Several of your Woodlawn neighbors have completed the city’s free Neighborhood Emergency Team (NET) training. What is NET, you say? NET teams are made up of citizens trained by the Portland Office of Emergency Management and Portland Fire & Rescue to provide emergency disaster assistance within their own neighborhood. NET members receive basic training on how to save lives and property until the professionals can arrive. The training also provides useful information about how to prepare your own family/household.
The idea behind NET is to equip a group of people in every neighborhood with the skills to help their neighbors without getting hurt themselves. The Office of Emergency Management may also activate NETs in the event of a more localized city disaster such as flooding. NET members also recruit neighbors for NET training, organize Team operations, and help assure that all households in their area are prepared for any citywide emergency. The Woodlawn NET team has identified upper Woodlawn Park (NE Dekum & NE Bellevue) as the primary staging site where trained team members report to in the event of a major catastrophe. The alternate site (should the primary be unsuitable at the time of a catastrophe) is the Woodlawn Methodist Church (NE 15th & Dekum). Primary and alternate sites are required and approved by the Office of Emergency Management. In the event that the NET self-activates after a catastrophic event, or is activated by the Office of Emergency Management, NET team members will organize at the primary staging site.
The Woodlawn NET welcomes new team members of all abilities and anyone over 14 who lives or works in the City of Portland is welcome to take the training. The Office of Emergency Management and Portland Fire & Rescue teach the free NET training one weekday evening or Sat morning class per week over eight-weeks. The next training is scheduled for this spring (2008). You can register on-line at: http://www.pdxprepared.NET or by calling the NET information line at the Portland Office of Emergency Management, (503) 823-1260.
If you would like to know more about the Woodlawn NET, contact Ethan Jewett, team leader, at WoodlawnNET(at)gmail.com
Entries (RSS)
How about a list of the current Woodlawn NET members with their contact info (which our neighbors might need in a time of emergency) and information on the WNA NET meetings? Thanks!
Hi Jan,
That’s a good questions for the NET leader, Ethan. I’m not sure what their process is for dealing in an emergency situation, but perhaps Ethan can shed some light.
Cheers, Ayleen
Hey Jan! I think in practice having all the NETs info published might have some unintended consequences. Our role is solely to augment professional fire/rescue services, and it short of a major disaster, it’s almost always going to be best for folks to call 911 first, and get the professionals en route.
That said, I do make it a point to introduce myself and NET to my immediate neighbors, which might accomplish your goal (and get the word out about NET).
Last summer/fall, when I was out canvassing for NET, I did notice that our neighbors appreciate knowing what our response plan is, and where we plan to meet. In the event of a disaster, this knowledge will speed the arrival of our neighbors. Their help as “spontaneous volunteers” is a key component of the NET concept, and one which we clearly experienced during last fall’s TOPOFF4 federal exercise.
cheers,
Ethan Jewett