PBEM Community Resilience Flagship Programs: Difference between revisions
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The Portland NET program is modeled from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) [[wikipedia:Community_emergency_response_team|Community Emergency Response Team (CERT)]] program. The CERT program began in 1985 in Los Angeles, and was itself modeled from a similar program the Los Angeles Fire Department observed in Tokyo, Japan. Los Angeles Fire became interested in citizen response programs following the [[wikipedia:1985_Mexico_City_earthquake|1985 Mexico City Earthquake]], where untrained citizens rescued around 800 people but nearly 100 people of those citizens lost their lives in rescue attempts.<ref>Whittaker, J., McLennan, B., & Handmer, J. (2015). A review of informal volunteerism in emergencies and disasters: Definition, opportunities and challenges. ''International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction'', ''13'', 358–368. <nowiki>https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijdrr.2015.07.010</nowiki></ref> FEMA adopted and standardized the Los Angeles CERT program in 1993. In 1994, Rachael Jacky with Portland Fire and Rescue (PF&R) adapted the national CERT curriculum for Portland and incorporated it with existing emergency response volunteer teams. In order to avoid confusing the CERT program with the Portland Police Bureau’s [https://www.portland.gov/police/divisions/sert Special Emergency Reaction Team (SERT)], the program was renamed the Portland Neighborhood Emergency Team program (NET). Many volunteer emergency response programs in the Portland region (such as Tigard and Beaverton) have retained the CERT title. | The Portland NET program is modeled from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) [[wikipedia:Community_emergency_response_team|Community Emergency Response Team (CERT)]] program. The CERT program began in 1985 in Los Angeles, and was itself modeled from a similar program the Los Angeles Fire Department observed in Tokyo, Japan. Los Angeles Fire became interested in citizen response programs following the [[wikipedia:1985_Mexico_City_earthquake|1985 Mexico City Earthquake]], where untrained citizens rescued around 800 people but nearly 100 people of those citizens lost their lives in rescue attempts.<ref>Whittaker, J., McLennan, B., & Handmer, J. (2015). A review of informal volunteerism in emergencies and disasters: Definition, opportunities and challenges. ''International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction'', ''13'', 358–368. <nowiki>https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijdrr.2015.07.010</nowiki></ref> FEMA adopted and standardized the Los Angeles CERT program in 1993. In 1994, Rachael Jacky with Portland Fire and Rescue (PF&R) adapted the national CERT curriculum for Portland and incorporated it with existing emergency response volunteer teams. In order to avoid confusing the CERT program with the Portland Police Bureau’s [https://www.portland.gov/police/divisions/sert Special Emergency Reaction Team (SERT)], the program was renamed the Portland Neighborhood Emergency Team program (NET). Many volunteer emergency response programs in the Portland region (such as Tigard and Beaverton) have retained the CERT title. | ||
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=== What do NETs do? === | |||
In the event of a citywide or regional emergency such as a severe winter storm, flood or major earthquake, households need to be prepared to be on their own for at least two weeks or even longer. Neighborhoods need to be prepared for self-sufficiency, too. Volunteer neighborhood rescuers will likely be first on the scene when firefighters and police are slowed by impassable streets or overwhelmed by calls for help. NET Members live or work in Portland and receive instruction from PBEM and PF&R to provide emergency disaster assistance within their own neighborhoods. NET Members are prepared to save lives and property until police, fire, and EMS responders can arrive. These volunteers are specially trained to help others without putting themselves in harm’s way. NET Members are: | |||
* Prepared to be self-sufficient for two weeks during any emergency. | |||
* Able to provide emergency assistance to their family and immediate neighbors. | |||
* Able to work within an emergency response team and with professional emergency responders to save lives and property in their neighborhood. | |||
* Able to guide untrained volunteers who want to help others during a disaster. | |||
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=== How is Portland NET different from CERT? === | === How is Portland NET different from CERT? === | ||
