BEECN Volunteers: Difference between revisions

This section covers the role, structure, and responsibilities of BEECN volunteers. Volunteers operate in organized cohorts, perform regular equipment checks, participate in drills, and deploy communication nodes 24–48 hours after a major earthquake.

=== Role of BEECN Volunteers ===

# BEECN volunteers are unpaid volunteers with the City of Portland and any responsibilities undertaken as a BEECN volunteer are voluntary. Volunteers are not employees of PBEM or any other city bureau while acting as a BEECN volunteer.

# Any time a BEECN volunteer engages in authorized BEECN activities, that member is a representative of the City of Portland and will comport themselves in a manner consistent with these BEECN Guidelines and [[PBEM Volunteer Code of Conduct]].

=== Persons with Disabilities ===

Everyone has a part in emergency preparedness and response, and no volunteer interested in the BEECN program will be discouraged or denied on the basis of any physical or cognitive disability. In order to ensure equal access to volunteer programs, PBEM will reasonably modify policies and procedures and provide auxiliary aids and services to persons with disabilities.

=== BEECN Volunteer Qualifications ===

Each BEECN volunteer must:

# Be willing and capable of fulfilling the BEECN volunteer responsibilities indicated in BEECN Guidelines section concerning [[BEECN Cohort Responsibilities]].

# Sign the [[PBEM Volunteer Code of Conduct]], and follow the procedures indicated in this Guidelines manual.

=== Relevant BEECN Volunteer Experience and Prior Training ===

# BEECN volunteers can also have a background in CERT/NET training, but this is not required. If a BEECN volunteer would like to receive NET training, PBEM will expedite that individual’s application into the NET program.

# Other skill competencies relevant to volunteering for the BEECN program include: public speaking, leadership/personnel management, mental health crisis de-escalation, and crowd management.

=== BEECN Training ===

PBEM will provide training to designated BEECN volunteers instructing on the deployment and use of BEECN equipment on an as-needed basis. PBEM encourages members of a BEECN Cohort to teach each other in the use of equipment when possible.

=== BEECN Volunteer Cohorts ===

# A cohort is divided into two shifts (Shift A and Shift B) of four volunteers each. The intention is that in an emergency deployment, each shift will work for eight hours maximum and relay to the other shift at the end of eight hours. See [[Operational Periods and Shifts]].

# Shift A and Shift B are further divided between two Primary Volunteers and two Backup Volunteers. If a Primary Volunteer is injured or for some other reason cannot deploy the BEECN, Backup Volunteers are available to fill in or take over deployment responsibilities. See ''[[Media:BEECN Volunteer Shifts.png|Figure 1: BEECN Cohort Organization]].''

[[File:BEECN_Volunteer_Shifts.png|thumb|400x400px|''Figure 1: The structure of a BEECN cohort.'']]

=== BEECN Cohort Coordinators ===

Cohort Coordinators have no field authority greater than other BEECN volunteers, but are responsible for organizing their cohort during blue sky periods. Responsibilities of the Cohort Coordinator include:

# Providing PBEM with program feedback, recommendations, and resource requests as appropriate.

# Ensuring that the cohort responsibilities described in [[BEECN Cohort Responsibilities]] are carried out, and the results of audits and exercises are relayed to PBEM.

=== BEECN Cohort Responsibilities ===

Each BEECN Cohort has the following responsibilities:

# No less than annually, participate in a BEECN activation exercise. PBEM will coordinate an exercise in the area of the BEECN once a year, but will coordinate more activation exercises at the request of a cohort as resources allow.

# In the event of a major earthquake, proceed with BEECN operations as described in [[Section 300]].

=== Fire Station Cohorts ===

A Fire Station volunteer (“FS volunteer”) is a specialized Amateur Radio Operator (ARO), '''''or''''' a non-licensed volunteer assisting the ARO, who works independently of BEECN cohorts and communicates with the Portland Emergency Operations Center (EOC).Fire Station volunteers also form a cohort of eight for each fire station. Each shift requires one primary and one backup ARO. Fire Station Volunteers are responsible for relaying messages from BEECNs to the EOC during deployments and exercises and are fundamental to BEECN operations. Therefore, a BEECN cohort should know who the Fire Station Volunteer is who will be relaying their messages. The responsibilities of Fire Station Volunteers are described in [[Operations: Fire Stations]]

=== BEECN Volunteers and Portland Neighborhood Emergency Teams ===

# PBEM encourages BEECN cohorts to meet with regularly with their local NETs, and to be familiar with their Earthquake Response Frameworks.

# One person may be both a NET and BEECN volunteer. NETs respond immediately following a major disaster, while BEECN volunteers operate 24 to 48 hours following an earthquake. Therefore, a volunteer can plausibly be part of both programs, and PBEM encourages volunteer participation in both.

=== Volunteer Support Functions and BEECN ===

All BEECN volunteers '''''except''''' AROs assigned to a fire station operate under [[VSF 14: Public Information]]. AROs operate under [[Radio Communication Procedures|VSF 02: Communications]].

=== Indemnification of BEECN Volunteers ===

BEECN and Fire Station volunteers are indemnified under the same policies as all PBEM volunteers. Please view the page on [[Volunteer Risk, Injury Coverage, and Indemnification|Volunteer Indemnification]] for more information.