Pierce County Neighborhood Emergency Teams (PC-NET) is a neighborhood-oriented approach to emergency preparedness and homeland security. It is based on the belief that a cooperative effort between a county and its citizens is the only sure way to protect a neighborhood and to prepare for a major disaster.

Major disasters stretch county resources to their limits. It is estimated that regular emergency services will be unable to respond to most calls during the first 72 hours following a major disaster, such as a severe earthquake. Recent events have also taught us that individuals are the first lines of defense when it comes to our nation?s homeland security. It?s time to get to know our neighbors and make our hometowns secure.
If individuals and their neighborhoods are prepared to mutually assist each other, lives can be saved, property can be spared, and emergency services can be freed to respond to the most devastated areas. This will be accomplished by organizing block groups into a variety of disaster response teams, each of which has a simple one-page list that clearly outlines necessary tasks. No special skills or equipment are required to participate ? and only a minimal time commitment is needed.

PC-NET goes beyond conventional community preparedness and crime prevention efforts of simply raising awareness ? PC-NET means taking action. People and neighborhoods that are prepared will know what to expect during times of disaster, what to do, and how to come together in an organized, timely response.