Affiliated Team Volunteers (ATVs)
An Affiliated Team Volunteer ("ATV") is a volunteer who associates with, and is assigned to, a NET Team but does not possess full "Active" NET volunteer status. They are not deployed or indemnified by the City of Portland, though they can have a profile in the NET volunteer database. ATVs appear on NET rosters as prospective response resources for an earthquake response only.
PBEM created the ATV status as a solution to two problems:
- It offers retiring NET volunteers an alternative to separating from the NET program completely. If a NET volunteer is unable to meet their Minimum Service Contribution but would like to remain a part of their local team, they can do so as an ATV. ATV status is an alternative to making a NET volunteer "Inactive" and completely discharging them from the program.
- It encourages non-NET neighbors to volunteer with their local NET team by giving them a status in the program. A neighbor may be interested in disaster response activities with their community and want to plan ahead, but do not have the time and/or inclination to complete Basic NET training. Becoming an ATV gives them a team role to fill by declaring a VSF (e.g. radio operator) and makes them more ready to participate with a NET team than a spontaneous volunteer (SUV) would be.
ATV Program History
"ATV" was first coined and suggested to Jeremy Van Keuren (PBEM) by NET volunteer David Given. David worked with Boy Scout volunteers and requested a volunteer status that kept a non-NET disaster response volunteer "in the loop" of NET activities and encouraged forming a planning relationship with local teams.
