With reports of store shelves bereft of toilet paper and long lines outside grocery stores, one might think COVID-19 was tantamount to preparing for the BIG ONE—the oft-used title for a significant earthquake that may occur in the Pacific Northwest within the next 50 years. While the coronavirus and the BIG ONE are totally distinct from one another, fear is the common denominator affecting behavior.
Given the collective emergency mind-set at present, an update on Neighborhood Emergency Teams (NETs) couldn’t be more relevant—the organization’s mission, training for its volunteers, and, of particular interest, Beaumont-Wilshire area NET activity—both in the recent past and in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis.
Who & what are NETs?
NET members are Portland residents trained by the Portland Bureau of Emergency Management 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.
Con Bricca is the NET team leader for the Beaumont-Wilshire and Alameda neighborhoods. Neighborhood and block preparedness are crucial for any disaster scenario, he says, but especially for a regional emergency such as a Cascadia Subduction Zone earthquake. NETs help neighbors develop emergency family plans—e.g., water and food storage, sanitation needs, and first aid and medical needs. Everyone is encouraged to sit down with neighbors and begin planning together how to be better prepared. Bricca says that with guidance and assistance from NET members, some blocks are well along in their preparedness.
“Getting to know our neighbors and learning to support each other is vitally important for any emergency scenario we may face. Our NET team members lead block meetings in our two neighborhoods to help neighbors connect with each other and learn each other’s skills and needs.”
NETs in our community
NET members must be age 18 or older (although 14- to 18-year-olds may serve as well with written parental permission). The Beaumont-Alameda NET has 25 active members and 15 affiliated volunteers who are willing to lend a hand in emergencies. Bricca says that new neighborhood members are always welcome, and the required training is open to anyone who lives or works in Portland, including persons with disabilities.
NET training
The basic NET training curriculum is comprised of at least 25 hours of classroom instruction, plus four hours for the final field exercise. Collectively, the training includes disaster awareness, small fire suppression, utility control, hazardous materials, terrorism, disaster medicine, light search and rescue, disaster psychology, and volunteer team management.
Beaumont-Wilshire/Alameda NET activities
Examples of recent events in which Beaumont-Alameda NET members have assisted are the Alberta area street flooding, downed power lines in our area, a gas explosion in NW Portland, staffing of city warming shelters during the winter and cooling shelters during the summer, helping with preparedness training for students at Benson High School, assisting in the organization of neighborhood block meetings, and teaching preparedness (e.g., water storage, sanitation, first aid).
In light of the coronavirus pandemic, some NET members have volunteered to help at Portland’s Emergency Coordinating Center (ECC), where the Portland Bureau of Emergency Management (PBEM), the Water Bureau, and the city’s command center are located. The ECC is in full activation due to the coronavirus situation. NETs are assisting some section chiefs, staffing phones to answer questions from the public, note-taking at meetings, and preparing and serving meals to city staff.
“Basically, NETs are backing up our professional first responders in this time of crisis,” says Bricca. NETs are also distributing public information posters to businesses and other community centers in an effort to keep the public informed about the COVID-19 crisis. Our NET and other NET teams around the city have been contributing PPE (personal protective equipment, such as N95 masks and gloves) from NET team caches to Portland Fire & Rescue and local hospitals.”
Reaching out to build resilience
Bricca emphasized the need for reaching out to neighbors: “Do so on your block, and nearby blocks—it’s a great way to build community resilience.” Bricca encourages people to offer help to neighbors who may need groceries or a prescription or who may feel isolated.
“This is a service with many rewards,” he says. “These acts help us feel connected and valued, strengthen our neighborhood, and help us be better prepared to deal with any emergencies, especially our ongoing coronavirus pandemic.”
For more information, including a schedule of NET trainings and application for training, visit the Portland Bureau of Emergency Management’s website (portlandoregon.gov/pbem). If scheduled trainings are listed as full, e-mail Bricca at conbricca@gmail.com for information about the next available training session.
For more information on COVID-19, visit Multnomah County’s website: multco.us/health-officer/novel-coronavirus-covid-19 or dial 2-2-1. Both resources have multiple languages available.