SERVing up Safety at Willamette View
About 10 years ago, a group of Willamette View residents saw a need to have some self-sufficiency when it came to emergency preparedness, so they took it upon themselves to become proficient in breaking down doors, emergency evacuations, and disaster survival. Fast forward 10 years and they now partner with Willamette View’s Safety and Security Department and have greatly refined and refocused this training under the current leadership of resident Donna Krasnow and the Willamette View Safety and Security Director. The SERV (Safety & Emergency Response Volunteers) team, with over eighty members, is the largest resident volunteer group on campus.
The SERV volunteers truly represent Willamette View’s community spirit. SERV has two main areas of focus: safety education and emergency response.
Understanding the benefits of being prepared for an emergency before it happens, SERV volunteers undergo training and educate their neighbors on how to keep safe in an emergency.
Resident Donna Krasnow, chair of the SERV committee, at a firefighter training event.
SERV coordinates with Willamette View’s Safety and Security staff to provide monthly safety messages and to train volunteers. SERV volunteers know that in the event of a natural disaster such as a wildfire or earthquake – or other emergency situations – they have the skills and knowledge to help residents, staff and first responders. Because responding quickly can make all the difference, SERV is prepared to take the first steps should an emergency arise.
As part of SERV’s educational component, volunteers distribute information about what to have prepared if they need to evacuate quickly, including lists for a “get out of bed” bag and a “get out of town” bag that contain essentials if an evacuation is required.
They also designate volunteers on each building floor to share information with their neighbors each month on a different safety topic, reach out to new residents to introduce the program.
The SERV team at Willamette View is now in its second year of operation. SERV volunteers have thus far assisted with a high-rise fire training with Clackamas Emergency services, provided notices to residents in advance of hot and cold weather events, and conducted resident volunteer trainings for search events.