Presentation Requests: Difference between revisions

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Community members have well-placed confidence in NETs' knowledge and abilities, and often request presentations about emergency preparedness. This is a guide for handling various kinds of requests.
Community members wisely place confidence in NETs' knowledge and abilities, and often request presentations about emergency preparedness. This is a guide for handling various kinds of requests.
 
'''One of NETs' most important "blue skies" preparedness tasks is to encourage all-hazard preparedness education, and empower neighbors to develop their own plans.'''


== Requests for Specific Advice ==
== Requests for Specific Advice ==
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These kinds of questions seek prescriptive answers, and require analysis. Providing that kind of individualized advice is not the job of NETs. (Nor anyone at PBEM.) This is not meant to be mean or lazy. It is ''fantastic'' that your neighbors have the confidence in you to ask! However, NETs are trained to do the greatest good for the greatest number under all-hazard response protocols. Your team may, of course, choose to ''support'' any plan that a business, school, or other organization develops – ''if'' you decide to make it part of your team’s ops strategy among other competing interests, and ''if'' you consider the plan to be safe, and ''if'' scene size-up determines it actually is safe during an emergency.
These kinds of questions seek prescriptive answers, and require analysis. Providing that kind of individualized advice is not the job of NETs. (Nor anyone at PBEM.) This is not meant to be mean or lazy. It is ''fantastic'' that your neighbors have the confidence in you to ask! However, NETs are trained to do the greatest good for the greatest number under all-hazard response protocols. Your team may, of course, choose to ''support'' any plan that a business, school, or other organization develops – ''if'' you decide to make it part of your team’s ops strategy among other competing interests, and ''if'' you consider the plan to be safe, and ''if'' scene size-up determines it actually is safe during an emergency.


This also is a time to recall the fact that if you were not trained to do something by PBEM, you are not [[Indemnification|indemnified]] for it.’ Family reunification? Evacuation of children? Nope. Specific emergency management planning for business or school entities involved COOP (Continuity of Operations Planning). That is an entire field of expertise; see [[Presentation Request#Additional Resources|Additional Resources]] below. As a private entity they must make their own determinations, and assume the liability for them. You and I are not qualified to offer specific advice.
== Indemnification and Liability ==
This is a good time to recall the fact that if you were not trained to do something by PBEM, you are not [[Indemnification|indemnified]] for it.’ Family reunification? Seismically retrofitting a building? How to chainsaw a tree? Nope. Specific emergency management planning for business or school entities involves COOP (Continuity of Operations Planning), which is a field of expertise; see [[Presentation Request#Additional Resources|Additional Resources]] below. Private entities must make their own determinations for their emergency assessments and plans, and assume the liability for them. NETs (and most PBEM staff) are not generally qualified to offer specific advice, so it would be inappropriate to do so
 
== Constructive ways to decline providing individualized advice ==
 
* ‘We cannot possibly understand all of your operational needs – and some of them are probably confidential. Therefore we are not qualified to offer specific advice.'
* ‘There are many factors that affect emergency response planning. As volunteers, we are trained to provide solid foundational education about emergency preparation, not specific solutions for ''any'' organization. We will help you help yourself!’
* ‘You are the person who is ideally suited to plan for your [students/family/colleagues]. And I want to provide holistic information so that you can figure out what is best for them and you.’
 
== Don't provide solutions, provide education ==
 
* What to say: ‘Based on my/our experience, the best next step for your audience is our 60-75 minute interactive presentation titled ''Emergency Preparedness for You, Your Family, and Your '''Community'''''.’ (Note the intentional emphasis on Community.) This presentation is the foundational [[Speakers Bureau]] presentation. It is is best delivered in-person for a close-knit group, but also can be delivered online. LMK if you do not have the link    to the slides and I’ll dig it up. ]
* ‘Spending only 15    minutes on this topic is not worth either of our time. I would not want to    create more questions than answers, or a false sense of preparedness by merely    checking a couple of boxes.’
* Educators almost always understand    that immediately. But if someone pushes back, my answer does not change. I    say something like, ‘I am impressed and appreciate that you understand how    critical emergency preparation is, and I want to help. And like any useful    education, delivering it properly requires a little time. In fact the    presentation we offer could easily fill an entire afternoon, but we have refined    and compressed a LOT of information into those 60-75 minutes, and I’m sure    attendees will find it worthwhile.’
* To channel the request    through PBEM, and ask all the preparatory questions, I suggest sending    them to the form: <nowiki>https://pbem.link/eprep</nowiki>    Then of course, when that request comes through I will channel it to you.    I would anyway, even if you hadn’t reached out first. :-)
 
== Presentation Blurb ==
 
=== Title ===
''Emergency Preparedness for You, Your Family, and Your '''Community'''''
 
=== Sample blurb ===
'''''Be prepared, not scared!''''' A representative of the Portland Bureau of Emergency Management (PBEM) will present simple, inexpensive ways to prepare for emergencies ranging from severe weather to a major earthquake. During this engaging session we will discuss making plans for home, work, and school; creating go/stay kits; storing water and food; home retrofitting; multifamily buildings; emergency sanitation; and more. You also will learn about optional volunteer opportunities to serve your neighbors during an emergency by receiving additional training from PBEM and Portland Fire & Rescue.
 
=== Logistics ===
'''Delivery:''' Virtual or in-person
 
'''Time required:''' approximately 1¼ hours
 
'''Group size:''' Minimum 10, maximum unlimited
 
'''Location:''' PBEM can only accommodate requests within the City of Portland
 
=== Public request form ===
https://pbem.link/eprep


== Nice Ways to Say It ==
Requests submitted there are channeled by PBEM to the nearby NET Team Leader(s).


== Educate, Don't Dictate ==
=== Presentation handouts ===
Please review the [[Printed Community Handout Materials|List of Materials]] and use the [https://pbem.link/pbemevent Request Form].


== Additional Resources ==
== Additional Resources ==

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