In a strikingly realistic simulation, volunteers training for Portland’s Neighborhood Emergency Teams (NETs) faced a chaotic scenario designed to prepare them for a potential major earthquake.
Inside a dark warehouse in Northeast Portland, the police department constructed a mock city block complete with homes, storefronts, and even downed power lines, providing a unique training ground for these eager volunteers.
Recently, a group of trainees, dressed in their new NET gear, participated in an exercise where they were tasked with conducting door-to-door wellness checks following an imagined massive earthquake.
The volunteers were met with a myriad of reactions from actors, portraying distressed community members with exaggerated injuries, including simulated broken bones and deep lacerations.
One actor, seemingly more preoccupied with issues related to his cable service, yelled, “Get out of my face! Are you from Comcast?” as he interacted with a trainee attempting to ascertain the well-being of his partner.
The trainee, determined to remain focused on the emergency, explained, “No, we’re here from the Neighborhood Emergency Team. We’re checking to see how people are after the earthquake.”
This interaction highlighted a crucial lesson about the unpredictable behavior of individuals during emergencies, where the shock of trauma can result in misplaced priorities.
After enduring several frustrating minutes of conversation, the trainee managed to gain access and discovered that the man’s partner was indeed seriously injured and needed immediate medical attention.
However, the trainee was not trained to provide advanced first aid and was instructed only to perform basic CPR while gathering vital information until professional EMTs arrived.
Simultaneously, other volunteers encountered equally chaotic scenarios throughout the mock city.
One woman anxiously implored assistance, desperately seeking her cat “Freda,” which, to the surprise of many, turned out to be a feline rather than a human companion.
Amid the confusion, frightened children cried in a darkened house, while another volunteer bravely attempted to climb a building to rescue a dog.
The exercise replicated the mayhem that could occur in a real disaster, as trainees worked diligently to assess injuries and categorize individuals: green for those okay, yellow for walking wounded, and red for those requiring immediate care.
Statistics reveal that there is a 40% chance of Oregon experiencing a significant earthquake within the next 50 years, emphasizing the importance of community preparedness.
The reality is that in such an event, chances are that those who get injured will be assisted by neighbors rather than EMTs, as blocked roads and overwhelmed services will likely hinder access.
Portland’s initiative to train a dedicated group of volunteers stems from a collective understanding of the gravity of such situations.
The city is witnessing a burgeoning interest, with a large waiting list for training as residents express their readiness to support their community in times of crisis.
Jeremy Van Keuren, who oversees the NET program through the city’s Emergency Department, stated, “We say that everybody has a part to play in disaster response, literally everybody.”
Volunteers are not merely preparing for the worst-case scenario; they have also responded to various emergencies in recent history.
Last year, NET volunteers were deployed following ice storms to document downed trees that impacted residences, assisting incident command in prioritizing response efforts.
They also assisted Portland Fire & Rescue during windstorms and have participated in events like the Rose Festival to help manage public safety.
Maria Ramirez, a new trainee and educator from Gresham, decided to join the program because of her eagerness to help others, including her children.
At 44, she is now proactive in preparing emergency packs for her home and vehicles, inspired by her training experience.
“This training has heightened my awareness of potential disasters and how I can assist,” Ramirez reflected.
After an hour filled with confusion and poignant discoveries in the warehouse, the simulation concluded, and the lights were illuminated to signify the end of the exercise.
John Light, a veteran NET volunteer and actor in the training, emerged after an hour of waiting with a simulated broken tibia and blood trickling down his leg.
He noted that no one had checked on him, indicating a critical learning point for the trainees in their emergency response.
With approximately 4,000 residents trained as NET volunteers in the past 30 years, many have further specialized in fields like medical assistance and emergency communication.
As Oregonians hope never to confront a real earthquake, they can learn more about preparedness initiatives by visiting publicalerts.org, reinforcing the ideal that readiness can make all the difference in a disaster.
image source from：https://www.opb.org/article/2025/04/25/inside-a-mock-disaster-that-prepares-portlanders-for-the-big-one/
