In the event of a major disaster, your neighbors might be the ones to save you.
The city has trained a volunteer workforce (called Neighborhood Emergency Teams) for when the need arises. Glenn Devitt, community resilience coordinator for the Portland Bureau of Emergency Management, tells the City Cast Portland podcast all about what NETs do.
You might need some help. After all, there are more than 600,000 people within city limits and only about 700 official firefighters.
The West Coast is expecting a major earthquake. Is that what teams are ready to respond to?
These teams of volunteers have the training to respond to the Big One, but also they respond to smaller incidents, including dozens of times in the past year.
“In large part, we're finding that NETs are becoming climate emergency responders,” says Devitt.
They've been out during heat domes and last winter’s ice storm (in January) when the city shut down for six days. That time, teams worked in emergency shelters, monitored downed powerlines, and checked in on neighbors.
What will NET volunteers do in the event of the Big One?
“The first thing is make sure their family is okay — and themselves,” says Devitt.
But the volunteers will also be asked to gather within 24 hours if they can do it safely. They’ll be able to provide basic first aid, use fire extinguishers on small fires, and activate the emergency shutoffs for gas, electricity, and water (if necessary), as well as conduct basic search-and-rescue operations (they’re trained to assess if a building is safe to enter).
What’s some basic advice for people who want to help prepare?
“Store water is my first one,” says Devitt.
You need clean drinking water, “because after about three days without good water, your body starts to fail,” he adds.
The city also has a 75-minute presentation that they offer free for community groups. You can request that the city come train your organization.
Plus, if you’ve been inspired to learn how to volunteer with NET, visit portland.gov/net to register and apply. The next volunteer training will be in the new year.
