2010 Diocesan Preparedness Month

Why Prepare?

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Why Prepare?

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Why Prepare?

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Why Prepare?

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‣ 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.

Why Prepare?

‣ Put together a team.‣ Establish parish priorities.‣ Identify your risks.‣ Make preparedness part of your regular

maintenance schedule.‣ Secure your facilities.

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.

How do I prepare?

‣ Elect a Parish Emergency Coordinator.‣ Form a Parish Emergency Committee.

Step One: Assemble a Team

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Mission of the Episcopal Diocese of Texas

in Times of Crisis:To serve Episcopalians and their

neighbors.

Step Two: Establish Priorities

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‣ 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.

Step Two: Establish Priorities

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‣ 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.

Step Three: Identify Risks

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‣ 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.

Step Three: Identify Risks

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‣ Walk through parish facilities, noting areas of particular vulnerability.

‣ Identify ways to reduce hazards.

Step Three: Identify Risks

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‣ 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.

Step Four: Maintenance

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‣ Check all hazard alarms, including fire and carbon monoxide.

‣ Install additional alarms or replace where necessary according to the recommendations of local authorities.

Step Four: Maintenance

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‣ 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.

Step Four: Maintenance

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Step Four: Maintenance

Classifications: http://www.hanford.gov/fire/safety/extingrs.htm

‣ 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.

Step Four: Maintenance

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‣ Know who has access to the building at all times.

‣ Train staff, vestry members, and key ministry leaders in disarming the security system.

Step Five: Secure Facilities

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‣ Record the location of and instructions for shutting off each utility.

‣ Train, staff, clergy, and ministry leaders.

Step Five: Secure Facilities

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‣ 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 websites utilized by the parish.

Step Five: Secure Facilities

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‣ 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.

Step Six: Plan for Evacuations

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‣ 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.

Step Seven: Communications

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‣ 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.

Step Eight: Serving Parishioners

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‣ 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.

Step Nine: Connect

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‣ 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.

Step Nine: Connect

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‣ 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.

Final Steps

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Questions?