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2020 Clackamas Wildland Fires: Difference between revisions
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2020 Clackamas Wildland Fires (view source)
Revision as of 11:31, 26 December 2023
, 26 December 2023→Observation #4: Concerning drones
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* Further develop drone operation capacity in NET to provide drone reconnaissance during deployments over large areas through training and team building. | * Further develop drone operation capacity in NET to provide drone reconnaissance during deployments over large areas through training and team building. | ||
=== Observation #5: Intake for evacuees === | |||
'''''The evacuation site needed an intake process for evacuees.''''' | |||
Engagement with evacuees was mostly effective connecting people to resources, but uneven and sometimes duplicative with the work of spontaneous volunteers or even prior shifts of NET volunteers. This risked “outreach exhaustion” for evacuees at the Clackamas Town Center site. | |||
As the response progressed, volunteers also noticed increasing numbers of non-evacuee homeless persons visiting the evacuation site looking for supplies and resource connections. Though NETs, Clackamas County staff, and other volunteers assisted these persons when possible, the purpose of the site was helping evacuees and NETs had no clear way of distinguishing between evacuees and chronically homeless persons. | |||
Applying an intake process could mitigate or resolve issues like these in the future. | |||
'''Recommendations:''' | |||
* Assign volunteers to conduct intake interviews with everyone who arrives on site. Structure the interview to learn whether the person or family evacuated, what services they need, what questions they may have, and orient them to services available. Issue evacuees a Tyvek bracelet or other token to indicate their status as evacuees to organizations providing services on site. | |||
* Make the intake responses and identifiers centrally accessible to NETs and Clackamas County (via Google Drive or similar cloud based resource). | |||
=== Observation #6: Spontaneous volunteers enhance the response === | |||
'''''Spontaneous unaffiliated volunteers (SUVs) made highly valuable contributions to the quality of the response.''''' | |||
Spontaneous volunteers (SUVs) arrived at the site to help evacuees during their time of need and made many positive contributions to the response. Debbie and Joe Scott, unofficial “mayors” of the evacuation village (and themselves evacuees), provided NET volunteers with invaluable information about the status of many evacuees. Wynter Lewis served as a consistent and welcoming presence for evacuees and referred many crucial service needs to NETs and PBEM staff to solve problems. Other SUVs pitched in to help manage donations and provide other services. | |||
'''Recommendations:''' | |||
* Continue to provide training to NETs on SUV intake, liability, and management. | |||
=== Observation #7: FRS radios helped === | |||
'''''FRS radios served well for volunteers who brought them.''''' | |||
Deployment notifications to NETs recommended FRS radios for tactical communications, but did not require them. Unfortunately, several instances emerged where the command post needed to communicate with volunteers out in the field. Cell phones filled the gaps, but radio use is more immediate and all NETs should practice using them. A volunteer experienced with FRS radios noted that many NET volunteers need more practice with them, and that one person should be designated to handle radio traffic as needed. | |||
'''Recommendations:''' | |||
* PBEM has considered in the past making FRS radios a part of the Basic NET kit. That policy should be adopted as soon as possible. PBEM has also purchased radios for deployment use. | |||
* Team members should check their radios before deploying, to be sure the radios are operational and full charged. | |||
* Continue on with FRS radio training in Basic NET (unit 9). | |||
=== Observation #8: NET branded PPE issues === | |||
'''''NET vests and hard hats were not always an appropriate match for this job.''''' | |||
The NET Coordinator required vests, and recommended hard hats, for ease of visibility on site. Though they served that purpose, they risked making NET volunteers appear too authoritarian to evacuees largely traumatized by their recent experiences. Closer to the end of the response, the NET Coordinator suggested volunteers remove them (but keep on their NET badge/lanyard) when directly engaging with evacuees. | |||
On the other hand, the high visibility of the vests made the volunteers easy for cars to spot. Some NETs also felt safer wearing them when doing foot patrols, particularly at night, because of their “official” appearance. So, a Team Leader should weigh the most appropriate uniform for the work at hand. | |||
'''Recommendations:''' | |||
* Weigh costs and consider a simple NET deployment t-shirt for NET volunteers as part of their basic kit. Some volunteers possess such shirts already, and they presented a less jarring presence than the hi-viz NET vests. | |||
[[File:CTC.Evac Notice.jpg|alt=Card handed to evacuees at the Clackamas Town Center before the evacuation center closed.|thumb|''Card handed to evacuees at the Clackamas Town Center before the evacuation center closed.'']] | [[File:CTC.Evac Notice.jpg|alt=Card handed to evacuees at the Clackamas Town Center before the evacuation center closed.|thumb|''Card handed to evacuees at the Clackamas Town Center before the evacuation center closed.'']] | ||
== References and Notes == | == References and Notes == | ||
