The Rover Team looks forward to participating in all the MCARES SETs and events that are planned for 2016. Many of us are also planning to join in on some of the exercises and training organized by the Portland Bureau of Emergency Management (PBEM) Neighborhood Emergency Team (NET) and Basic Emergency Earthquake Communication Node (BEECN) programs.
At 2:00 PM on Saturday, February 27, there will be an exercise of the BEECN system, and Rovers – and non-Rovers – are serving as net controls, fire station amateur radio operators (AROs), BEECN cache radio operators, and Roamers. Roamers are trouble-shooters who typically ride with a Portland Fire & Rescue staff person among the stations and BEECN sites, assisting with radio issues.
Several Rovers are also helping the NET program as trainers to begin the new NET ARO standards and certification program. Based largely on the MCARES ARRO certification program, the new standards will require AROs to demonstrate proficiency in a number of areas of operations. In addition to most of the MCARES ARRO Task List items, NET ARO candidates must demonstrate proficiency with fire station VHF and UHF (BEECN) radio go-kits, explain the ICS205 form, pass the FEMA IS 800 and IS 802 courses, and – in lieu of formal message handling – demonstrate competence with an abbreviated form called tactical message handling.
The Rover Team currently has 11 members. The Team members do not have a MCARES served agency but are instead committed to some other activity or agency in the event of a disaster. All of the members currently are NET members and have their respective NETs as their obligation in an emergency.