04/30/2013
NET Training - Fires and hazmat symbols
Weeks 2 flew by in NET Training, where we intrepid neighborhood volunteers prepared to assist in the event of a giant earthquake, flood, or other such calamity.
Our second week focused mostly on fire suppression. Fires can be common following an earthquake, and NET volunteers, charged with assisting until emergency responders arrive, need a very modest amount of fire-fighting know-how so we can stamp out little fires before they become big ones.
This video won't teach you anything about putting fires out, but it might make you feel differently about your Christmas tree. It was intended to give us NETs a clue about how quickly a fire gets out of control. In a word: fast.
Stamping out fire, even a little fire, is harder than it sounds. Turns out there are at least four kinds if fire extinguishers: water, dry chemical, foam, and carbon dioxide.
We learned water fire extinguishers are good for dousing your average burning solid, like, say when your brother lights a fire in a garbage can full of leaves. You can use foam or dry chemicals on those too. Foam, CO2 and foam-dry chemical extinguishers can put out a fire in a flammable liquid, for instance in the pan of vegetable oil that has been known to ignite while I am cooking. (This part of the lesson made it clear why that grease fire went so poorly back in Mom's kitchen some decades ago, after I sprayed it with the faucet hose. Good thing Mom came home in the middle of that doughnut experiment!) There are also chemical extinguishers for commercial kitchens, and CO2 and dry chemical extinguishers for electrical fires. Apparently there are special extinguishers for metals too, some of which are combustible. Who knew!
A few other things we learned NETs might do in a fire: help keep them from spreading by shutting off gas valves and electrical panels. If water lines break, or if water is contaminated, this lesson also taught us how to shut off the water. And if the bluff ever goes up again, and the fire department is able to respond faster than to a big earthquake or similar fuss, we might just be called upon to direct traffic and help people get out of the way.
Week two also schooled us in how to read those funky symbols on the sides of tractor trailers or the doors of places where people go to work in rubber. In most of those cases, we're supposed to just run the other way. NETs aren't advised to get themselves into more trouble than they can contain. And for that reason, we also talked about the buddy system, which keeps us safe AND keeps us from doing anything ill-conceived.
04/28/2013
Update: April 28th 2013
$624!That's the amount of money earned with the volunteers, donators, contributors, etc. to the Arbor Lodge/Kenton Clean Up yesterday. And that is just our share.
Many thanks to all who volunteered, who brought items and donated, who spread the word via distributing fliers or just telling a neighbor. This money will help us fund the Movie in the Park on July 27th, and more.
You all rock! Together we make Arbor Lodge great. : )
04/24/2013
Bring your junk, recyclables and reusables to Saturday's Neighborhood Clean-up
Drop off your unwanted household junk, reusable clothes and more. We'll recycle what we can and save you a trip to the dump!
SATURDAY, APRIL 27, 201310am – 2pm7654 N Delaware AveIn the parking lot at N Delaware & N FarragutLook for traffic routers/signage for entry and exit
We accept: Household junk, reusable building materials, metal, tires, reusable clothing and furniture. We're arranging to have a public swap area for reusable items, the rest goes to Goodwill.
We do not accept: Yard debris, garbage, kitchen waste, commercial or hazardous waste, paint, curbside recycling, concrete, dirt, stumps, large appliances, microwaves, TVs, contractor loads nor car batteries
All vehicles, regardless of, size will be charged a flat fee of $10. Proceeds go to support events in your neighborhood.
Please prepare your load by separating materials.
To volunteer or for more information contact:arborlodgepdx@gmail.com
Generously supported by: Metro, Bureau of Planning and Sustainability, North Portland Neighborhood Services, as well as volunteers from the Arbor Lodge Neighborhood and Kenton Neighborhood Associations
04/14/2013
Update: April 14th 2013
Coffee Gathering at CUP, this Tuesday, April 16th, 10am Come join us and maybe meet a new neighbor. We'll be downstairs in the "family area". CUP is on Interstate, just north of Lombard.
04/11/2013
Upcoming General Membership Meeting
We hope you can join us for our general membership meeting, next Thursday, April 18th at 6:30 pm.
Come out, meet your neighbors, and find out what is happening where you live.
Here are some of the items we'll be discussing this month:
Guest presenter: Sam Chase, Metro Councilor
Neighborhood Clean-Up Day
Bylaws revisions
Land Use updates
Washington Park parking meters
Lombard Re-imagined request for funding
Movies in the Park
As always, the meeting is at:Historic Kenton Firehouse8105 N. Brandon Street