The Praise and Preparedness program offers tools and information to help churches prepare buildings and congregations for emergencies.
Flooding in Austell, Ga., in September 2009. (George Armstrong/FEMA)
(TNS) — Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints are ready for nearly any disaster that may strike.
The church strongly encourages its members to be as prepared as they can be, whether it is a personal, communitywide or global emergency.
The Georgia Emergency Management Agency is encouraging more houses of worship in Georgia to prepare for disaster through its new Praise & Preparednessprogram.
The program offers tools and information to help churches prepare buildings and congregations for emergencies.
“The most important resource in any emergency is people,” said David Squires, Stake President over the 12 Mormon congregations in the Augusta area.
Pam Tucker, director for the Columbia County Emergency Management Agency, said the Mormon church was one of the most prepared churches she’s ever seen.
The program helps churches create a facility emergency plan, a communications plan, work with local organizations to organize an emergency preparedness fair, conduct evacuation drills and promote individual emergency plans.
Tucker recommended designating one church member to monitor weather reports during church services when the weather is threatening. She also recommended designating a place inside the building away from windows for shelter if a storm hits during a service or other church activity.
If a church needs help determining such a place, a member can call the agency and someone will help them come up with a plan.
In the Mormon church, disaster plans are in place on every level. Tucker lauded their preparedness, which enabled them to quickly organize a large community volunteer effort during February’s ice storm cleanup.
On a personal level, all members of the Mormon church are encouraged to keep family survival kits in accordance with FEMA recommendations. In Squires’ own home, he, his wife and each of their five children have backpacks filled with food, clothing and other emergency items in case an emergency forces them to leave home quickly.
Taking care of yourself enables you to take care of others, he said.
“As I said, the most important resource is people, and people have things in their homes, from generators to chainsaws to food,” he said.
On a regional and national level, storehouses are filled with food, water and other supplies, ready to be quickly loaded on a truck and shipped to a disaster area if needed.
At the congregational level, each church has designated an emergency preparedness specialist who serves as the main point of contact for that church and maintains lists of volunteers and members who are trained medical staff, and members with special needs who may need immediate assistance during an emergency.
“Locally, each congregation has an emergency preparedness plan that details specific duties of members. When an emergency occurs, we can contact each other quickly and organize our efforts,” Squires said.
Two local congregations, on North Belair Road in Evans and Bunting Road in North Augusta, also have ham radios in the attic and can serve as communication hubs.
While every church in the area may not be able to establish themselves as a communications hub, there are steps they can take to ready themselves and their congregations.
Squires said he also hopes more churches will take advantage of the program and become prepared, and be willing to band together regardless of faith or doctrine to serve the community’s needs during times of crises.
“In an emergency, we’re just focused on taking care of people’s needs. We’re not trying to proselytize or anything,” Squires said. “In an emergency, we’re all in this together and we need to be working together as a community and helping each other regardless of our background and religious beliefs.”
©2014 The Augusta Chronicle (Augusta, Ga.). Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
The church strongly encourages its members to be as prepared as they can be, whether it is a personal, communitywide or global emergency.
The Georgia Emergency Management Agency is encouraging more houses of worship in Georgia to prepare for disaster through its new Praise & Preparednessprogram.
The program offers tools and information to help churches prepare buildings and congregations for emergencies.
“The most important resource in any emergency is people,” said David Squires, Stake President over the 12 Mormon congregations in the Augusta area.
Pam Tucker, director for the Columbia County Emergency Management Agency, said the Mormon church was one of the most prepared churches she’s ever seen.
The program helps churches create a facility emergency plan, a communications plan, work with local organizations to organize an emergency preparedness fair, conduct evacuation drills and promote individual emergency plans.
Tucker recommended designating one church member to monitor weather reports during church services when the weather is threatening. She also recommended designating a place inside the building away from windows for shelter if a storm hits during a service or other church activity.
If a church needs help determining such a place, a member can call the agency and someone will help them come up with a plan.
In the Mormon church, disaster plans are in place on every level. Tucker lauded their preparedness, which enabled them to quickly organize a large community volunteer effort during February’s ice storm cleanup.
On a personal level, all members of the Mormon church are encouraged to keep family survival kits in accordance with FEMA recommendations. In Squires’ own home, he, his wife and each of their five children have backpacks filled with food, clothing and other emergency items in case an emergency forces them to leave home quickly.
Taking care of yourself enables you to take care of others, he said.
“As I said, the most important resource is people, and people have things in their homes, from generators to chainsaws to food,” he said.
On a regional and national level, storehouses are filled with food, water and other supplies, ready to be quickly loaded on a truck and shipped to a disaster area if needed.
At the congregational level, each church has designated an emergency preparedness specialist who serves as the main point of contact for that church and maintains lists of volunteers and members who are trained medical staff, and members with special needs who may need immediate assistance during an emergency.
“Locally, each congregation has an emergency preparedness plan that details specific duties of members. When an emergency occurs, we can contact each other quickly and organize our efforts,” Squires said.
Two local congregations, on North Belair Road in Evans and Bunting Road in North Augusta, also have ham radios in the attic and can serve as communication hubs.
While every church in the area may not be able to establish themselves as a communications hub, there are steps they can take to ready themselves and their congregations.
Squires said he also hopes more churches will take advantage of the program and become prepared, and be willing to band together regardless of faith or doctrine to serve the community’s needs during times of crises.
“In an emergency, we’re just focused on taking care of people’s needs. We’re not trying to proselytize or anything,” Squires said. “In an emergency, we’re all in this together and we need to be working together as a community and helping each other regardless of our background and religious beliefs.”
©2014 The Augusta Chronicle (Augusta, Ga.). Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
www.emergencymgmt.com
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