Presentation Requests
Community members wisely place confidence in NETs' knowledge and abilities, and often request presentations about emergency preparedness. This is a guide for handling various kinds of requests.
One of NETs' most important "blue skies" preparedness tasks is to encourage all-hazard preparedness education, and empower neighbors to develop their own plans.
Requests for Specific Advice
- "Where should I go after an earthquake?"
- "Can you create our business/school/family evacuation plan?"
- "What exactly do I need to have in my personal kit?"
These kinds of questions seek prescriptive answers, and require analysis. Providing that kind of individualized advice is not the job of NETs. (Nor anyone at PBEM.) This is not meant to be mean or lazy. It is fantastic that your neighbors have the confidence in you to ask! However, NETs are trained to do the greatest good for the greatest number under all-hazard response protocols. Your team may, of course, choose to support any plan that a business, school, or other organization develops – if you decide to make it part of your team’s ops strategy among other competing interests, and if you consider the plan to be safe, and if scene size-up during an emergency determines it safe for you to respond.
Indemnification and Liability
This is a good time to recall the fact that if you were not trained to do something by PBEM, you are not indemnified for it.’ Family reunification? Seismically retrofitting a building? How to chainsaw a tree? Nope. Specific emergency management planning for business or school entities involves COOP (Continuity of Operations Planning), which is a field of expertise; see Additional Resources below. Private entities must make their own determinations for their emergency assessments and plans, and assume the liability for them. NETs (and most PBEM staff) are not generally qualified to offer specific advice, so it would be inappropriate to do so
Constructive ways to decline providing individualized advice
What to say:
- ‘We cannot possibly understand all of your operational needs – and some of them are probably confidential. Therefore we are not qualified to offer specific advice.'
- ‘There are many factors that affect emergency response planning. As volunteers, we are trained to provide solid foundational education about emergency preparation, not specific solutions for any organization. We will help you help yourself!’
- ‘You are the person who is ideally suited to plan for your [students/family/colleagues]. And I want to provide holistic information so that you can figure out what is best for them and you.’
NETs provide education, not individualized solutions
- What to say: ‘Based on our successful experience with organizations like yours, the best next step for your audience is to schedule our free, 60-75 minute interactive presentation titled Emergency Preparedness for You, Your Family, and Your Community.’ (Note the intentional emphasis on Community.)
- This presentation is the foundational Speakers Bureau presentation. It is is best delivered in-person for a close-knit group, but also can be delivered online.
How the public may request a presentation
Please channel the request through PBEM if it all possible by providing this link: https://pbem.link/eprep
When the request is received, PBEM will channel it to the nearby Team Leader(s).
Why use the form?
- It collects all the logistical information you will need.
- The form logs the request for PBEM's NET performance metrics, to support budget requests. Requests that are not counted are not funded.
Requests for too-short presentations
Sometimes groups ask for a 15-minute presentation about how to prepare for emergencies. That simply is not enough time. Do not agree to it.
What to say: ‘Spending only a few minutes on this important topic is not worth either of our time, and probably will not save any lives in an emergency. I would not want to create more questions than I answer, or provide a false sense of security by merely checking a couple of boxes.’
- Most people understand and appreciate that immediately. If someone pushes back, our answer does not change. Consider something like, ‘I am delighted that you understand how critical emergency preparation is. And I appreciate your urgency and limited time. But like any useful education, delivering this information properly requires a little time. In fact the presentation we offer could easily fill an entire afternoon, but we have refined and compressed a LOT of information into those 60-75 minutes, and I promise that attendees will finish inspired to take action!’
Presentation Blurb
Title
Emergency Preparedness for You, Your Family, and Your Community
Sample blurb
Be prepared, not scared! A representative of the Portland Bureau of Emergency Management (PBEM) will present simple, inexpensive ways to prepare for emergencies ranging from severe weather to a major earthquake. During this engaging session we will discuss making plans for home, work, and school; creating go/stay kits; storing water and food; home retrofitting; multifamily buildings; emergency sanitation; and more. You also will learn about optional volunteer opportunities to serve your neighbors during an emergency by receiving additional training from PBEM and Portland Fire & Rescue.
Logistics
Delivery: Virtual or in-person
Time required: approximately 1¼ hours
Group size: Minimum 10, maximum unlimited
Location: PBEM can only accommodate requests within the City of Portland
Public request form
Requests submitted there are channeled by PBEM to the nearby NET Team Leader(s).
Presentation handouts
Please review the List of Materials and use the Request Form.
Additional Resources
Be prepared, not scared! A representative of the Portland Bureau of Emergency Management (PBEM) will present simple, inexpensive ways to prepare for emergencies ranging from severe weather to a major earthquake. During this engaging session we will discuss making plans for home, work, and school; creating go/stay kits; storing water and food; home retrofitting; multifamily buildings; emergency sanitation; and more. You also will learn about optional volunteer opportunities to serve your neighbors during an emergency by receiving additional training from PBEM and Portland Fire & Rescue.
Delivery: Virtual or in-person
Time required: approximately 1¼ hours
Group size: Minimum 10, maximum unlimited
Location: PBEM can only accommodate requests within the City of Portland