History of Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT)
Portland Fire & Rescue staff contributed to the development of a national Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) program. The Portland version, Neighborhood Emergency Teams (NET), was the third CERT program in the country.
History of Portland NET
In 1993, two events laid groundwork for what would become the Portland NET Program. First, Portland Fire & Rescue (PF&R) launched the Community Emergency Services Program (CES). PF&R envisioned the Program building partnerships with community groups to improve public safety.
Second, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries (DOGAMI) published research on subduction zone earthquakes in the Pacific Northwest. The research pointed to the possibility of a Cascadia Subduction Zone earthquake happening soon.
Understanding the scale of the damage such an earthquake could do, Portland bureaus set to planning and preparation. To PF&R, the idea of enlisting Portlanders to promote household preparedness made sense. Meanwhile, in early 1994, San Francisco’s fire department (SFFD) began the Neighborhood Emergency Response Team program (NERT). PF&R learned about NERT through the “fire service grapevine”. NERT took the role of community members a step beyond helping with household preparedness; NERT trained the community in basic emergency response. SFFD viewed trained NERT volunteers as adjuncts to uniformed responders during widespread emergencies.
PF&R studied the NERT program model and training materials. SFFD provided great support - everything from training manuals and slide sets (yes, we were using film slides in those days!) to advice on recruiting and training fire fighters as volunteer trainers.
Portland NET began in Spring of 1994. PF&R Chief Robert Wall and other leaders gave a green light to pilot volunteer responder training as part of the Community Emergency Services program. We referred to it as the Neighborhood Emergency Team training - or, “NET” (one battalion chief liked the acronym, saying it referred to the community teams as the City’s “safety net” when the Big One happened).
The CES Coordinator worked with emergency management at PF&R and other bureaus (notably Transportation) creating training materials. The Coordinator also worked with PF&R officers to identify uniformed fire fighters with experience and enthusiasm to work as trainers and coaches for the new NET trainees.
PF&R evaluated several guiding questions while designing the curriculum, such as whether it would be accessible to all potential volunteers. Based on PF&R’s evaluation of community needs and resources, program coordinators selected Parkrose, Sylvan Highlands, Concordia, and Hayden Island as pilot neighborhoods for NET.
PF&R marketed the NET training through the Neighborhood Associations in each of those targeted areas. Over 100 signed up and PF&R conducted the first round of NET training. Trainers conducted seven 3-hour sessions on Wednesday evenings at Station #1 downtown and Saturday mornings at Station #2 in Parkrose. Both classes went through a 4-hour final exercise to finish their basic training.
Given the success of the pilot, PF&R committed to continuing NET. To introduce NETs as a new response asset in widespread emergencies, City Council heard a report on the program and PF&R introduced the new NET members. Over 70 graduates, wearing NET safety hard hats and vests, attended. City Council members shared in presenting the ID badge to and shaking the hand of every NET member. NET had arrived!