This is the monthly meeting of the SW Emergency Preparedness Group. We are a group of citizens working to create disaster-resistant communities by raising public awareness, working with our civic leaders, and educating citizens how to prepare for and respond to natural disasters. We invite anyone with an interest to attend. Our focus is SW Portland, however disasters know no boundaries and we believe in working with neighboring groups and individuals.

The NET Team Leaders met last month in the regular EP room and time-slot. One outcome of that meeting was a decision to segregate NET (Neighborhood Emergency Team) and EP (Emergency Preparedness) into separate meetings, with the former severing ties to SWNI.

This may come as a surprise to those who know that SWNI’s EP group began as an alliance of local NETs gathering to discuss common concerns. However over the last three years the EP group has evolved an agenda which substantially transcends the NET charter. In as much as NETs are “owned and operated” by the Portland Office of Emergency Management (POEM), some people felt that SWNI had no role to play. Others noted that it was by the efforts of SWNI that we have twice brought NET training to SW, have twice hosted an all-hands NET gathering for SW Portland, and have over the years provided a forum to discuss NET related issues.

Both sides make valid points. SWNI has fostered a dialog between SW NETs, and inspired POEM to rethink and revamp NET boundaries. But in as much as NETs belong to POEM, the time is probably right for SWNI’s EP group to divest itself of matters relating to NET; time to direct its undivided attention to the larger community related issues the group long ago identified: Education, building a disaster resistant community, and improving SW Portland’s level of emergency preparedness so that when disaster strikes, people know what to do and lives can be saved. So with that thought, we devote our March 8th agenda to determining our 18-month goals.

Comments on this thread have been closed and removed by order of SWNI President Glenn Bridger. Any questions or comments regarding this action should be directed to him.

Parking: Park in the back lot (off of 31st Ave) and enter through the Senior Center door (SE corner of the building).

Tri-Met: Use “Multnomah Art Center” as your destination in Tri-Met’s Trip Planner