Minimum Service Contribution (MSC)
In order to maintain Active status, volunteers are asked to contribute minimum hours of volunteer service each calendar year: the Minimum Service Contribution (MSC). The intention of the MSC is to
- Keep the skills and awareness of volunteers sharp and practiced;
- Keep volunteers engaged with their fellow volunteers and in their communities;
- Protect the indemnification status of all Active volunteers.
.NET and BEECN volunteers must contribute no less than twelve hours of volunteer service annually to maintain their status as an Active volunteer..
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MSC Considerations
- In order to be counted towards the MSC, the service contribution must be recorded in the volunteer's online volunteer profile. PBEM staff will not record hours on behalf of a volunteer. However, a NET Team Leader may record hours for a member of their team.
- Valid service creditable to the MSC can include:
- Team meetings
- Deployments
- Service to the NET program (referred to as "Program Service"
- Public education and outreach
- Basic NET (either for the first time or as refresher training)
- Advanced training (including FEMA Independent Study or other online courses with PBEM approval)
- Exercises
- PBEM will consider mitigating circumstances before changing a status to ATV or Inactive for volunteers who cannot meet their MSC.
- If a volunteer's status changes to Inactive or ATV because they did not meet their MSC, they will be reinstated as "Active" once they meet the MSC requirement. However, this is not automated and the volunteer should contact PBEM to request reinstatement.
Linking the MSC, Volunteer Indemnification, and Risk
The City of Portland indemnifies BEECN and NET volunteers but not ATVs, SUVs, or COAD volunteers. In exchange for the protection offered by indemnification, NET and BEECN volunteers must complete and maintain a currency in their training that lowers them as a liability risk to the City of Portland. If a NET or BEECN volunteer does not keep up a minimum level of training, they are too much of a risk to be considered a deployable resource by PBEM.
From a policy perspective, deciding what constitutes a minimum level of training/knowledge for NET and BEECN volunteers is a three-way balancing act between 1.) keeping the risk profile of PBEM volunteer programming low; 2.) ensuring that NET and BEECN volunteers possess a level of training and experience that makes them helpful in disaster response (e.g. a "deployable resource"); and 3.) not driving volunteers off by asking for too much of their time. If risk profiles of PBEM volunteer programming are out of sync with the City of Portland's risk tolerance, PBEM may be directed to adversely adjust the MSC and throw it out of balance.
MSC Frequently Asked Questions
Q: I am not physically/emotionally/cognitively able to deploy, so how will I make my MSC?
A: Deploying to an emergency is not required to satisfy MSC requirements (nor has it ever been, or ever will be). There are plenty of different ways that persons of all abilities can satisfy their MSC.
Q: Do I receive Active status while working back up to making my MSC?
A: Generally speaking, no. ATVs and Inactive volunteers cannot access the same advanced training opportunities that Active volunteers can. However, being in ATV or Inactive status should not prevent you from working back up to twelve hours. An ATV can always re-take Basic NET or take FEMA independent study courses. However, if your status is "Inactive", you will need to ask PBEM to place you in ATV status so you can log hours to your volunteer profile (since Inactive volunteers have no profile).
Q: Can I remain an Active NET volunteer if I can't make my MSC?
A: Probably not. But PBEM staff will consider mitigating circumstances before downshifting a volunteer to ATV status or deactivating them (e.g. family emergencies).
