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I.
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE
A disaster is any event (i.e. hurricane,
tornado, toxic spills, etc.) that displaces a number of families
for any extended period of time. Because of their nature,
disasters bring about human suffering and present our
communities with needs that are best met through the local
church. But, because of limitations of the resources available
to the local church (i.e. volunteers, money, expertise, etc.)
there is a need for the connectional system to support and under
gird these efforts to alleviate human suffering. With this in
mind the North Georgia Annual Conference of the United Methodist
Church is setting up a structure that will facilitate local
churches in ministry to persons in need as a result of a
disaster. Our purpose being:
To provide immediate relief
of acute human need and to respond to the suffering of persons
in our communities caused by natural, ecological and civil
disaster.
To work cooperatively with
the appropriate conference units, ecumenical bodies, and
interdenominational agencies in the identification of, advocacy
for, and assistance with ministries for disaster response.
To work cooperatively with
United Methodist Communications in promotion of the One Great
Hour of Sharing offering and the North Georgia Annual Conference
Disaster Response offering.
To initiate printed,
audiovisual, electronic, and other resources to interpret,
support, and communicate with conferences and churches
concerning appeal for help and information related to ministry
for disaster response.
To assist and train district
coordinators and local church disaster coordinators to address
emerging and ongoing issues related to disaster relief.
"I
tell you the truth, whatever you did for one
of
the least of these friends of mine, you did for me."
Matthew
25:40 (modified)
II.
GENERAL STRUCTURE
The Annual Conference Disaster Response
Leadership Team will assist in the implementation of the
Conference Plan for Disaster Preparedness and Response to
alleviate human suffering due to disasters. This team is
composed of:
Conference Disaster Response
Administrative Team
Bishop, District
Superintendents and extended Cabinet members
District Disaster
Coordinators
Local Church Disaster
Coordinators
Storm Recovery staff
The Conference Plan for Disaster
Preparedness and Response defines the responsibilities of the
local church, the district and the conference. It also includes
an overall plan of ministry towards those who are affected by a
disaster, setting out the development and implementation of a
strong mitigation strategy. A copy of the plan is to be sent to
every local church, annually, so that they might know that this
is a vital and ongoing ministry of the Conference. This plan
must be readily available via a web site.
III. WHAT
ARE OUR RESPONSIBILITIES IN DISASTER?
A. Preparation Phase:
1.
Local Church Responsibilities:
Identify a Disaster
Coordinator and a Committee to develop a Preparation and
Response Plan. Include in the plan, both the protection of
people and buildings and your ability to offer ministry to the
community (shelter, emergency feeding, and distribution site).
Identify and develop a plan
to care for vulnerable members of your congregation.
Compile a list of volunteers
to implement the Disaster Plan
Designate a person to serve
in the local VOAD (Volunteer Organizations Active in Disasters),
if possible..
Communicate with the District
Coordinator; inform him/her of the scope of your plans and the
availability of your church to help in a disaster that might
occur outside of their local community.
Maintain a contact list of
phone numbers and email addresses for Conference Disaster Team
members
Encourage response to the
Bishops appeals regarding disaster relief (aid to other
conferences, supplies, collections, food drives, etc.)
Develop contacts with local
relief agencies (County Emergency Management, American Red
Cross, Salvation Army, Faith Based Groups, etc.) through
participation in the local VOAD.
Determine how to best secure
the church buildings and parsonage to mitigate damage.
Determine if your church
wants to sponsor a Disaster Response Team. Plan, train and equip
the group.
Inform district and
conference coordinators that you have a Disaster Response Team
2.
District Responsibilities
District Coordinator holds
trainings for church Coordinators and committees.
District Superintendent
receives training and prepares communications procedures between
clergy, church coordinators, and Bishop; and becomes informed
about evacuation areas and special needs of the district.
3.
Conference Responsibilities
Prepare and train conference
and district disaster response coordinators.
Prepare and train conference
staff and Cabinet
Insure that relationships
with other conferences and UMCOR are clearly defined
Identify locations for supply
depots, inventory and store equipment, update forms and
procedures as necessary.
Identify ways to mitigate
damage.
B. Emergency Phase (Length
to be determined by restoration of vital services)
1.
Church Responsibilities
All members of Disaster Team
see to the needs of your family first.
Assess church and parsonage
damage.
Pastor reports in to District
Superintendent regarding (1) safety of pastor and family, (2)
damage to buildings, parsonage, and (3) ministry involvement -
feeding, sheltering, work teams, etc. This is a redundant system
with the D.S.s role below.
Pastor and/or Church Disaster
Response Coordinator communicates with District Coordinator same
information.
Identify someone to take
conference personnel on an assessment of the disaster area.
2.
District Responsibilities
D.S. and staff ensure
security and safety of your family first.
D.S. makes contact with each
clergy and as soon as is feasible, checks each church site in
affected area, and reports to Bishop and DCM
District Coordinator is also
in close contact with D.S., makes contact with every affected
church and pastor, and reports to Conference Coordinator. The
District Coordinator is the key between conference and local
communications regarding ice, food, water, and Disaster response
teams.
3.
Conference Responsibilities
Bishop contacts UMCOR.
Conference Coordinator
determines routes for shipment, coordinates district
relationships.
Conference 800# receives
phone calls from throughout conference and country.
Coordinates needs with offers
of assistance, directing them to areas where most needed.
Determine the best location
for the donated goods warehouse.
C. Relief Phase (10
times the length of Emergency Phase)
1.
Church Responsibilities
Ensure that communication
links with the District Superintendent and District Coordinator
have been established.
If buildings are damaged,
file a claim.
Make contact with local
emergency management personnel (EOC, VOAD, etc.).
Pastor and Local Church team
implement Disaster Response Plan of your church.
Assess needs of your members
check on welfare of members of your congregation, following
your plan.
Concentrate on meeting BASIC
needs and safety/security food, water, and temporary
shelter, drying-in of homes.
Organize clean-up crews to go
into neighborhoods. Prepare to receive crews that may show up to
help.
Keep strict and separate
accounting of disaster funding. Document spending
2.
District Responsibilities
District churches not in
disaster area are keys to support of churches that have been
affected.
Send
teams and supplies as directed by district coordinator and site
coordinators. Do not assume that you know what people need.
Determine your availability to house volunteers and assist
longer term. In later relief stage, send Information and
Referral teams.
District Coordinator is
full-time, coordinating teams, supplies and identifying special
needs
D.S. seeks out clergy needing
R&R.
In cooperation with local
VOADs, determine areas that need Information and Referral Teams.
Send
out teams for assessment/ministry contact.
3.
Conference Responsibilities
Conference Coordinator is on
daily conference calls with NVOAD, and statewide with FEMA, Red
Cross, and VOADs in series of meeting that evaluate the
situation and determine overall needs. Each organization
receives info from the ground. Work is coordinated between the
organizations from these meetings.
Early on, teams from
districts CLOSEST to affected districts need to mobilize and be
directed through the conference 800#. Teams from further away,
need to coordinate through 800# also, but stage deliveries
depending on fuel supply in the state.
Bishop and Council on Finance
and Administration determine need and timing for a conference
wide appeal.
Churches support with Sunday
offerings,
Consultation begins with
UMCOR on strategy for assistance and coordination from UMCOR and
other conferences.
D. Long Term
Recovery Phase (10 times
the number of days of relief)
1.
Church Responsibilities
In the disaster area, seek
out volunteers to be trained as case managers and case manager
assistants.
Refer persons in need to Long
Term Recovery organization for case management
Determine level of
involvement for church with Long Term Recovery organization in
your county. Examine if your church will develop a case
management ministry, house volunteers, store building supplies,
and provide office space.
If located out of the
disaster area, continue to send teams to assist with rebuilding.
Keep strict and separate
accounting of funding received. Document spending.
2.
District Responsibilities
District Coordinators work
becomes increasingly focused on mitigation and preparation for
the next season.
District may identify staff
to work long term rebuilding through the Long Term Recovery
organizations in the district
3.
Conference Responsibilities
Core staff is established to
carry out recovery process and work in the disaster areas.
Conference manages
distribution of offering, UMCOR grants, and other funds
received.
Conference
continues to interpret to churches that the recovery continues
for a long time.
Provides publicity
IV.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FOR EXPANDED TRAINING
A.
Local church
The local United
Methodist Church is the point of contact for all United
Methodist assistance in a disaster.
The Conference can
assist, but will not take over this role.
Churches will be
working with the North Georgia Annual Conference Disaster
Response Team and not directly with UMCOR (United Methodist
Committee On Relief).
UMCOR is a resource
agency of the general church for the local "owners" of
the disaster.
The Annual Conference
will do all it can to make sure its resources and that of the
General Church are available.
No one expects persons
in the local church to know everything about disaster relief,
nor does the Conference expect the local
congregation to exhaust its resources in relief.
It is also important
to note that a disaster may take a great deal of time to
resolve.
This means that the local church must recognize its
limitations in being able to respond.
1.
Early Preparation
·
The local church Board
of Trustees should annually review insurance coverage and report
any changes in property such as additions or deletions to the
conference office.
·
The Board of Trustees
should make an annual inventory of church property and contents
and provide a safe repository of valuable records.
·
Property and content
inventories are backed-up best by narrated video recordings of
each room.
·
A Disaster Relief
Coordinator for the Local Church must be selected and trained.
·
The Board of Trustees,
in conjunction with the Local Church Disaster Relief Coordinator
and the Pastor, need to consider the use of the facility as a
potential resource for a disaster situation.
·
Training is available
from the Conference to help churches effectively evaluate their
resources and develop an effective plan to respond to needs
created by a disaster.
·
The local pastor, staff, administrative council,
and trustees must have a plan of membership care ready to
activate in a disaster. This includes help
for the elderly, singles, singles with children, mobile home
communities, flood zone evacuees, people with disabilities, and
street people. You may even consider a ministry to pets.
·
Get as many people as
possible to register with the church where they will be staying
if evacuated. Often relatives and friends will call the church
to try and find out where people are and how they are doing.
This will update your church database.
·
Back up all church
computers and secure information! A sub directory on your
website is a great place to store it.
·
If a church wishes to
become a shelter or work as a service center during a disaster,
a written agreement between the American Red Cross and the local
church is required. If the church contracts with the Red Cross,
a signed copy of this agreement is to sent to the Risk
Management Department in the conference office. With an
agreement, the American Red Cross covers the liability and
damage that might occur in relation to operating the shelter and
also provides staff to run the operation.
3.
After Disaster Strikes
Assess damage to the church
facilities and report to the District Office, and begin a
membership head count to be sure all are secure.
Implement the Church Disaster
Plan. Your District Superintendent will work with the church and
the District Disaster Coordinator on coordinating fund requests
through the Conference office.
Funding: The Bishop will work
with the District Superintendents and the Conference Disaster
Response Team to make sure that any funding given to a local
church for a specific disaster should be kept separate from
other church funds and should be accountable to the District,
the Conference and the Disaster Response Team. If the local
church is not directly affected by the disaster, any money
received should be forwarded to the district. And at the closure
of a disaster, those funds, their accountability, and the
closure form should be immediately forwarded to the District
office; or if the funds are surplus funds from an UMCOR request,
those funds must be returned to the Conference office for
processing. All funds must be accounted for to the satisfaction
of the District, the Conference and the Conference Disaster
Response Team.
B. Local Church Disaster Response Coordinator
·
It is important for
you to know that this task is a team effort! That by working
with the District Coordinator, the Conference Disaster
Coordinator, your pastor, lay leader, and church officials, many
of the connections can be easily made. There
are resources for you in all of these areas. You are the point
person or a go-to person when a disaster strikes.
·
Quickly team with your
pastor and the District Disaster Coordinator.
1.
Early Preparation
·
Work with Pastor and
Trustees in developing a disaster response plan.
·
Encourage
participation in community CERT training.
·
Develop a Disaster
Response Committee to help the Pastor and Trustees to make an
assessment of special needs populations within the community
(i.e. the elderly, poor, unemployed, immigrants, disabled,
shut-ins, children, etc.), persons often most vulnerable in a
disaster.
·
Based on the Disaster
Plan, compile a list of persons willing to volunteer to
implement the Disaster Plan (i.e. help serve food, do cleanups,
provide transportation, child care, reconstruction, organize
support groups, etc.)
·
Designate a person to
serve in the local VOAD (Volunteer Organizations Active in
Disasters), if possible.
·
Keep the plans updated
and apprise the congregation of those plans.
·
Communicate with the
District Disaster Coordinator and inform them of the scope of
the church plans and the churches availability to help in a
disaster that might occur outside of their local community.
·
Encourage the church's
participation in One Great Hour of Sharing and other special
advances for the purpose of disaster relief.
·
Establish
communication with the District Disaster Coordinator and
maintain a list of phone numbers to be used to connect with the
appropriate Conference Disaster Response Team members.
·
Encourage response to
the Bishop's appeals regarding disaster relief (aid to other
conferences, supplies brought to Annual Conference, food drives,
etc.)
·
Develop contacts with
the local relief agencies (County Emergency Management, American
Red Cross, Salvation Army, Faith Based Groups, etc.) through
participation in the local VOAD (Volunteer Organizations Active
in Disasters).
·
If there is no local
VOAD, then you can talk with the Conference Disaster Coordinator
about either helping set up a local VOAD or working with some
other local group.
·
As
a conference we encourage working with the VOAD if at all
possible.
·
Become familiar with
existing community service agencies. (Do they have a plan to
help the needy in a disaster as an extension of their normal
services?)
·
Develop an Assessment
Team and allow Conference Trainers to teach this team how to
effectively do assessment work following a disaster.
2.
After Disaster Strikes
·
Assess any injury in
your own household; they are always your first responsibility.
·
Establish
communication links with the District Disaster Coordinator.
·
Call together your
Local Church Response Team, mentioned above.
·
Work with the Pastor
and your Local Response team in implementing the Disaster
Response Plan of your local church.
·
Activate the
Assessment team.
·
Your District
Superintendent will work with the church and the District
Disaster Coordinator on coordinating fund requests through the
Conference Disaster Coordinator and the Conference Disaster
Response Team.
·
WATCH THE FUNDING!
·
The Bishop will work
with the District Superintendent and the Disaster Response Team
to make sure that any funding given to a local church for a
specific disaster should be kept separate from other church
funds. It must be accountable to the District, the Conference
and the Disaster Response Team!
·
If
the local church is not directly affected by the disaster, any
money received should be forwarded to the district.
·
And at the closure of
a disaster, those funds, their accountability, and the closure
form should be immediately forwarded to the District office; or
if the funds are surplus funds from an UMCOR request, those
funds must be returned to the Conference office for processing.
·
All funds must be
accounted for to the satisfaction of the District, the
Conference and the Disaster Response Team.
3.
During Recovery
·
Using Assessment
Teams' findings, work with individuals in the community to find
avenues of assistance.
·
Work with the local
VOAD (Volunteer Organizations Active in Disasters) to find and
assist persons in need (this may mean providing volunteers,
taking food or supplies to persons in need, or using any other
volunteer program the church can or has developed)
C. Clergy
Responsibilities
·
Encouraging the
development of a local church disaster plan is the
responsibility of all clergy under appointment in the North
Georgia Annual Conference.
·
Clergy
are an important resource in recommending avenues for relieving
human suffering due to disasters, as well as recognizing needs
for training that will assist their local church disaster
representative.
·
Clergy are ultimately
responsible for the church to which they are appointed
(Discipline 331.3a,b,c,d).
1.
Early Preparation
·
Work with local church
Trustees to review insurance policies on church properties.
·
Flood
insurance requires a separate policy and this coverage is
necessary in base flood plain areas.
·
Also,
to make sure that church properties (including parsonage) have
some oversight from the trustees to make needed repairs.
·
COMMUNICATE WITH YOUR
DISTRICT SUPERINTENDENT IF YOU MUST EVACUATE. GIVE THEM AN
ADDRESS AND PHONE NUMBER OF THE PLACE WHERE YOU WILL BE STAYING.
·
Work with your
Disaster Relief Coordinator and your Trustees (or your church
Disaster Response Team) to inventory facilities to see how they
could be used in an emergency.
·
Help identify
interests, skills, and talents of persons within the
congregation. Ask them of their willingness to volunteer in the
event of disaster.
·
Support
your Disaster Coordinator in recruiting them for early training.
·
Help identify special
need populations in the community who might require extra
assistance. (Are there large populations of unemployed, poor,
elderly, refugees and immigrants?)
·
Become familiar with
Church and Conference Disaster Response Plans.
·
Support the Disaster
Coordinator in coordinating One Great Hour of Sharing and other
special disaster appeals.
2.
After Disaster Strikes
·
See to the needs of
your family first. Do not abandon them for the sake of the
parish. No matter what your level of involvement in disaster
response, you will not be effective if you are not certain of
the safety of your own household. What you do for them will be
an example for others to follow with regard to their loved ones.
·
Work with Trustees to
assess church and parsonage damage and to make sure any damage
is reported to the District Office. Follow any instructions they
may have regarding the damage.
·
When a disaster occurs
in your community, the church Disaster Coordinator should
contact the Pastor and other persons who have leadership roles
in the church disaster plan and then, as a result of that
discussion, contact the District Superintendent and/or the
District Disaster Coordinator with plans for response.
·
Check on the welfare
of members of your congregation, if possible and safe to do so.
If your Disaster Relief Coordinator has developed an Assessment
Team, they will assist you in making inquiries about the welfare
of your membership. Also, volunteers from nearby congregations
might be available to do an every member visitation on your
behalf.
·
Contact
the District and/or Conference Disaster Coordinator.
·
Be
prepared to take Conference leadership personnel on an
assessment tour of the disaster area.
·
See if your
congregation can provide some early assistance to relief workers
or victims.
·
Organize
cleanup crews to be ready to go into areas where you are
permitted to assist.
·
Working
with your District UMVIM Coordinator will bring outside
resources to bear on your local disaster. (Participation in the
local VOAD will also provide information regarding the volunteer
needs in your local community)
·
Be cautious about
giving out money in the early stages of the response for
personal safety reasons, and you will need to account for those
funds.
·
Concentrate on meeting
basic needs (i.e. food, temporary shelter, etc.).
·
NOTE:
Money given directly to victims too soon can reduce the
assistance they receive from other agencies, especially
governmental.
·
Check on the well
being of the pre-identified special populations within your
church and community.
·
Check
and see if their needs being met.
·
As you provide
leadership during and following a disaster, be willing to let
others minister to you.
·
YOU MUST TAKE CARE
OF YOURSELF TO REMAIN EFFECTIVE!
3.
Following a Disaster
----
CHECK IN ---- CHECK UP ---- CHECK OUT!
·
CHECK IN
- Let people know where you are and that you are ready to work!
·
CHECK UP
- Contact each family, and make a report to the District
Disaster Coordinator and the District Superintendents office.
·
CHECK OUT
- Physically get out of your office and visit your church and
community, A.S.A.P!
·
Support your
congregation's participation in the long-term response and
encourage them to work with the local VOAD to assist needs that
might be overlooked by the federal agencies and insurance.
·
The Bishop will work
with the District Superintendent and the Disaster Response Team
to make sure that any funding given to a local church for a
specific disaster should be kept separate from other church
funds and should be accountable to the District, the Conference
and the Disaster Response Team.
·
If the local church is
not directly affected by the disaster, any money received should
be forwarded to the district. And at the closure of a disaster,
those funds, their accountability, and the closure form should
be immediately forwarded to the District office; or if the funds
are surplus funds from an UMCOR request, those funds must be
returned to the Conference office for processing. All funds must
be accounted for to the satisfaction of the District, the
Conference and the Disaster Response Team.
D. District Disaster Coordinator: Expanded definition of
responsibilities
1.
Early Preparation
·
Establish District
Plans that are consistent with Conference Disaster Plan, making
sure that there can be a coordinated effort of all churches and
church related institutions in your district when a disaster
strikes.
·
Work with the local
church Disaster Relief Coordinators to help them in the
development of the church disaster plans. This can be
accomplished through district training events and/or working
with churches individually.
·
Make sure that the
church coordinator has an accurate list of phone number to call
in case of a disaster. The Conference Disaster Coordinator has a
laminated list that has all the numbers you need to maintain.
·
Encourage church
coordinators to spearhead One Great Hour Offerings and other
Advance Specials that deal with disaster relief.
·
Develop contacts with
the county relief agencies (County Emergency Management,
American Red Cross, Salvation Army, Seventh Day Adventists,
Mennonites, etc.), and encourage church participation in the
local VOAD.
·
Encourage development
of church Assessment Teams and arrange for Conference Trainers
to teach these teams how to effectively do assessment work
following a disaster.
·
Encouraging
several churches to participate in one training event will make
best use of the Conference Coordinator's time.
2. When a
Disaster is Threatening
·
Most disasters do not
have a warning period. However, in disasters such as a
hurricane, which can spawn bands of thunder storms and tornados,
where fairly accurate projections are given by the Weather
Service, the Disaster Coordinator should be in the area a day
before in order to survey the preparedness of the churches and
to coordinate any immediate relief that will be needed. While in
the anticipated disaster area, the Conference Coordinator will
give regular reports as to the status of readiness to the
Disaster Response Team Chairperson and the Cabinet
Representatives. These reports will become vital in coordinating
funding of disaster relief.
3.
After Disaster Strikes
·
Assess any injury in
your own household; they are always your first responsibility.
·
Help the District
Superintendent do a clergy head count and congregational needs!
·
Establish a link
between the Conference Disaster Relief Coordinator, the District
Office, and the local church.
·
Call together the
Local Church Response Leadership Teams, Local Church
Coordinators, and find out what response they are planning, and
make sure that they have funding and resources to be able to
complete their ministry to the community.
·
Make sure that local
churches have passed information to the District Superintendent
and Conference Disaster Coordinator regarding the response that
is being made.
·
Continue to keep
regular contact with the church coordinator throughout the
recovery.
·
Look for signs of
fatigue and stress, and help leaders to pull away from the
demands to take some personal time.
·
If leaders are showing
signs of fatigue and stress and will not step back or pull away,
inform the Conference Disaster Coordinator of the situation.
·
The Bishop will work
with the District Superintendent and the Disaster Response Team
to make sure that any funding given to a local church for a
specific disaster should be kept separate from other church
funds and should be accountable to the district, the conference
and the Disaster Response Team.
·
If the local church is
not directly affected by the disaster, any money received should
be forwarded to the district. And at the closure of a disaster,
those funds, their accountability, and the closure form should
be immediately forwarded to the District office; or if the funds
are surplus funds from an UMCOR request, those funds must be
returned to the Conference office for processing.
·
All funds must be
accounted for to the satisfaction of the District, the
Conference and the Disaster Response Team.
E. District Superintendent Responsibilities
1.
Early Preparation
·
Study the Conference
disaster plan and its application for your area.
·
Keep a copy of the
plan available. Know where it is on the conference web site.
·
Appoint or have the
Nominating Committee nominate, someone for the District Disaster
Response Coordinator.
·
Pick someone with a
heart for this special work. Do not just stick a name into the
position so you can say the position is filled.
·
Require the District
Coordinator to attend Conference training sessions
4.
When Disaster is Imminent
·
Stay current with the
news.
·
Cancel any
pre-approved leaves, study leaves, vacations, or other
activities, which would negate your effectiveness as a key
leader. THIS IS NOT AN OPTION!
·
Contact your District
Coordinator and be prepared for possible action.
·
If your area is to be
affected and evacuation is recommended, move out.
·
Let the Bishop, the
Conference Disaster Coordinator, and your District coordinator
know where you are and how to reach you!
3.
After the Disaster Strikes
----
CHECK IN ---- CHECK UP ---- CHECK OUT!
·
CHECK IN
- Let people know where you are and that you are ready to work!
·
CHECK UP
- Contact each clergy, clergy family, and report it to the
Conference Disaster Coordinator and the Bishops office.
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