History of the Portland Bureau of Emergency Management
The Bureau of Emergency Management originated in 2003 as a special unit in Portland Fire & Rescue. Funds from the Department of Homeland Security helped establish local emergency management offices, nationwide. Portland Fire & Rescue staff contributed to the development of a national Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) program. The Portland version, Neighborhood Emergency Teams (NET), was the third CERT program in the country.
History of Community Emergency Response Teams (CERTs)