Community Preparedness Team Strategic Plan: Difference between revisions

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!Policy Driver

!Explanation and Implications

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|Portland Neighborhood Emergency Teams are inserted into [https://www.portland.gov/code/3/124#toc-3-124-070-neighborhood-emergency-team-program Portland City Code] (though no other community disaster preparedness programs are).

|Though the code language is not particularly detailed, all program policies should at least not contradict code.

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|PBEM is an "all hazards" emergency management organization.

|Community programming must consider the region's disaster risks (preferably through a formal hazard identification and risk assessment) and be mindful of how different disasters require different community resources. For example, the differences in how communities prepare for an earthquake compared to preparation for an extreme weather event.

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|Neighborhoods/communities will be/often are the frontline disaster responders, not government.

|PBEM community programming should decentralize knowledge, expertise, and equipment.  

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|Communities underserved by government bear the brunt of a disaster.

|Those communities may include immigrant communities, communities of color, persons with disabilities, and low-income households. To address this, PBEM advocates for the application of [https://belonging.berkeley.edu/sites/default/files/2022-12/Targeted%20Universalism%20Primer.pdf Targeted Universalism].

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|An earthquake is the only foreseeable disaster for which PBEM will '''''not''''' directly deploy NET volunteers.

|This factor necessitates that NETs and communities be prepared in the immediate aftermath of an earthquake, with clear protocols, to deploy without a request from PBEM. For all other incidents, NETs must not deploy until requested directly by PBEM via socialized and established notification systems (e.g. Everbridge).

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|Community-based organizations (CBOs) frequently play a critical role in disaster preparedness, response, and recovery.

|PBEM is responsible for organizing, guiding, and training Portland-area CBO personnel to prepare for their roles (e.g. through the COAD).

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|From PBEM's perspective, the only reason for organizing NETs into geographic-based neighborhood teams is to respond to an earthquake.

|In the history of the NET program, volunteers have only ever deployed under PBEM's direct guidance and management, with PBEM effectively serving as the "incident commander" for responding volunteers. No anticipated disaster would break this trend '''''except''''' for an earthquake. In that situation, it makes sense for NETs to come together as neighborhood teams to organize and respond.

This implies that the organization of NETs into teams should circulate around their response to an earthquake.

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|Following a catastrophic earthquake, communities should plan to be on their own for up to two weeks.

|Community training, curriculum, and messaging around earthquake preparedness and response should be shaped by the prospect of receiving no outside aid or assistance for up to two weeks. For example, this should shape how we talk with folks about storing water, or treating injured people, or establishing communications.

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|Portland NET is an urban volunteer disaster response program.

|Organization and training of volunteers must consider the urban landscape, particularly when PBEM adopts curriculum from other programs. For example, CERT programming from FEMA is best suited for residential suburban and rural communities. NET has modified CERT curriculum to consider vertical communities (e.g. apartment buildings) and organizing into multiple teams across city neighborhoods as opposed to having a single "Portland" team.

As an accessory to this policy driver, programming should consider that approximately 47% of Portlanders are renters.<ref>''State of Housing report''. (n.d.). Portland.gov. https://www.portland.gov/phb/state-of-housing-report</ref>

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|Not everyone has time to be a NET volunteer, but everyone has a part to play in their community's disaster resilience.

|Becoming a NET volunteer takes 28 hours of basic training and a minimum 12-hour annual commitment. To keep programming equitable and accessible PBEM should ensure that there are multiple points of entry to participation, and that none are excluded on the basis of their socioeconomic status or their schedule.  

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|Disaster response volunteers have access to sensitive information, vulnerable populations, secure property access, and taxpayer-owned equipment.

|For this reason, disaster response volunteers must undertake a criminal background check. If a volunteer serves in the EOC, they should read and sign a non-disclosure agreement (NDA).

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|Communities manage their own disaster response volunteer teams.

|It is not the responsibility of PBEM or the City of Portland to manage neighborhood-based teams of disaster response volunteers; only to support them through training, equipment, and information. Community organizing must happen at the community level.

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|PBEM should work with other government organizations and community organizations to force multiply resilience and produce "community resilience dividends".

|Communities better prepared for a disaster also present better public health outcomes, less social isolation, and less crime. When possible, PBEM should remove disaster resilience from its silo and connect programming to other resilience efforts.