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Preparing for Disaster - It's Up to All of Us
As our friends along the Gulf Coast know all too well, disaster can strike at any time. While we often can’t predict emergencies, we can plan for them. This is the motivation behind Episcopal Relief & Development’s Disaster Preparedness Initiative. Our goal for the initiative is to equip Episcopal leaders with the tools they need to establish a strategy for responding to disasters, no matter the size or scale.
As part of the first phase of this effort, we’re conducting regional training sessions for disaster coordinators from dioceses in higher-risk regions of the country, and helping them develop response plans specifically tailored for their communities. Many are surprised to find they already have the foundation for a plan in place. This is because they have forged strong relationships with other religious and civic organizations in their surrounding area and have close connections to local government. When it comes to disaster management, these relationships are key because they form the basis for a coordinated and effective response.
Our new Parish Preparedness Guide is available on our website at
www.er-d.org/resourcelibrary. Informed by the best practices and experiences of churches around the country, the guide and its corresponding curriculum include response scenarios for 10 different disasters.
To learn more about how to help your church develop its own disaster preparedness plan, or to sign up for Lamplight, please visit our website at www.er-d.org/USDisasterProgram.
