Making NET ID Badges Available, Getting Replacement and CERT qualified their Badges Options

[JPDeyoe]

from Peter Deyoe, member, NET 7
direct eml MY06INFO at COMCAST dot NET

One issue that has hurt our group's morale tremendously this past year has been the inability of current members to receive the latest POEM ID cards for NET. These are people who fall into several categories:

A. have been certified in prior years and have lost their original ID card
B. have been trained by non-Portland Fire and Rescue trainers but have obtained certification by completing thefinal exercise at Portland Fire and Rescue on NE 122. But never received a POEM ID card.

We now have the troubling situation which occurred in early June of our certified NET 7 members wanting to volunteer for NET activities, such as manning Rose Festival aid stations, but can't do so because they have never received their NET ID card. Holding a Portland NET ID card is one of the criteria for volunteering at this and other events. It's NET's own version of catch 22, I'm afraid.

It's particularly galling when we learn that the most recent Portland NET certification class all received their ID cards concurrent with completion of their training in May 2009. So that proves that the cards are available, but only for some people.

Teri Poppino and others from NET 7 have made inquiries to William Warren offering suggestions on how to accomplish issuing NET photo ID cards for our members, including setting appointment times at the POEM offices, charging members a reasonable fee to offset the cost.

Some of our people are extremely livid about the endless delays and broken promises about when ID cards would be available, now from two directors, Lawrence and William. I'm afraid the frustration level is reaching the boiling point. It's simply not acceptable to have this NO NET ID CARD QUAGMIRE drag on.

An update on this topic from William and anyone else who has a stake or interest would be appreciated.