Fairview Emergency Preparedness.
CERT training – There are no CERT teams in the 4 cities. Portland is nearest Trainer.
– The Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Program educates people about disaster preparedness for hazards that may impact their area and trains them in basic disaster response skills, such as fire safety, light search and rescue, team organization, and disaster medical operations. Using the training learned in the classroom and during exercises, CERT members can assist others in their neighborhood or workplace following an event when professional responders are not immediately available to help. CERT members also are encouraged to support emergency response agencies by taking a more active role in emergency preparedness projects in their community.
– Contacted Multnomah county for more information.
Brian,
So good to hear from you!
The Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) is an in-depth program that educates about disaster response through hands-on training. Individuals usually attend up to around 6-10 training sessions to become certified and regular training opportunities exist within the area. Communities then organize into teams to better respond during a disaster event. One very robust example of this is the City of Portland’s Neighborhood Emergency Teams. The CERT program can definitely be scaled down to suit a smaller jurisdiction, or even a small community. This is definitely a more in-depth program, but it is also very beneficial as well. Some communities provide additional training and utilize this ready cadre of volunteers to assist police and fire departments for various activities.
The Map Your Neighborhood program is more of a grass roots program in that it is community/neighborhood led, usually with some initial guidance from emergency preparedness professionals. Though a guide exists, every neighborhood can adapt it to fit their needs. I have recently been working with Sauvie Island on this program and it so far has been well received.
Another option is Volunteers in Policing (VIPS), also known locally as Citizen Patrol. The Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office has developed a team in Corbett that has been very effective and essentially replaced the former CERT group. Though they are not specifically CERT trained (some had been through previous CERT training), they are taking on some roles in regards to emergency response, such as assisting with damage assessments and other community response roles as needed. They perform other functions such as traffic control assistance, patrolling to report crime and provide a visible presence at tourist attractions in the Columbia River Gorge, and assist with issuing parking tickets in high traffic areas at those same locations.
We would love to work with you to find a scalable, adaptable solution that fits best for your residents. I have also copied Steve Bullock, our Outreach and Preparedness Coordinator. He is the resident expert on these programs.
As a side note, we are starting the process of updating Hazard Mitigation Plans, including the plan for the City of Fairview. Feedback from the community is a required part of the planning process and we would like to help integrate that into a related community event, such as National Night Out. Chief Johnson is our representative on the planning committee, but any feedback or ideas as to how we can best reach the community are very appreciated.
Let me know if you would like to meet with us to have a more in-depth planning discussion about these programs.
Thank you!
—
Tina Birch
Emergency Operations Specialist
Multnomah County Emergency Management
tina.birch@multco.us
C: 503.816.8743
P: 503.988.7563
F: 503.988.6095
Map your Neighborhood – Gresham runs MYN. Could be used to congeal area HOA’s
– Map Your Neighborhood (MYN) brings neighbors together (ideally 10-20 households) to prepare their block for a disaster.
– The process requires a neighborhood leader or leader(s) to host a 90-minute block meeting with designated households to work through the easy-to-use neighborhood preparation booklet.
– The process can also help your block become an active Neighborhood Watch block if the group wishes.
National Night out – Tuesday Aug 4th
Emergency preparedness Awareness month – September 2015
– The American Red Cross provides free emergency preparedness education to the community, trains volunteers to respond to local and national disasters and provides victims of disaster with shelter, food, crisis counseling and recovery planning. The Oregon Trail Chapter of the Oregon Red Cross serves Baker, Clackamas, Clatsop, Columbia, Hood River, Gilliam, Morrow, Multnomah, Sherman, Tillamook, Umatilla, Union, Wallowa, Wasco, Washington and Yamhill counties
– Oregon Trail Chapter – Group Training Request
– If you are part of a large organization or have a group with more than ten people, the Oregon Trail Chapter can arrange for an instructor to come to your site for the type of training that best suits you.
Friends of Fairview 