Printed Community Handout Materials

This page is intended to serve both the general public and to aid PBEM staff when considering handout updates and ordering for materials.

Some of the informational handouts that PBEM hands out. Subject to availability!

If you wish to request any of these materials, please do so at least two weeks before you need them. You can request materials by completing the ORDER FORM.

Below is a table and gallery of in-print PBEM published handouts. PLEASE NOTE that "in-print" does not mean "in stock"; nor does it mean we currently have the resources to print new copies of out of stock handouts. All PBEM published materials are intended for public use and may be reprinted for free public use; commercial use is prohibited. Materials may not be altered for any reason.

Where possible, PBEM and partner organizations have materials translated into multiple languages. For consistency, this page uses ISO 639-1 language abbreviations.

In-Print Handouts
Handout	Last Update	English	Spanish	Arabic	Hindi	Japanese	Karen	Khmer/Cambodian	Lao	Korean	Nepali	Russian	Somali	Ukrainian	Vietnamese	Chinese
PocketPrep	2022.03.29	en	es
BEECN Postcards	2022.05.26	en	es									ru			vi	zh
Pee+Poo Bucket Stickers	2022.02.14	en	es							ko		ru	so	uk	vi	zh
24-Week Family Preparedness Shopping List	2022.06.29	en	es
Water Storage/Treatment Postcards	2022.05.25	en	es	ar	hi	ja	kar	km	lo	ko	ne	ru	so		vi	zh
Water Heater Hang Tags	2022.05.25	en	es	ar	hi	ja	kar	km	lo	ko	ne	ru	so		vi	zh
Pet Safety Window Cling	2022.07.20	en
Without Warning! Comic Book	2014.07.08	en	es
NET Brochure	2016.11.26	en	es									ru			vi

• PBEM in-print handouts; click image to enlarge.
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  PocketPrep layout and graphics, front and back, July 19 2022.

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  BEECN Postcard, front and back, as of May 26 2022.

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  Pee+Poo Bucket Stickers are separated as two stickers; design as of February 14 2022.

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  24-Week Family Preparedness Shopping List, front and back, June 29 2022. Probably our most popular handout.

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  "Include Water" postcard, front and back.

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  Water heater hanging tag, front and back.

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  Pet Safety Window Clings, single side, design as of July 20 2022.

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  NET Brochure, front and back, as of November 26 2016.

Community outreach on August 29, 2018. Laura Hall (PBEM/RDPO) pictured on right.

PocketPrep

PocketPrep is the flagship of our mighty fleet of informational handouts. The PocketPrep was designed and printed with the following considerations in mind:

• Reduce the number of handouts PBEM prints to a single piece. We were only moderately successful on that, but it did reduce four handouts down to one.
• Create something that recipients want to hang onto instead of recycling. This was done with eye catching design and providing space for for people to write in information. The design worked well enough that Z-CARD North America uses PocketPrep as a product sample for getting emergency prep communications into peoples' hands.
• Make it durable. PocketPreps are printed on waterproof, tear-resistant paper.
• Make it portable. Unfolded, it measures about 23" x 9". But it folds down to the size of a credit card.

There are a few production drawbacks, however:

• They're expensive...about $1.50 a piece. That means we need to encourage NETs and neighbors to have conversations with people about them instead of simply handing them out or dropping them on a table for people to take.
• The file design formats are challenging to edit; only a professional graphic designer would be able to do it. That can make updates and getting these translated into other languages difficult.
• That they are printed on durable paper means that folks can only write on them using ballpoint pen or a pencil (gel ink slides right off).
• So far, we've only found one vendor who can print them cost effectively (Z-CARD).

Specifications

Printed, foldable information brochures with outer cards. Outer Cards: 3 ⅜” X 2 ⅛” – 18 pt C1S Board with Gloss coating. Inner Sheets: 23 ¼ ” X 9 ¼” – .0042” Polyart Synthetic text paper. Colors: Outers: 4/0, Inners: 4/4. Illustrations were completed by Hugh Newell. Krista Gust with the Portland Bureau of Planning and Sustainability completed layout and graphic design.

Appropriate Use

Because of their cost and our interest keeping material out of the waste stream, PocketPrep was designed not to be a typical government hand-out-and-toss piece of swag. Having a conversation about PocketPrep with someone is just as important as getting it into someone's hands. Therefore, requests for quantities of PocketPrep will also include one-sheets that explain to volunteers how they should distribute PocketPreps. .You can download a PDF of the instructions HERE..

We estimate it takes 45 seconds to one minute to explain PocketPrep to people. So if someone orders 120 pieces for a tabling event that last one hour, PBEM is only going to give 50 or so.

PocketPreps incorporate information on purifying water, BEECN locations, the two bucket system, pet prep, Drop/Cover/Hold, how to shelter in place, Public Alerts, and how to join Portland NET.

The "PocketPrep Instructions" read like this:

PocketPrep Instructions Thank you for helping us promote community resilience through outreach! This sheet is intended to offer some guidance on talking with folks about the PocketPrep handout, and disaster preparedness. PLEASE DO spend a minute or so to have a conversation about what is in the PocketPrep. At your outreach table, have one or two unfolded for display. As someone looks it over, try to discuss these points (not necessarily in this order): Describe what a BEECN is and encourage them to find their own with the map, and write down their BEECN on the “warning and information” section; Encourage them to visit Public Alerts (publicalerts.org) and register when they get home, where they can also find more info putting a preparedness kit together; Emphasize the need to store at least 14 gallons of water per person in their household, and that shelf-stable food and a first aid kit are the next priorities; Talk about the twin-bucket system and take your own if you can (kids love ‘em); Use a pencil or ballpoint pen to fill out some of the blanks with them; Explain Drop/Cover/Hold during an earthquake; If you are a NET volunteer and the recipient is curious about disaster response, talk about your own NET experience, encourage them to join, and point out the link on the PocketPrep for more information. PLEASE DO NOT distribute PocketPrep without an opportunity to explain it to the person receiving it. Not everyone will want to have a conversation, and that’s OK. The important thing is to open the door for curious people. PLEASE DO encourage people to use ballpoint pen or pencil on the PocketPrep. Because it is water and tear resistant paper, a gel pen or marker will smudge off. PLEASE DO NOT leave an unattended stack of PocketPrep for passers-by to pick up and take with them. PLEASE DO feel encouraged to give a short presentation to an audience on PocketPrep and to distribute PocketPrep to folks in the audience.

Project history

PBEM debuted the PocketPreps on August 18, 2019. After a few months of design work and stakeholder vetting/feedback, PBEM ordered the first print run (partially funded by the UASI 16 grant) in May 2019, for August delivery. The initial run proved popular and prompted a second run in March 2020, but the COVID-19 pandemic effectively shut down opportunities to distribute PocketPrep from March 2020 to 2022. PBEM wouldn't order another run until August 2023 (also funded by a UASI grant). It was this third print run that debuted PocketPrep in Spanish. In early 2023, the text of the PocketPrep was translated into Vietnamese and Simplified Chinese as well. However, PBEM has so far been unable to fund a print run of PocketPreps in those languages.

BEECN Postcards

The PocketPrep has a BEECN map on one side. But these postcards continue to be popular, so PBEM continues to print them in multiple languages.

Specifications

That one time in summer 2018 PBEM put a bigass BEECN map on a cargo bike and rode that around town.

Printed double sided and full color CYMK on Accent Opaque 80# cover card stock. Finishing size is 11 ½" x 6 ⅛". Approximately $.50 per piece at last print run in May 2022; reference P&D order #1240552. Krista Gust with the Portland Bureau of Planning and Sustainability completed layout and graphic design.

Appropriate Use

PBEM is OK with simply handing these out casually. But when possible, outreach volunteers use the postcard to engage with someone about where their closest BEECN in, and then mark the location for the person to take home and stick it on the refrigerator. This works even better when a large map of the neighborhood is available at the table.

Project History

The first run of BEECN postcards were mailed to every household in Portland in early December of 2012 and mentioned in a December 11, 2012 PBEM press release announcing the debut of the BEECN program. The total mailing cost arrived at approximately $60,000 (printing costs were $13,860.95 according to P&D order #1123433; postage costs unclear). However, as the postcards landed in residential mail the same time as seasonal junk mail and holiday catalogs, the postcard was widely (though anecdotally) reported to have met the same fate of those mailers: tossed in a recycling bin with barely a passing glance. It did not make the impression hoped for.

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  Early pass at a BEECN postcard design, October 10, 2012.

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  BEECN postcard that was mailed to every household in Portland. Design date is November 26, 2012.

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  First design of a BEECN postcard intended for downloading and printing from the PBEM website.

Pee+Poo Bucket Stickers

You can use any 5-6 gallon bucket to separate your pee and poo. You can even use an old paint bucket. Read the Emergency Toilet Guidebook for suggestions about where to find free buckets in your community.

The following text is quoted or paraphrased from the Emergency Toilet Project website. The Emergency Toilet Project is a project of the Regional Disaster Preparedness Organization (RDPO):

Several recent disasters in the United States have caused damage to portions of water and wastewater systems, leaving major metropolitan areas without access to clean water and flushable toilets for prolonged periods. Emergency managers, among others, have recognized a need to improve post-disaster sanitation management and educate communities on how best to manage human waste.

The stickers are not to be used for commercial purposes. Anyone may use the materials for non-commercial purposes, as long as they site the source: "Regional Disaster Preparedness Organization of the Portland Metropolitan Region, with funding from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security/Urban Areas Security Initiative (UASI) grant program."

Specifications

PBEM does not publish this handout, but we place orders for them with our regional partners. Finishing size of each sticker is 13 ¼" x 8 ¼". Graphic was composed in Adobe Illustrator.

Appropriate Use

The stickers were designed to be printed as stickers and placed on poo and pee buckets (the buckets should be two separate buckets). You can also print them on card stock or regular paper and use packing tape to affix them.

Project History

In 2016, Sue Mohnkern of Washington County Public Health (in Oregon) led the RDPO’s Regional Disaster Sanitation Task Force to develop guidelines for disaster sanitation following a Cascadia Subduction Zone Earthquake. In 2017, the technical content created by that task force was passed to the RDPO’s Regional Disaster Preparedness Messaging Task Force under the initial leadership of Felicia Heaton, formerly of Portland Bureau of Emergency Management, and then Cynthia Valdivia, a bilingual outreach and multicultural public educator with Washington County Public Health.

With the help of an Urban Areas Security Initiative (UASI) grant, the RDPO hired Portland-based consulting firm Barney and Worth to help transform the disaster sanitation guidelines into pre- and post- event educational tools.

24-Week Family Preparedness Shopping List

This is the older (retired) version of the 24 Week Shopping List.

This is probably the most popular PBEM-published handout. It gives recipients an opportunity to incrementally engage with disaster preparedness, and build a sufficient kit in 24 weeks.

Specifications

Tri-fold printed double-sided and full color CYMK. Finishing size is 11" x 8 ½". Illustrations by Hugh Newell; graphic design and layout by Hexad Studios.

Appropriate Use

The handout itself is self-explanatory enough that leaving them as a "take one" item at a table or counter is appropriate. However, best practice is for an experienced NET to talk through some of the list with people. They may have questions about where and how to store things, ask for advice about shelf stable food, and so on.

Project History

For as long as Jeremy can remember anyway, PBEM has always stocked a 24 Week Shopping List and it is unclear who put the first one together. The older version was last revised in May of 2018. That version was revised, reformatted, and re-illustrated in 2022 in conjunction with an effort to get it translated into Spanish.

Water Storage/Treatment Postcards

These postcards are not published by PBEM, but provided to us for distribution by the Regional Water Providers Consortium.

Appropriate Use

This does work as a "take one", but recipients should be encouraged to include the postcard inside their preparedness kit. Even when not in the midst of an emergency, folks are challenged to remember how much bleach goes into what amount of water.

Water Heater Hang Tags

Pet Safety Window Cling

Curry makes a cameo on the window cling as NET's unofficial mascot.

This is the PBEM version of a window cling that is popular in other places in the country and available through the ASPCA. However, we are considering discontinuing them after the current stock runs out. They are expensive, and we learned later from firefighters that rescue workers seldom pay them any heed because people do not keep them updated (although, we knew that going in, which is why we added a date line). At least so far, they haven't proved to be particularly popular as a handout, but maybe we haven't found the right way to promote them yet.

Specifications

Material: clear RI-Cling printed face down for viewing through glass. Finishing size is 5" x 6". Full color CMYK. Designed in InDesign by Jeremy Van Keuren, artwork completed by Hugh Newell. Last print run in July 2022 had them at approximately $3.05 a piece.

Appropriate Use

This is a slightly adhesive window cling that relies mostly on static electricity to stay on a window. Optimal placement is on a window near or on a front door so that rescuers have it in plain view. The recipient should write on the side of the cling that faces out and through the window. The recipient should put the day's date when they fill it out to clue rescuers in to how old the information may be.

Project History

Jo Becker (an animals in disasters speaker and educator) suggested in March 2022 PBEM come up with a pet safety window cling similar to the one put out by the ASPCA. Jeremy worked with Hugh Newell to design one and make an initial print run, which Portland P&D outsourced to Pro Ad Co.

NET Brochure

Original 2010 NET Brochure (out of print). Photography and graphic design by Ethan Jewett.

The NET Brochure was conceived as a basic "take one"-style brochure connecting recipients to completing a NET application and also informing them of PublicAlerts.org. PBEM will not do more printings of the NET Brochure because its purpose is met with the PocketPrep. However, we still have many copies of this handout in stock, so they can be requested.

Specifications

Half-fold printed double-sided and full color CYMK. Full bleed. Finished size is 11" x 8 ½". Printed on AEPP Mohawk Text-11. Photographs by Ethan Jewett; graphic design and layout composed in InDesign by Jeremy Van Keuren.

Retired Printed Community Handout Materials

The following materials are retired: out of print and out of stock. They cannot be requested from PBEM and PBEM will not do further print runs of them. They are published here in case a volunteer wants to download the files and have them printed.

Both sides of an OK/HELP sign for posting in a window.

OK/HELP Signs

The use case/intent with these signs is that they be distributed to residences. Following an earthquake or other disaster, someone in the home would place one of these signs in a window as a sign to search and rescue teams that help is needed or not needed.

PBEM discontinued print runs of this sign because of cost, and because their use case was illogical and possibly dangerous. For example, what if someone posted the "OK" sign immediately after an earthquake but was severely injured in an aftershock? Incoming disaster responders from around the country are also not trained or informed of their use; a rescuer brought in from another state probably wouldn't even realize that a "HELP" or "OK" sign had anything to do with the aftermath of a disaster. Multnomah County occasionally stocks these signs still, but PBEM does not.

Specifications: Print front and back. Finishing size is 11" x 8 ½". Original print runs were on a plastic coated card stock (not sure what exactly). DOWNLOAD.