Minimum Service Contribution (MSC)

In order to maintain Active status, NET and BEECN volunteers will contribute minimum hours of volunteer service each calendar year, called the "Minimum Service Contribution" (MSC). The intention of the MSC is to:

• Keep the skills and awareness of volunteers sharp and practiced;
• Keep volunteers engaged with their fellow volunteers and in their communities;
• Protect the indemnification status of all Active volunteers.

Quantifying volunteer hours is also a critical metric for demonstrating to PBEM's funders the value of the NET program. More information about that is in an article about the value of volunteer hours.

.NET and BEECN volunteers must contribute no less than twelve hours of volunteer service annually to maintain their status as an Active volunteer. The MSC requirement does not apply to ATVs or COAD volunteers, though these volunteers are highly encouraged to log their activity hours.

MSC Considerations

1. In order to be counted towards the MSC, the service contribution must be recorded in the volunteer's online volunteer profile. PBEM staff will not record hours on behalf of a volunteer. However, a NET Team Leader may record hours for a member of their team.
2. Valid service creditable to the MSC can include:
   • Team meetings
   • Deployments
   • Service to the NET program (referred to as "Program Service"
   • Public education and outreach
   • Basic NET (either for the first time or as refresher training)
   • Advanced training (including FEMA Independent Study or other online courses with PBEM approval)
   • Exercises
3. PBEM will consider mitigating circumstances before changing a status to ATV or Inactive for volunteers who cannot meet their MSC.
4. If a volunteer's status changes to Inactive or ATV because they did not meet their MSC, they will be reinstated as "Active" once they meet the MSC requirement. However, this is not automated and the volunteer should contact PBEM to request reinstatement.

Linking the MSC, Volunteer Indemnification, and Risk

The City of Portland indemnifies BEECN and NET volunteers but not ATVs, SUVs, or COAD volunteers. In exchange for the protection offered by indemnification, NET and BEECN volunteers must complete and maintain a currency in their training that lowers them as a liability risk to the City of Portland. If a NET or BEECN volunteer does not keep up a minimum level of training, they are too much of a risk to be considered a deployable resource by PBEM.

From a policy perspective, deciding what constitutes a minimum level of training/knowledge for NET and BEECN volunteers is a three-way balancing act between 1.) keeping the risk profile of PBEM volunteer programming low; 2.) ensuring that NET and BEECN volunteers possess a level of training and experience that makes them helpful in disaster response (e.g. a "deployable resource"); and 3.) not driving volunteers off by asking for too much of their time. If risk profiles of PBEM volunteer programming are out of sync with the City of Portland's risk tolerance, PBEM may be directed to adversely adjust the MSC and throw it out of balance.

MSC Frequently Asked Questions

Q: I am not physically/emotionally/cognitively able to deploy, so how will I make my MSC?

A: Deploying to an emergency is not required to satisfy MSC requirements (nor has it ever been, or ever will be). There are plenty of different ways that persons of all abilities can satisfy their MSC.

Q: If I cannot log my hours on my online volunteer profile, how can I record activity towards my MSC?

A: You should ask for assistance from someone on your team, preferably your Team Leader, to assist you and possibly log them on your behalf. PBEM will not waive the requirement that hours be logged online.

The reason is that recognizing a volunteer as an Active, deployable resource requires a record of their volunteer activities. PBEM recognizes that requiring this be done electronically does not work perfectly for everyone, since some folks may not be computer or smart device literate. But we have determined it is the most equitable option available to us that results in the fewest barriers to participation.

Note, also, that the MSC requirement is twelve hours. If logging hours online is a pain in the ass, log only the bare minimum twelve hours instead of logging every volunteer activity. Furthermore, those hours can be logged at one single sitting. So, for example, let's say a volunteer with limited computer access does 20 hours of NET activities in a calendar year, each of them five hours. On December 31, the volunteer goes to the library and logs in at a public computer. They log three of those activities and meet the MSC by putting in 15 hours. They remain in Active status until at least December 31 the next year.

PBEM prefers that volunteers log all their volunteer hours, of course. More hours on the books means more program resources for everyone. But PBEM recognizes we need to be flexible as well.

Q: Do I receive Active status while working back up to making my MSC?

A: Generally speaking, no. ATVs and Inactive volunteers cannot access the same advanced training opportunities that Active volunteers can. However, being in ATV or Inactive status should not prevent you from working back up to twelve hours. An ATV can always re-take Basic NET or take FEMA independent study courses. However, if your status is "Inactive", you will need to ask PBEM to place you in ATV status so you can log hours to your volunteer profile (since Inactive volunteers have no profile).

Q: Can I remain an Active NET volunteer if I can't make my MSC?

A: Probably not. But PBEM staff will consider mitigating circumstances before downshifting a volunteer to ATV status or deactivating them (e.g. family emergencies).

Q: Does the MSC also include attending two or more meetings of my team?

A: It used to, and may again. Eagle-eyed volunteers will remember that the older NET Guidelines included this requirement. PBEM is suspending that requirement for now.

Q: Twelve hours is not very much. Has PBEM considered adjusting the requirement upward?

A: We've considered it, and likely will increase it in the future (probably to 24 hours per calendar year). For now, twelve hours maintains an appropriate balance between risk tolerance, volunteer competency, and volunteer availability.