Basic Earthquake Emergency Communications Nodes (BEECN): Difference between revisions

To address this, the Basic Earthquake Emergency Communication Node (BEECN) program provides 50 communication sites throughout Portland, where volunteers and city employees use durable amateur radio systems ("HAM") to relay messages between local neighborhoods and the city’s [[PBEM Emergency Operations Center (EOC)|Emergency Operations Center (EOC)]]. Within 24 to 48 hours after the quake, BEECNs enable two-way communication, allowing residents to report damage, injuries, or request assistance, while also receiving critical response and resource information. These sites are not for emergency supplies or medical services, but rely on community volunteers to ensure their success and facilitate effective communication during a disaster.

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In September 2012, Portland [[wikipedia:Sam_Adams_(Oregon_politician)|Mayor Sam Adams]] directed the Portland Bureau of Emergency Management to design and implement the BEECN program. The initial idea came from Mayor Adams himself after observing a similar program in Seattle. Mayor Adams instructed PBEM to fully deploy the program before December 31 of that year with 48 sites (two more sites were added later, for a total of 50).

With only three months to implement, PBEM Operations Manager David Blitzer teamed with PBEM new hire Jeremy Van Keuren to scope out site locations. Funding for much of the program would come from the [https://rdpo.net Regional Disaster Policy Organization] through a 2010 [https://www.fema.gov/grants/preparedness/homeland-security UASI grant], for a total cost of $151,496. The Mayor's Office contributed an additional $60,000 to market the program by sending a BEECN postcard to every home and business in the City of Portland. The postcards dropped in early December 2012, and Mayor Adams officially kicked the program off on December 10.

|Installation of the first Mark II BEECN cache in east Portland.

|2020.08.09

|Debut and installation of the new BEECN cache design

''A: We have published several maps. Check [https://pdx.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=d3eaa87bf97148a78a5f358207259d72 here] or [https://www.portland.gov/sites/default/files/2020-04/pbem-beecn-web-handout-2018-en.pdf here]. The best way is to look up your address on [https://www.portlandmaps.com/ PortlandMaps.com], scroll down to the "Public Safety" section of the righthand pane, and look for the BEECN entry at the bottom.''

''A: You already have one! With the exception of the Forest Park area, every BEECN site is inside a 20-minute walk of every Portland home (under the standards of Portland's 20-Minute Neighborhoods plan). We do not add new BEECN sites beyond the 50 we have, as that would overload the radio traffic system.''

''A: About two hours total.''

''A: That we know of, Milwaukie (Oregon) also has a BEECN program. Programs similar to ours also exist in Seattle and Vancouver, BC. Other than that, we know of no others. However, the concept of post-disaster neighborhood gathering points is not novel (for example, New Orleans [https://ready.nola.gov/NOLAReady/media/Documents/City-Assisted-Evacuation-Brochure_revised-2016.pdf "Evacupoints"]). BEECN essentially takes that concept and adds resilient radio communications to it.''