Presented in May 2010 for representatives of parishes throughout the Episcopal Diocese of Texas to learn about preparing their churches for emergencies.
6. Why Prepare?
‣ Acknowledge our vulnerability in considering the
worst possible scenarios that could affect us.
‣ Take precautions to minimize the effects of a crisis
situation and maximize our ability to recover quickly.
‣ Equip ourselves to assist others, responding with love
to an affected community.
7. How do I prepare?
‣ Put together a team.
‣ Establish parish priorities.
‣ Identify your risks.
‣ Make preparedness part of your regular
maintenance schedule.
‣ Secure your facilities.
8. How do I prepare?
‣ Make an evacuation plan.
‣ Create a communications plan.
‣ Help to ensure that your parishioners are
protected.
‣ Connect with community disaster groups.
‣ Review and update your plan annually.
9. Step One: Assemble a Team
‣ Elect a Parish Emergency Coordinator.
‣ Form a Parish Emergency Committee.
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10. Step Two: Establish Priorities
Mission of the
Episcopal Diocese of Texas
in Times of Crisis:
To serve Episcopalians and their
neighbors.
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11. Step Two: Establish Priorities
‣ Consider the composition, culture, and
particular needs of your parish.
‣ Consider partner ministries associated with
and/or included in your church community.
‣ Identify priorities specific to your parish.
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12. Step Three: Identify Risks
‣ Research local crisis history.
‣ List out all events of the past 50 years,
including both man-made and natural
disasters.
‣ Think about crises that could affect your
community, including even the most extreme.
‣ List out all possible crises.
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13. Step Three: Identify Risks
‣ Rank historical and possible crises, and
identify the emergencies most likely to occur.
‣ Mentally walk through each of the most likely
disasters.
‣ Find out how you will receive warning, and
what the procedures are for evacuation or
shelter-in-place, if necessary.
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14. Step Three: Identify Risks
‣ Walk through parish facilities, noting areas of
particular vulnerability.
‣ Identify ways to reduce hazards.
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15. Step Four: Maintenance
‣ Complete a full inventory
of parish property and
holdings annually.
‣ Store a copy of the
completed inventory off-
site or online.
‣ Record insurance contact
information.
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16. Step Four: Maintenance
‣ Check all hazard alarms, including fire and
carbon monoxide.
‣ Install additional alarms or replace where
necessary according to the recommendations
of local authorities.
Photo: www.avongov.org
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17. Step Four: Maintenance
‣ Train all staff and ministry leaders in the use
of fire extinguishers.
‣ Post instructions for us and local fire officials
contact information.
‣ Check extinguishers to ensure that you’re
using the right type for each type of fire.
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19. Step Four: Maintenance
‣ Put together at least one
first-aid kit.
‣ List out the parishioners,
staff, and ministry leaders
trained and certified in
first aid and CPR.
‣ Encourage others to get
trained.
Photo: www.fieldskills.com
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20. Step Five: Secure Facilities
‣ Know who has access to the building at all
times.
‣ Train staff, vestry members, and key ministry
leaders in disarming the security system.
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21. Step Five: Secure Facilities
‣ Record the location of
and instructions for
shutting off each utility.
‣ Train, staff, clergy, and
ministry leaders.
Photo: www.commgassolutions.co.uk
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22. Step Five: Secure Facilities
‣ Identify important files
and records.
‣ Store securely on-site
and off-site or online.
‣ Keep a list of passwords
and user names for all
computers, software, and Photo: www.state.nj.us
websites utilized by the
parish. 25
23. Step Six: Plan for Evacuations
‣ Identify essential items to remove from
parish in an evacuation.
‣ Create a “church in a box” containing all
items essential to holding services.
‣ Identify alternate operations/worship sites.
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24. Step Seven: Communications
‣ Gather information from all parishioners,
including phone numbers, home addresses,
email addresses, and evacuation destinations.
‣ Create a plan for contacting parishioners and
update annually.
‣ Identify persons authorized to address the
media.
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25. Step Eight: Serving Parishioners
‣ Never assume your parishioners will be safe
in an emergency, or that they have taken the
recommended precautions.
‣ Identify vulnerable persons within your
congregation and help to ensure that they
will also be safe.
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26. Step Nine: Connect
‣ Identify community organizations and officials
who are or will become active in disasters.
‣ Introduce yourself, know how to contact
them, and let them know how to contact you
when disaster strikes.
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27. Step Nine: Connect
‣ Partnering with another parish provides an
opportunity to both serve others and to
receive services in an emergency.
‣ Establish a relationship with a parish in
another region of the diocese, not
susceptible to the same emergencies at the
same time as your parish.
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28. Final Steps
‣ Fill out the summary at the end of the
workbook and send to Russ Oechsel, Co-
Diocesan Emergency Coordinator for the
Diocese of Texas.
‣ Set an annual review date.
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