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Disaster Preparedness and Response
Disaster Preparedness and Response Report Emergency Preparedness Planning! Asset Mapping/Safety in our places of Worship
In the past year many things have changed but yet remained the same. We have developed new ways to worship with virtual changing our lives. I am sure we have all embraced that, but being prepared is still of utmost importance! So I submit this report as our diocese is taking a new stance on this topic with a new Emergency Planning and response procedure which was presented to the clergy at a Zoom conference the first of the month of October!
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Do we still need to do a Disaster Plan? YES!!
As I type this convention report, it is September 29th, 2022. This morning we all watch as the better part of the state of Florida is waking up in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian. Now yes we here in the southeast part of the mitten state do not have to worry about a storm like that, thanks be to God, but we also have to develop our own contingency plans in the event of other acts of God and of humans!
There are many new and exciting changes in the works that will be rolled out soon, that can help all of us look at our communities of worship, and the communities in which we worship, and help us to identify areas that we need to address to keep all our people safe. I would like each of you to look at these new procedures and policies that we have designed to help you. “Emergency Planning” should be presented to the clergy in the weeks prior to convention!
The Goal: To try to encourage every parish and the diocesan offices to develop a disaster plan, and/or an “Emergency Planning Procedure” as well as complete the asset mapping survey, and look over any safety issues your parishes may have!
Plans filed to date: In the past year we did not receive any new disaster plans, but with the new approach to Emergency planning, I am hopeful that many of our congregations will begin this new year with plans.
A Disaster Plan: What is a Disaster Plan? More to the point is what is a disaster? Well my dear friends what we are going through currently should be obvious. But how can having a disaster plan help us during this time of COVID-19? Simple, having a plan in place prior to, and as it is now, during an event such as we are in now, could lay out the groundwork to how to respond to the needs of our congregations, and more importantly our communities that are affected by this type of event. Each congregation will be different as the needs can vary by the size and demographic of each. And each community varies likewise.
How do we get started? First by determining that you want, or more importantly NEED a disaster plan. This can be as simple as a phone call or email to me. I can then provide whomever from your congregation that will be working on the plan with the necessary information to get started!
Determine in your parish who you think would be great at this and give them my phone number 248-892-2735, or email whmcgrumpy@comcast.net!
Asset Mapping: Every parish must go to www.episcopalassetmap.org, find the icon that represents their parish and click on it today and take the survey. If a parish has already done this they should go to it again, today, and update it. The more you put on this, the more photos, and videos you upload the better it will be for everyone! In addition to this the Presiding Bishop has encouraged all of the congregations to update their asset maps with how we have been providing church during this pandemic. We all need to go on our maps and update this information!
Safety Planning: A new Emergency planning directive/policy/procedure was rolled out to the clergy prior to this convention.
We all need to constantly be looking at our parish homes and see if we are keeping them safe. Are we securing our buildings and are our practices taking safety first? Now is a great time to have someone checking the outsides of the buildings and making sure nature has not overgrown and allowed for hiding places for people with bad intentions. That way when the time comes, and yes my friends that time will come when we can return, we will know if our buildings are safe. More importantly are we preparing all our people so that they can be as safe as possible not only in church but also in their daily lives! This is also a good time to put into place policies that can insure a safe worship space for everyone; that way we can all adjust at the same time!
With all the above stated, I am overly excited that more congregations will now be moved to put together their Disaster Preparedness Plans, and or Emergency Planning plans, and I would really like to see more updates on the Asset Map. Besides the link above, the Asset Map can also be accessed through the Diocesan website www.edomi.org. Doing a disaster plan and the asset map and an Emergency Planning plan are vital ways of ensuring that we are better prepared! Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions.
As we all watch and see how Hurricane Ian affect our friends in Florida let us keep them in our prayers, but also remember that disasters can and will occur here and being prepared and having plans and procedures in place is the best way to address these when they happen.!
