SW NET Consortium Updates

SW NET Consortium (Zoom meeting) with Marcel Rodriguez. Marcel has been leading the monthly advanced training meetings for SW NETs for over 15 years.

Scroll down for older updates.

6/12/2024

SW NET CONSORTIUM: NEXT LEVEL TRIAGE

HELP IS ON THE WAY! After the local First Responders (Portland Fire & Rescue, Portland Police, NETs and neighbors) do what they can after a massive area emergency (think Cascadia Subduction Zone Event Earthquake), next level triage organizations spring into action. Two are reviewed below.

DMAT == DISASTER MEDICAL ASSISTANCE TEAMS - National Disaster Medical System

“Disaster Medical Assistance Teams provide high-quality rapid-response medical care when public health and medical emergencies overwhelm state, local, tribal, or territorial resources. In the aftermath of natural and technological disasters, acts of terrorism, and during disease outbreaks, DMAT members are on location protecting health and saving lives.

DMAT members are trained to fill a variety of impactful roles, from performing medical triage and emergency care to supporting infusion centers and vaccine sites to decompressing hospital emergency rooms to supporting patient movement and more… to provide medical care and support when it is needed most.”

DMAT team members include

DMATs perform patient-care functions in a variety of mission scenarios based on the identified standards of care, including but not limited to:

For more information go to: [LINK]

AE == AIR MOBILITY COMMAND AEROMEDICAL EVACUATION - The Air Force Aeromedical Evacuation System

AE's mission is to provide time sensitive, mission critical en route care to patients to and between medical treatment facilities, linking casualties to life-saving medical treatment as early as possible in the care continuum.

Care is provided by Air Force medics specially trained to operate within the global AE system. The U.S. Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine (Air Force Material Command) and Air Education and Training Command provide standardized formal training for aircrew members and patient staging personnel supporting the AE mission.

More about AE: [LINK].

5/15/2024

SW NET Consortium May 15, 2024 Notes

THE Nationwide MEDICAL RAPID RESPONSE TEAM has a plan for deployment on the first or second day after the major Cascadia Event. They are prepared to deal with 20,000 casualties in the aftermath of any significant event.

THE MOST COMMON INJURY WILL BE GLASS IN THE FEET. A future NET exercise will be first aid techniques for removing glass in the feet.

ASSISTING WITH MEDICATIONS (not administering or prescribing) is the role for the NETs who are not MDs or medically trained. We cannot prescribe or administer medication.

We can advise aspirin for apparent heart attacks CHECK first with individual if they have taken aspirin in the past without side effects, or if they are allergic to it.

We can administer Narcan for overdoses.

We can ASSIST the individual take the prescription medicines they already have. Assist with only packaged (labeled) medicines – not from a container of miscellaneous meds.

The “FIVE RIGHTS” to ensure and check that the medicine is correct:

  1. THE RIGHT DRUG can be confirmed offline with the free App (a mobile PDR) [ePocrates]. If internet is available, go to [WebMD]
  2. THE RIGHT PATIENT: Check the label to see for whom the drug has been prescribed.
  3. THE RIGHT DOSE: check label
  4. THE RIGHT ROUTE: How is the drug administered?
  5. THE RIGHT TIME: Ask Individual What time do you normally take this medicine: did you take this medicine today?

CHECK EXPIRATION DATE: Over aged meds may be toxic or less potent.

4/10/2024

THEME: POTENTIAL GUIDELINES FOR INTERACTING WITH OTHER ORGANIZATIONS IN A DISASTER

with Marcel Rodriguez

BACKGROUND: THE BIG EMERGENCY TIMELINE

As it applies to all significant large scale emergencies (in chronological order):

  1. PREPAREDNESS TRAINING: NET and community outreach efforts.
  2. IMMEDIATE EMERGENCY RESPONSE TRAINING: professional first responders, NETs and skilled volunteers; action window to 48 hours after event.
  3. RECOVERY -- LONG TERM EFFORTS: Feeding, sheltering, medical transport, cleanup, sanitation, rebuilding (NGOs, Voluntary Organizations VOAD)

What organizations are in place to do what?
Need guidelines for Communications and coordination of services.
See Addendum below.

NET GUIDELINES

  1. INTERFACE WITH OTHER GROUPS IN A DISASTER.

    Recognize that the NET spot in the emergency response is the very narrow (up to 48 hours) after the event. Other organizations have the skills to feed, shelter, transport people. Many groups will be entering the arena. We NETs are not expected (or trained) to do it all.

    We ARE uniquely positioned to represent status and needs of our residents.

  2. A PBEM OR OTHER OVERALL VETTING PROCESS WILL NOT HAPPEN

    Be aware that not all of these volunteering individuals have the best of intentions. PBEM authorities not likely to make real time “introductions” to other responding organizations.

See Addendum below.

NET RESPONSIBILITIES

  1. DON’T EXPOSE INFORMATION to unvetted third parties.
    Do not use a bulletin board for Lost & Found individuals.
    Ask “Who are you looking for?” What is your relationship?”
  2. VERIFY ANY THIRD PARTY with PBEM if possible.
  3. ALWAYS VALIDATE CREDENTIALS (ID) “Show me your ID.” (photo it and the person)
  4. OBSERVE a third party.
  5. DOCUMENT all third parties in staging area
  6. DO NOT VOUCH FOR unvetted third parties.
  7. OPERATE IN A “TRUST BUT VERIFY” MODE.
  8. USE AND TRUST YOUR BEST JUDGEMENT (Spidey Sense). If a person gives you a sketchy vibe, believe it. Tell them to leave. Alert neighbors, Alert other neighborhoods.

CONSIDERATIONS

  1. NATIONAL VOLUNTARY ORGANIZATIONS ACTIVE IN DISASTER (VOAD) are generally OK [VOAD]

    Go to website and see the organizations and what they do. Some will be relevant to our emergency, some not. These should all be credentialled (ID) which they have no problem presenting.

    • Be SUPER CAUTIOUS about anyone unwilling or hesitant to sign in or show ID. (= SKETCHY!)
    • Be SUPER CAUTIOUS about anyone seeking info that seems unusual or private. (= SKETCHY!)

    These organizations are used to working with other organizations.

    Each organization has its specific arena of action.

    • Red Cross does shelters, Trailers are stashed everywhere. (Locations are “secret”). Have PBEM get Red Cross to tell us what shelters do.
    • Team Rubicon does rebuilding. [LINK]
    • World Central Kitchen does feeding. [WCK]
    • AMR disaster Team for medical needs. “…healthcare expertise, equipment and speed needed to respond to crisis situations.” [AMR]
    • Salvation Army “…immediate response and recovery plans unique to the community affected.” [LINK]

    Who does sanitation needs - porta potties, shower, septic? Fuel? State or County: Oregon Emergency Management OEM set this up for the Clackamas Town Center evacuee refuge during the 2020 wildfires. [OEM]

    It is good to know what we can expect. Preset a relationship to supply water, porta potties, fuel. Know that is something to ask for. Get grant list.

  2. The NET that shows up first at the Staging Area is in charge.
  3. NET responsibility window is the first 36-48 hours. Then hand over responsibility to organizations.
  4. The staging Area is the logical meeting place where these organizations’ reps go first for information.

M. Read Notes. Additions and corrections welcome. Respond to NET@collinsview.org

Addendum on the '48 hour Rule'

The “48 hours” is not a PBEM or FEMA “rule” but my opinion on the realistic first line response that NETs could expect to provide as continuous support following a disaster. NETs would certainly continue to have involvement, but I would not expect that most teams would be capable of a continuous, primary response past 36-48 hours. Having participated in many multiple operational period missions, I can tell you that they are exhausting even under the best of conditions. — Marcel

01/10/2024

The South Burlingame Experience Jan. 7 2024 — Jan. 9, 2024

This consoritum note begins with a background report.

According to police, a 70-year-old South Burlingame woman with Alzheimer’s, walked away from her home near Southwest Ruby Terrace sometime between 11:30 p.m. on Sunday, Jan 7, 2024, and 4:30 a.m. on Monday, Jan 8, 2024.

The Portland Police Bureau, Multnomah County Search and Rescue, the Search and Rescue team assigned to the Multnomah County Sheriff's Office, drones, K9s, Multnomah County youth teams and Clackamas County Search and Rescue were also on site with neighborhood volunteers. Neighbors opened up their garage for a center of operations Command Post, which also included slow cookers full of sustenance for returning searchers. The professional searchers communicated by radio, with difficulty. Reams of printed flyers with her picture spread the word.

The South Burlingame NET team (SBNET) was not deployed as a team but individual NETs, like Team Lead Merilee Karr, Communications Specialist Amateur Radio Operator Jim Carleton, and other team members brought NET training skills and experiences to the robust and sustained neighborhood effort.

Apple only allows 32 iPhone users in a single text chain. If you add in Android phone users, that number drops to ~20. This made communication more difficult as there actually were multiple message chains going around to communicate with both iPhone and Android users. One neighbor was part of both chains and was helping share information between the 2 groups. The text messaging among neighbor searchers was only possible because one neighbor knew all the neighbors and was willing to set that up.

People who live in the following neighborhoods: (South Burlingame, Collins View, Marshall Park, Hillsdale, Multnomah, Markham-South Portland, and Arnold Creek) were asked to check their properties for any sign of the woman. However, no instruction was given about how THOROUGHLY a property must be searched.

Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024: the Portland Police Bureau was happy to announce that the woman had been found safe. She was found less than one third of a mile from her own home, resting in the basement of a house being remodeled.

Given the length of time she was gone, the cold, windy wet weather, amount of contiguous green space and canyons, it was amazing that she was found safe and alive. Even with that great result, the residual emotional toll on the searchers remains high. Someone asked the police: “Why isn’t the “SILVER ALERT” program operational? Why couldn’t the “AMBER ALERT” be modified and be used for a “SILVER ALERT?” They didn’t get a clear answer.

Merilee Karr observed: "One hopes the professionals had organized records of search grids, but we amateurs, NET members and neighbors, had some maps, and no search grids. The main thing we learned from this crisis is that we didn’t know what we were doing."

Some Notes from the Jan 10, 2024 SW NET Consortium Discussion

RE: Communications

  1. Always sign your name at the end of your text message.
  2. Save on your phone your neighbors’ phone numbers, and the phone numbers of your NET team members, so the names will appear on text messages.
  3. Keep a pared-down script, keep radio chatter down.
  4. Maintain radio discipline when texting.
  5. Reverse 911 is not very effective because so many people no longer have land lines.
  6. Reverse 911 only has a limited number of pre-set message and “missing person with Alzheimer’s” isn’t one’ of them.
  7. Nextdoor communications and any social media are very useful for awareness, but have limitations. The people posting on Nextdoor did not know, so could not explain, how to search a property etc.
  8. Humanizing the message shared on social media by providing some details on the missing person (Mary loves chocolate, she loves hugs) would help get people involved and more willing to search.

RE: Search

  1. Call 911 to report lost person.
  2. County Sherrif is responsible for Search and Rescue (SAR)
  3. A solid neighborhood network is invaluable.
  4. Deploy searchers with specific assignments (“Go to these specified houses, contact residents, and record and report.”)
  5. Check all shrubbery and outbuildings.
  6. Residents can search their own property and report results.
  7. No searching property without the residents’ permission. If no one is at home, you cannot enter property unless you see someone in danger, then call 911/ first responders.
  8. If a house is under construction, ask neighbor if they know who the owner is and how to contact them to be granted permission to enter, or to see if they could send someone to enter and check.
  9. Security cameras and “Point Last Seen” help focus to search response.
  10. A standard search encompasses 300 meters, about a 100’ diameter circle to start.
  11. Alert TriMet, Airport, and big stores for missing person.
  12. Flag credit card usage.
  13. Record how confident you are that a specific search was thorough.

RE: Lost Person Behavior

  1. People can walk a surprising distance in a short time.
  2. Different categories of lost persons (child, hiker, mental illness, dementia etc.) dictate flight behavior and search strategies.
  3. Most common lost persons are #1 dementia wanderers, #2 vulnerable adult, #3 child.
  4. Denial of how inadequate a care residence or facility is for a dementia patient is common with caregivers. It is very rare that the family members realize that they can’t handle the dementia person.
  5. Paranoia is often part of dementia. Person will remove air tags before wandering.
  6. Applying structure over chaos for an organized response.
  7. For applying search statistics see Lost Person Behavior by Robert J. Koester.
  8. The Lost Person Behavior app, from Homeland Security is: [Lost Person Behavior app LINK]

The Searchers

  1. Remember to take breaks!
  2. Always go in pairs.
  3. Search teams need to be organized.
  4. There is a high emotional response toll on searchers.
  5. Emotional resiliency is drained, even after good results.
  6. Stress injuries are formed when outcomes are different from expectations.
  7. Professional SAR teams have emotional resiliency gatherings immediately after search outcomes, then at three weeks and three months after the event.

Potential Role for NETs and Residents

  1. The more organized the better.
  2. A standard NET practice is to write down searchers’ names and phone numbers.
  3. A Bulletin Board of search status records with specific search areas and confidence in the thoroughness of search in that area helps to organize and transmit efforts to succeeding teams.
  4. A Neighborhood Big Map (with house numbers) is essential.
  5. Fliers of lost person and “What you can do” requests engage many residents.
  6. Contact local printing centers (FedEx, etc..) or local places of worship that may have large printers and would be willing to print free-of-charge posters/fliers.

Command Post should be close to “Point Last Seen” place.
Command Post should be in an area that has good cell signal or radio access. SAR Command Post needs a logistics section comprising bathroom/porta potty facilities, pop up tents, heaters, chairs, soup and beverages.

The Soup Ladies

“Welcome to The SoupLadies.org a non-profit 501 (c) (3) organization dedicated to serving those who serve us in difficult situations. Our Mission is to provide fresh cooked meals expeditiously to support first responders such as police and fire departments, search and rescue teams and military personnel in times of emergencies and disasters….” Jeremy will book the SoupLady speaker for a Wednesday PBEM NET Zoom meeting. [soupladies.org LINK]

Report by M. Read, who thanks many others for their valuable contributions to this report. Thanks to All for their contributions to the search experience.

12/13/2023

December Topic: Debris Removal

Announcements from the 12/13/2023 meeting: Make sure to log in your 2023 NET hours.

Free Course on “Recognizing Seizures” (from Portland NET Bulletin 2023.12.11). Discussion on avoiding electrocution from downed power lines. (“STAY AWAY!!” is #1, feet together, shuffle away or get cooked.)

NET Mantra: Safety is always #1 Priority. Corollary: How NETS can assist without getting killed.

Debris Removal using readily available hand tools

WHILE USING HAND TOOLS - Watch for wires including hidden energized wires, watch other hazards above, leaning, on the ground. Even if the city (PGE?) “shuts off the grid,” solar panels feed directly to energize wires.

Personal Protective Equipment:

Scene control: adequate lighting, adequate personnel.

Debris Types: Trees, Rocks, Vehicles

STAY AWAY from Utility poles. DO NOT TOUCH; Just mark, protect and report.

Trees WILL come down across roads. CLEAR ONLY WHAT YOU NEED TO GET BY. Focus on to getting smaller branches out of the way. The maximum diameter of branches you should try to cut with your hand tools is 6” (six inches).

BE AWARE what your pruning does to the balance of the debris pile. (A trunk with a giant root ball will right itself when relieved of its top branches! DO NOT tackle the big trunk. Just mark “Road Closed” and leave real hazards to the pros.)

Weapons of choice: Choose aggressive open teeth on saw.

Vehicle towing:

#1 is BE SAFE

12/1/2023

New Team Lead for the Collins View · Marshall Park · Riverdale NET

Brenda Cox Nuckton has been elected by unanimous vote to assume the duties of Team Lead for the extended CV-MP-Rd NET as of Dec. 1, 2023! Brenda has been a participating CV NET member for many years, and we welcome her expertise and energy in this new role.

For NET inquiries contact Brenda at: cv.net.team.leader@gmail.com

END OF UPDATES

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