Reed Neighborhood Emergency Team

The Reed Neighborhood Emergency Team (NET) was launched in March of 2019. Our membership is small but mighty, including a Team Leader and an Assistant Team Leader, several enthusiastic Amateur Radio Operators (AROs), and a dedicated group of members with various backgrounds and skill sets. Although we are a newer team, our membership includes many long-time Portland NET members, members with advanced training and/or emergency management or healthcare backgrounds, and several members who also hold positions in the Reed Neighborhood Association (RNA). We welcome new NET members of all experience levels, and invite community members to join us for meetings and other events.

The Reed Neighborhood

With a land area of 439 acres, the Reed neighborhood is located in close-in Southeast Portland. Reed is bordered to the North by Creston-Kenilworth, the Northwest by Brooklyn, the South by Reed College and Eastmoreland, the East by Woodstock, and the Southwest by Sellwood-Westmoreland. Popular landmarks in and around the Reed neighborhood include Reed College and the Crystal Springs Rhododendron Gardens. The neighborhood is a part of the SE Uplift neighborhood coalition, and has an active neighborhood association. Reed is served primarily by Portland Fire and Rescue Stations 25 and 20.

As of the 2010 census, the Reed neighborhood had a population of 4,399 residents. Its stock of older homes, large apartment complexes, and the Reed College campus help explain Reed’s unique demographics: The population includes many young people between the ages of 20-24 (19.3%) and people in the 65+ category (15.1%). The majority of Reed residents rent their living quarters (65.6%). While families make up 40.2% of Reed’s overall households, 37.4% of residents live in non-family households, and 22.4% live in group quarters. A primary goal of the Reed NET is to develop effective ways to reach all of our neighbors with preparedness information, including our large population of renters and of younger and older residents. Please let us know if we can provide team members and/or materials to promote preparedness at your block party, apartment gathering, school event, or any other neighborhood gathering.

Team Meetings

The Reed NET team holds meetings the second Thursday of every other month, so we meet in January, March, May, July, September, and November. Contact us for the location. We welcome all current and prospective NET members, people who live or work in the neighborhood, and those who simply have an interest in learning more about our preparedness efforts.

Get Involved

NET members are trained by the Portland Bureau of Emergency Management (PBEM) and Portland Fire and Rescue (PF&R) in basic medical skills, search and rescue, radio communications, and other relevant response skills. Becoming a full-fledged NET member requires about 30 hours of free training, including the completion of a final field exercise (FFE). PBEM typically holds trainings a couple of times each year. Please see the PBEM website to sign up for a training that fits your schedule.

Do you have skills to share but lack the time to become a full NET member? Reed NET is looking to compile a group of neighbors (Affiliated Trained Volunteers) that we might call upon for help during emergencies. Please contact us for more information.

There are many other ways to get involved, whether in preparing your own household or in helping to prepare your neighbors. View the Get Ready page here on the Portland Prepares website for more information.