all be aware. There is lot of mutual inspiration in the air!

8:15 – 8:30 : (Stephanie, Glenn, other NETs) Show and tell! We’ll bring our NET kits to show the gear they contain, and give you ideas for your own emergency prep kit beyond the usual items. NETs are encourage to bring and show off their kits too. It will give you motivation to inventory it before the meeting. 🙂