Each month Jami Schroeder and other Trauma Intervention Program NW (TIP
NW) volunteers offer 40 hours of immediate support to their fellow citizens in
crisis during the hours of their greatest need. The volunteer organization is
contacted by law enforcement, fire, medical and hospital personnel to respond
to the scene of a traumatic event and provide “emotional aid and practical
support and resources to victims of traumatic events and their families in the
first few hours following a tragedy.”

“No one should be alone in the hardest times of their life,” said Schroeder,
Crisis Team Manager for TIP NW.

TIP NW will hold a volunteer training academy at the end of March at the
Portland Fire and Rescue Training Center, 4800 Northeast 122 Avenue,
Portland and is seeking new volunteers for their organization.

The 60-hour training academy is held over a two-week period from
Wednesday, March 23 until Wednesday, April 6. After the two-week training
academy, volunteers enter a three-month field training program during which
they are paired with a veteran TIP NW volunteer responder before graduating
as a TIP volunteer.

“(This training) ensures that all volunteers are well prepared and ready to
respond to citizens in crisis with confidence and assurance,” the TIP NW
website states.

“It’s an opportunity to support people in your community and help people on
their very worst day,” said Sally Chester, TIP NW volunteer responder in the
Hoodland Fire District.

“We want as many people who are qualified and have the heart to volunteer
in the community as possible,” Chester added.

Volunteers respond to the scenes of “sudden or unexpected death (natural,
homicide, suicide, accidental, infant), industrial accidents, sexual assaults,
violent crimes and other traumatic incidents,” according to the TIP NW
website.

“We’re there to help with the immediacy of the event,” Schroeder said.
Volunteers are automatically activated by the emergency response center
after first responders submit a request and respond to the scene in pairs.
“We maintain a 20-minute response time, and volunteers are generally
responding from their homes,” Schroeder said.

TIP NW offers a teen volunteer program and encourages high school students
interested in supporting their community to register for the academy.
TIP NW detailed that the requirements for volunteering and registering in the
academy include:

– $50.00 registration fee, due after talking with TIP Staff and confirming place
in academy.

– COVID-19 vaccination.

– Have a working cell phone (with texting capabilities).

– Have internet access and an email account.

– Have a driver’s license, auto insurance, working vehicle and GPS navigation
system (driver’s license and vehicle not a requirement for teens).

– Attendance at all sessions of the Training Academy.

– Paperwork, fingerprinting and criminal background investigation done
through TIP before the training (details will be given upon admittance to
academy).

– A copy of your three-year Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) Driving
Record (available on the DMV website).

– A copy of auto insurance reflecting current coverage.

– Attend all monthly continuing education meetings, take three 12-hour on-
call shifts per month and sign a one-year contract upon completion of three-
month field training program.

To register for the training academy or for more information contact TIP NW
by phone at (503) 823-3937 or online at www.tipnw.org.