BEECN Volunteers

This section covers the role, structure, and responsibilities of BEECN volunteers. Volunteers operate in organized cohorts, perform regular equipment checks, participate in drills, and deploy communication nodes 24–48 hours after a major earthquake.

Role of BEECN Volunteers

1. BEECN volunteers are unpaid volunteers with the City of Portland and any responsibilities undertaken as a BEECN volunteer are voluntary. Volunteers are not employees of PBEM or any other city bureau while acting as a BEECN volunteer.
2. Any time a BEECN volunteer engages in authorized BEECN activities, that member is a representative of the City of Portland and will comport themselves in a manner consistent with these BEECN Guidelines and PBEM Volunteer Code of Conduct.

Persons with Disabilities

Everyone has a part in emergency preparedness and response, and no volunteer interested in the BEECN program will be discouraged or denied on the basis of any physical or cognitive disability. In order to ensure equal access to volunteer programs, PBEM will reasonably modify policies and procedures and provide auxiliary aids and services to persons with disabilities.

BEECN Volunteer Qualifications

Each BEECN volunteer must:

1. Reside within walking or biking distance of the BEECN or fire station the volunteer is responsible for, and be prepared to transport self to the BEECN or fire station in the event of a BEECN deployment without relying on motorized transportation. BEECN volunteers do this within the deployment timeframe of 24 to 48 hours following a disaster.
2. Complete a criminal background check at PBEM’s expense. Though anyone can take BEECN training, some criminal convictions may bar an applicant from registration as a full volunteer. For details, please see the policy on criminal background for PBEM volunteers.
3. Be willing and capable of fulfilling the BEECN volunteer responsibilities indicated in BEECN Guidelines section concerning BEECN Cohort Responsibilities.
4. Sign the PBEM Volunteer Code of Conduct, and follow the procedures indicated in this Guidelines manual.

Relevant BEECN Volunteer Experience and Prior Training

1. Only volunteers staffing fire station Go-Kits in the BEECN program need to have an Amateur Radio license and an ARO qualification. Volunteers staffing BEECN sites use a push-to-talk radio and do not require an Amateur Radio license.
2. BEECN volunteers do not need to be first aid certified as they are not expected to provide medical treatment. However, each BEECN cache is stocked with first aid supplies and PBEM encourages BEECN volunteers to have or receive first aid certification. PBEM will endeavor to obtain this training for BEECN volunteers.
3. BEECN volunteers can also have a background in CERT/NET training, but this is not required. If a BEECN volunteer would like to receive NET training, PBEM will expedite that individual’s application into the NET program.
4. Other skill competencies relevant to volunteering for the BEECN program include: public speaking, leadership/personnel management, mental health crisis de-escalation, and crowd management.

BEECN Training

PBEM will provide training to designated BEECN volunteers instructing on the deployment and use of BEECN equipment on an as-needed basis. PBEM encourages members of a BEECN Cohort to teach each other in the use of equipment when possible.

BEECN Volunteer Cohorts

1. Each BEECN should have a cohort of no fewer than eight volunteers who are trained and familiar with the BEECN cache.
2. One of the eight in a cohort will be the Cohort Coordinator for that BEECN cohort. The responsibilities of the Coordinator are described in the section titled BEECN Cohort Coordinators.
3. A cohort is divided into two shifts (Shift A and Shift B) of four volunteers each. The intention is that in an emergency deployment, each shift will work for eight hours maximum and relay to the other shift at the end of eight hours. See Operational Periods and Shifts.
4. Shift A and Shift B are further divided between two Primary Volunteers and two Backup Volunteers. If a Primary Volunteer is injured or for some other reason cannot deploy the BEECN, Backup Volunteers are available to fill in or take over deployment responsibilities. See Figure 1: BEECN Cohort Organization.

Figure 1: The structure of a BEECN cohort.

BEECN Cohort Coordinators

Cohort Coordinators have no field authority greater than other BEECN volunteers, but are responsible for organizing their cohort during blue sky periods. Responsibilities of the Cohort Coordinator include:

1. Serving as PBEM’s point of contact for a BEECN’s cohort. PBEM will contact this individual to inform of BEECN drills or exercises, policy changes, or any other information relevant to the BEECN program. The Cohort Coordinator is responsible for relaying this information to cohort members.
2. Serving as the point of contact for the owner/manager of the property hosting the cache. The Coordinator should contact the property owner/manager when BEECN exercises are scheduled.
3. Working with cohort members to plan out shift and primary/backup volunteer designations for operations.
4. Ensuring that cohort volunteers feel comfortable with using the cache equipment, can deploy the BEECN competently, and that all volunteers understand their role and responsibilities in the event of a BEECN deployment.
5. Ensuring that the cohort has no fewer than eight members, and recruiting new members from the immediate neighborhood as needed.
6. Providing PBEM with program feedback, recommendations, and resource requests as appropriate.
7. Ensuring that the cohort responsibilities described in BEECN Cohort Responsibilities are carried out, and the results of audits and exercises are relayed to PBEM.

BEECN Cohort Responsibilities

Each BEECN Cohort has the following responsibilities:

1. No less than monthly, do a sight check of the cache to ensure it is secure and has not been damaged or significantly tampered with, and that the tarp over it is still on tight (if the cache is outdoors). There is no need to inform PBEM of this check unless there is damage or other issues to report.
2. No less than quarterly, inventory the contents of the cache using the inventory forms included inside the cache. Inventorying is done through the BEECN Journaling System.
3. No less than annually, participate in a BEECN activation exercise. PBEM will coordinate an exercise in the area of the BEECN once a year, but will coordinate more activation exercises at the request of a cohort as resources allow.
4. In the event of a major earthquake, proceed with BEECN operations as described in Section 300.

Fire Station Cohorts

A Fire Station volunteer (“FS volunteer”) is a specialized Amateur Radio Operator (ARO), or a non-licensed volunteer assisting the ARO, who works independently of BEECN cohorts and communicates with the Portland Emergency Operations Center (EOC).Fire Station volunteers also form a cohort of eight for each fire station. Each shift requires one primary and one backup ARO. Fire Station Volunteers are responsible for relaying messages from BEECNs to the EOC during deployments and exercises and are fundamental to BEECN operations. Therefore, a BEECN cohort should know who the Fire Station Volunteer is who will be relaying their messages. The responsibilities of Fire Station Volunteers are described in Operations: Fire Stations

BEECN Volunteers and Portland Neighborhood Emergency Teams

1. BEECN volunteers and NETs operate independent of each other’s authority and are not under each other’s chain of command.
2. PBEM encourages BEECN cohorts to meet with regularly with their local NETs, and to be familiar with their Earthquake Response Frameworks.
3. One person may be both a NET and BEECN volunteer. NETs respond immediately following a major disaster, while BEECN volunteers operate 24 to 48 hours following an earthquake. Therefore, a volunteer can plausibly be part of both programs, and PBEM encourages volunteer participation in both.

Volunteer Support Functions and BEECN

All BEECN volunteers except AROs assigned to a fire station operate under VSF 14: Public Information. AROs operate under VSF 02: Communications.

Indemnification of BEECN Volunteers

BEECN and Fire Station volunteers are indemnified under the same policies as all PBEM volunteers. Please view the page on Volunteer Indemnification for more information.