Centennial ‘CNET’ volunteers hold ‘disaster bivouac’

YUP! THERE’S A VIDEO OF THEM IN ACTION | Here’s what one of our outer East Portland ‘Neighborhood Emergency Team’ groups did to help us prepare for any major area-wide calamity …

Volunteers from the Centennial Neighborhood Emergency Team set up at a new location, and begin to activate their gear, during a citywide exercise.

Story and photos by David F. Ashton

A relatively new Portland City Park, Verdell Burdine Rutherford Park, at 16555 SE Mill Street, was the rally point for the Centennial neighborhood area’s Neighborhood Emergency Team (NET) on Saturday, May 13.

“Rutherford Park is the new staging area for our ‘Centennial NET (C-NET), because Parklane Park – now under development and closed until spring 2025 – had been our primary staging area,” explained the group’s leader, Karen Wolfgang.

Overseeing the exercise, but not directing it, is Centennial NET leader Karen Wolfgang.

“We’re here participating in a citywide deployment exercise put on by the Portland Bureau of Emergency Management (PBEM), as are 12 other NET groups across the city,” said Wolfgang.

“A NET exercise isn’t ‘Live Action Role Playing’,” Wolfgang pointed out. “In this exercise we pretend that the [long-expected] Cascadia Subduction Zone earthquake is just happened. So, we’re setting up our operations to respond to neighborhood needs.”

These NET volunteers are deep into their checklists, making sure they’re properly set up for the drill.

Some C-NET participants were checking “to do” lists, others were setting up equipment and shelter.

See a bit of what it was like to be out with volunteers, preparing to help other neighbors, at this simulated disaster drill:

“An important part of today’s exercise is setting up our new equipment,” Wolfgang shared. “We have our tents, tables – and so many procedure forms and checklists that help us be ready to carry out our mission, in the way we’re expected to, in an event like this.”

Earning a merit badge are Boy Scouts of America’s Gresham Troop 542, shown here with C-NET Coordinator Linda Morford (at far right).

NET Volunteer, and Amateur Radio operator, Pete Rok says he’s also an active member of the Multnomah County Amateur Radio Emergency Service.

“We have an Amateur Radio [‘Ham’] operator here, who is borrowed from another NET team for this exercise,” Wolfgang pointed out. “He is making contact with the Portland Emergency Coordination Center; which is how – in a real emergency – we’d stay in communication with them.”

Wolfgang mentioned that NET volunteers take free training and participate in meetings and exercises to help others in their immediate neighborhood – without putting themselves in harm’s way – with the goals of being:

Prepared to be self-sufficient for two weeks during any emergency
Able to provide emergency assistance to their family and immediate neighbors
Able to work within an emergency response team to save lives and property in their neighborhood
Able to guide untrained volunteers who want to help others during a disaster

If you live in the Centennial Community Association area, or a nearby neighborhood, and are interested in this active NET program, contact Karen Wolfgang to learn more at centennialnet@gmail.com.

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