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2023-2024 NET Program Realignment: Difference between revisions
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2023-2024 NET Program Realignment (view source)
Revision as of 15:39, 15 November 2023
, 15 November 2023→Comment: All this talk of NET getting downshifted to ATVs for not getting hours...
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'''A:''' There are two things to unpack here: hours/ATVs, and accommodation for persons with disabilities. | '''A:''' There are two things to unpack here: hours/ATVs, and accommodation for persons with disabilities. | ||
'''<u>First, concerning logged hours and ATVs:</u>''' I want to be very clear about this: for at least ten years, active status in the NET program (e.g. indemnification) has been predicated on three things: 1.) Completing basic NET or CERT training; 2.) logging a minimum of twelve service hours each calendar year; and 3.) attending at least one team meeting each year. Not two of those and not one of those, or one of those and not two of those...'''''all three conditions need to be met.''''' Meeting those conditions satisfies the City's risk concerns for indemnifying an individual disaster response volunteer (and in my personal opinion, I would call that a surprisingly low threshold). It makes a disaster response volunteer a "deployable resource". This information is presented in Basic NET training, and is also in the [https://www.portland.gov/pbem/neighborhood-emergency-teams/documents/net-guidelines/download NET Guidelines] which we encourage NET volunteers to read. | '''<u>First, concerning logged hours and ATVs:</u>''' I want to be very clear about this: for at least ten years, active status in the NET program (e.g. indemnification) has been predicated on three things: 1.) Completing basic NET or CERT training; 2.) logging a minimum of twelve service hours each calendar year; and 3.) attending at least one team meeting each year. Not two of those and not one of those, or one of those and not two of those...'''''all three conditions need to be met.''''' Meeting those conditions satisfies the City's risk concerns for indemnifying an individual disaster response volunteer (and in my personal opinion, I would call that a surprisingly low threshold). It makes a disaster response volunteer a "deployable resource". This information is presented in Basic NET training, and is also in the [https://www.portland.gov/pbem/neighborhood-emergency-teams/documents/net-guidelines/download NET Guidelines], published online, which we encourage NET volunteers to read. | ||
Nonetheless, we have enforced those Guidelines loosely. Technically, if a volunteer doesn't meet those three conditions, we're supposed to place them on "Inactive" status. We didn't want to do that; we wanted to find a medial status between "Active NET" and "Inactive". That medial status is "ATV". A NET who is having trouble logging twelve hours a year can downshift to ATV status so we don't have to kick them out of the program. They can become a full NET again when they're ready to meet the requirements. It is true that an ATV is not indemnified (they are also not called up for central deployments). But we can't indemnify a volunteer who is not a deployable resource. | |||
To code or imply ATV status as PBEM bringing the hammer down does not reflect what it's really there for. It's a place for volunteers to go when they cannot or no longer wish to engage as a deployable resource, but an alternative to being put out of the program completely. | |||
'''<u>Second, concerning accommodation for persons with disabilities:</u>''' PBEM wants (''requires'', really) a program welcoming to persons with disabilities. On that point, we're only as good as the feedback we get. To my knowledge, we've accommodated every request for accommodation we've ever received. To my knowledge, we've never once had to escalate one of those requests to an ADA coordinator (as a "Reasonable request for accommodation" under [https://www.ada.gov/law-and-regs/title-ii-2010-regulations/ ADA Title II]). | |||
'''If we're not doing a good job creating a welcoming program, I'm ready to own that and work on it.''' In the survey will be a question welcoming folks to a NET/Disabilities roundtable to talk about it. I'll schedule an initial meeting for shortly after January 1. | |||
== Notes and References == | == Notes and References == | ||