Take care of yourself, Portland people!  And if you can, help take care of the people who need us most this winter. 

Get prepared for winter

Stay safe out there!  Preparing yourself, your household, and the people you care about is key.  It may also allow you to help others during the next cold weather emergency.

There are steps you can take now to help prepare for this weather:

• General emergency preparedness: https://www.portland.gov/pbem/employeepreparedness 

• Prepare your vehicle: https://info.oregon.aaa.com/winter-prep /   

• Prepare for a power outage: https://www.publicalerts.org/power-outage  

• Cold weather safety: https://www.publicalerts.org/winter-weather 

• The latest news on storms, warming centers, and shelters: "Care for When It's Cold"

• Transportation info: https://www.portland.gov/transportation/weather 

Expectations for Work During Inclement Weather City Closures

Review the BHR FAQ What are the City rules about Inclement Weather and Closures? for a refresher of expectations if any City closures, delayed openings, or early closures are needed. 

Plan to help others

During extremely severe weather, the City assists the Joint Office of Homeless Services with providing extra emergency shelters. It takes help from across the City to adequately staff emergency shelters when they open.

 You can help by signing up to work in a shelter or delivering supplies, guests or staff to shelter sites.

 For more information about our shelter model, visit Multnomah County's Disaster Resource Center webpage.

• Anyone interested in working at a Disaster Resource Center (DRC) should refer to our Training Guide and position descriptions. All Required Trainings are web-based.

○ Position Descriptions: General Staff, Person In Charge, Feeding, Shelter Setup, Demobilization

○ Interested in working? Fill out this form, which will also tell you what your required training is based on the role you are interested in filling: https://app.smartsheet.com/b/form/12321548970849b3857137b817feecbe   

• Want to know more about how Multnomah County, Joint Office of Homeless Services and City of Portland plan to respond to severe winter weather?

○ Sign up for a Shelter Staff Winter Kick Off Session to see a presentation on our readiness efforts.

■ Friday, December 17 from 2-3:15PM.

■ Wednesday, December 22 from 2-3:15PM.

■ Tuesday, December 28 from 10-11:15AM.

■ A recording of the session will be posted on the DRC Webpage.

■ Please notify your supervisor or manager if you'd like to attend and Sign up for Kick Off Sessions Here

○ We've also scheduled Q&A sessions for both the Person In Charge (PIC) and General Staff positions. We'll spend about an hour together, gather some most common questions and have a discussion about best practices.

■ Wednesday, January 5, 2022 from 1:30-2:30PM - General Staff Q&A

■ Tuesday, January 11, 2022 from 10:30-11:30AM - Persons in Charge (PIC) Q&A

■ Please notify your supervisor or manager if you'd like to attend and Sign up for Q&A Sessions Here

Emergency Shelter Work During Extreme Weather FAQ: This document explains the different opportunities for winter weather work related to shelter operations, how to prepare for those roles, and how to code your time for the training and work.

If you’re not able to work at a shelter, there are other ways to help. Find out how to donate needed winter clothing here: https://www.211info.org/donations