AmeriCorps Service Project Gallery
The Federal Way AmeriCorps team’s disaster preparedness program is a collaborative effort between AmeriCorps members, the city of Federal Way and the Federal Way Fire Department. The disaster preparedness aspect that AmeriCorps primarily helps out with is the city’s Neighborhood Emergency Team (NET) program.
The NET program is a process that neighborhoods go through to learn about disaster preparedness and walk through creating a plan for how to respond as a team. AmeriCorps members facilitate a series of four meeting, generally held in the neighborhood at a resident’s home. Specifically, residents learn how to choose staging locations, where to put first aid and sheltering, how to conduct search and rescue operations, how to assess damages, and how to care for neighbors until professional responders arrive. Often, neighborhoods conclude their training with a disaster drill, which simulates a possible widespread emergency likely in the Pacific Northwest .
In order to facilitate the NET meetings, AmeriCorps members receive an eight-week Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training conducted by the city of Federal Way . CERT is a nationally recognized emergency preparedness program.
Members of the 03-04 AmeriCorps team practicing extrication of a victim.