NET Operations Plans

NET teams build and manage a plan called an Operations Plan ("Ops Plan") for when a big disaster happens in the region. This could be something like a really strong earthquake or a more unlikely event, like an EMP burst that can shut down communications and electronics. If this happens, the team self deploys; the Ops Plan is the document that tells team members where to meet, how to communicate, and what the highest response priorities are.

But for other bad things like really bad weather or floods, another group called PBEM takes care of getting volunteers to help. You can think of the Ops Plan as a special "Earthquake Plan."

Even though making the Ops Plan and keeping it updated is important for earthquakes, it also helps the community in other ways. It helps the team learn more about how strong the community is and what it can handle. This information helps PBEM decide how to get the neighborhoods in Portland ready for different problems.

A NET would activate their Operations Plan ("Ops Plan") in response to a regional disaster that causes widespread damage and knocks out conventional communications and causing a team to self-deploy. In other words, a catastrophic earthquake or (however unlikely) an EMP burst. For all other disasters and emergencies (such as extreme weather, floods, etc.), the expectation is that PBEM deploys and manages volunteers. In fact, calling a team's Ops Plan their "Earthquake Plan" would not be out of line.

Nevertheless, the process a team undertakes to produce an Ops Plan and keep it up to date benefits the community beyond preparation for an earthquake. Building an Ops Plan takes close research into the community's resilience, and that data can help inform PBEM policy decisions around how best to prepare Portland's different neighborhoods.