Rose Festival First Aid Station Volunteer

Volunteering at Rose Festival First Aid stations is an important part of our routine NET deployments each year. It's great community service and provides a lot of visibility for NET. Also, the stations are right on the route so first aid volunteers get a great view of the parade! First aid volunteers will also see other NETs in other positions; possibly in comms, or as Parade Guides.

The current policy is to staff each station with a minimum of three NETs with first aid training (or higher medical response qualifications).

Background

NET Volunteers serving at Grand Floral Parade First Aid stations goes waaay back...probably to the 1990s. Post-COVID, the GFP route shortened and we now deploy two first aid stations instead of five.

Mission

First Aid Volunteers help keep Portland Rose Festival events safe and fun by addressing paradegoers' minor injuries. Volunteers will help act as "eyes and ears" around the parade route and work with our on-site safety team to report any incidents. Responsibilities include: Ensure the safety of parade participants and guests by actively managing street closure barricades; Report incidents to the Emergency Coordination Center; Provide information about the NET program if asked; Give best effort to guide paradegoers in wayfinding around the parade area.

Volunteer Coordination Center (VCC)

Checking in at the Volunteer Coordination Center

Each parade will include at least one Volunteer Coordination Center (VCC) to coordinate volunteers and their communications. The location of a Coordination Center will be included in the Operations Plan. Parade Guides should plan an in-person check in at the Coordination Center where they will receive their assignment, any parade materials they may need, and to check they have everything they need (including answers to questions).

Roles at a Coordination Center may include:

• Parade Guide Lead: This person (a PBEM staffer) effectively serves as the Incident Commander for Parade Guides. They will have an 800 MHz radio to communicate with the Portland Emergency Coordination Center (ECC).
• Check-in/Check-out: Specializes in checking in the Parade Guides when they arrive at the post and giving them their barricade assignment. When a Parade Guide checks out, the person(s) in this role can accept the check-out either in person or by radio.
• Tactical Radio Lead: Monitors the FRS frequency Parade Guides are speaking on and moves the frequency if necessary.
• Runners: Volunteer who can run critical messages to a barricade if the Parade Guide at a location is not available by cell phone or radio. Runners will also take over for Parade Guides who need to leave post to use the restroom.

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