Chapter 2: NET Team Leader Basics

The purpose of this chapter is to introduce the basic responsibilities and training of NET Team Leaders, begin painting a landscape of potential Team Leader resources, and outline what Team Leaders can expect from staff at PBEM. The chapter concludes with a checklist for setting up the NET Team Leader role.

This chapter does not cover the election or qualifications of NET Team Leaders. Candidates for a Team Leader position will find those rules in the NET Guidelines.

Chapter 2 learning objectives

• Understand which government rules shape Portland NET.
• Recognize the role of government agencies in what Portland NET does.
• Know who the PBEM Community Resilience Team is.
• Learn the training requirements for NET Team Leaders.
• Learn the City of Portland's policies on equity and inclusion.
• Learn what information you'll find on a NET roster.

Governing laws and codes for NET

City of Portland Codes and Rules

Sidebar: Portland City Code Chapter 3.124.090

A. All NET members shall be immediately responsible to a team leader and thereafter the Director. The Director may dismiss or remove a NET Leader. B. NET leaders may designate one assistant for each five NET members or fraction thereof for purposes of maintaining adequate supervision of NET members during training or deployment. C. NET leaders are responsible for the organization, ongoing training, communication with and operational safety of the NET members assigned to their teams. D. NET leaders shall attend regularly scheduled meetings for the purposes of training and communicating with NET members. E. NET leaders shall evaluate the performance of NET members and may recommend to the Director the dismissal or removal of NET members.

Portland Fire & Rescue began piloting the NET program in 1994. City Council later created Code governing Portland NET on June 29, 2011. You can view the text of the code that deals specifically with NET Team Leaders in the sidebar to the right.

This part of Portland City Code establishes Portland NET, authorizes the Director of PBEM (or their designee) to define training standards and standards of conduct for NET members, and permits the Director of PBEM to designate specific NET volunteers as "Team Leaders". The code goes on to indemnify NET volunteers as pursuant to Oregon State statute ORS 30.285.

Following from the authority granted in City Code Chapter 3.124.070, the PBEM Director approves and signs the NET Guidelines, a blueprint and catalog of standards for the NET program. NET Team Leaders and PBEM published the first Guidelines on November 19, 2013.

The Guidelines include two particularly important sections for NET Team Leaders. First, Section 600 ("Leadership") describes how a NET elects a Team Leader, how a Team Leader appoints Assistant Team Leaders, and a recommended course of training. This Workbook does not repeat those details here, but Team Leaders are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the NET Guidelines in general and Section 600 in particular.

Second, the PBEM Volunteer Code of Conduct establishes the minimum standards of civility and responsibility PBEM expects from all NET volunteers. Every NET volunteer agrees to and signs the Code of Conduct when they enter Basic NET Training. Because the PBEM Volunteer Code of Conduct references the City's Code of Ethics, volunteers must adhere to both.

NET Team Leaders may think of the Code of Conduct as the minimum standards. NETs may establish further ground rules for their team as long as those additional rules do not contradict the PBEM Volunteer Code of Conduct.

Other Agencies

FEMA, the State of Oregon, Multnomah County, and other government agencies only have small roles to play in Portland NET.

Though FEMA publishes the CERT curriculum used in NET, FEMA sets no standards or governance for CERT volunteer training. FEMA expects local jurisdictions to manage their own CERT programs, and FEMA does not audit CERT programs. They do provide grant funding that PBEM uses primarily to purchase NET equipment and pay trainers.

• The State of Oregon also has no role managing CERT programs directly. However, as of 2023, Oregon's Office of Emergency Management does coordinate and track CERT programs in the state. There are also state statutes that influence NET programming but are not actively administered.

Multnomah County supports Portland NET by partnering on grant applications and providing instructor resources and technical support. The County also oversees policy areas such as health and wellness, and mass care and shelter. Multnomah County administers the local Medical Reserve Corps, a team of volunteer medical professionals prepared to respond in a disaster or a major emergency. Finally, Multnomah County has the lead on the Portland area's TeenCERT program in partnership with Portland Public Schools.

Though PBEM interfaces with many other local government agencies (such as Metro or local drainage districts), their activities rarely involve NET directly. Portland Public Schools (PPS) is a notable exception: Portland NET occasionally trains PPS employees in Basic NET and assists with their Youth Disaster Academy program, while PPS provides training space and hosts several BEECNs. Many school administrators also work directly with their local NET on disaster preparedness and response planning.

What to know about PBEM

PBEM has three basic missions: manage Portland's Emergency Operations Center (EOC) and keep it ready for activation, help Portland bureaus plan for a disaster through Continuity of Operations Planning, and promote community resilience. Staff responsible for the third mission are organized into the Community Resilience Team (CRT). PBEM volunteers such as NETs are most likely to interact with PBEM, and the City of Portland, through the CRT.

As of August 2024, PBEM CRT staff positions most relevant to what NETs do include the following:

• Rachit Nerwal, interim Planning Chief: Rachit supervises the CRT, with Jeremy and Regina as direct reports.
• Regina Ingabire, Community Resilience Outreach Manager: Regina is in charge of Portland's Community Organizations Active in Disaster (COAD) program.
• Jeremy Van Keuren, Community Resilience Manager: Jeremy and Glenn oversee the NET and BEECN program.
• Glenn Devitt, Neighborhood Emergency Team (NET) Program Specialist: Jeremy and Glenn oversee the NET and BEECN program.

It is not unusual for PBEM volunteers to engage directly with PBEM's Public Information Officer as well, though that position is not allocated to the CRT. The current PBEM PIO is Jaymee Cuti.

All PBEM staff are listed at: https://www.portland.gov/pbem/about-pbem-team

At any given time, many City employees and contractors also support the Community Resilience Team by undertaking business outreach, conducting research, creating maps, instructing volunteer classes, scheduling venues, designing printed materials, and much more. As a general rule, a NET Team Leader can send any service questions they have to NET@portlandoregon.gov.