Development of an Emergency Preparedness Plan for a Bibb County, Georgia Faith Based. Organization

Transcription

1 1 Development of an Emergency Preparedness Plan for a Bibb County, Georgia Faith Based Organization Practicum Location: Covenant Life Cathedral, Macon, Georgia Site Supervisor: April 23, 2017

2 2 Abstract During this practicum objectives were set to implement a disaster preparedness and recovery plan for a faith-based organization and its surrounding community, connect a faith-based organization with local and state emergency management agencies through Georgia s Praise and Preparedness Program, and plan an awareness event for parishioners. Recommendations from the U.S. federal government partners Guide to Developing High Quality Emergency Operations Plans for Houses of Worship (2013) and the Georgia Emergency Management Agency s Praise and Preparedness emergency operations plan template were utilized. Details for an emergency preparedness awareness event for the congregation and community were created during this practicum. This practicum took place at Covenant Life Cathedral located in Macon, Bibb County, Georgia with the church staff, board of elders, and members of the congregation. An emergency operations plan was drafted for the organization. A community emergency preparedness event was planned. The organization is now prepared to become a Praise and Preparedness program partner with Georgia s Emergency Management Agency.

3 3 Development of an Emergency Preparedness Plan for a Bibb County, Georgia Faith Based Organization Disasters, whether natural or manmade, are known to take a toll on countries, communities, families, and individuals. Natural disasters cost the United States of America over 15-billion dollars in The death toll of Hurricane Katrina reached over 1,000 while nearly 3,000 deaths have been associated with the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks 2. As the governments of the US and its states strive to do their part to keep citizens safe, it is important that citizens prepare themselves for disasters. As stated in my proposal, faith-based organizations can serve an integral role in preparing themselves, congregants, and communities for disasters and serve during response and recovery. The faith based organization associated with this project is Covenant Life Cathedral which is in Macon, Georgia, the county seat of Bibb County. Approximately 200 individuals attend services and activities on this organization s campus weekly. The church staff consists of three members that are assisted by lay leaders. During my practicum, I sought to accomplish the following objectives: Implement a disaster preparedness and recovery plan for a faith-based organization and its surrounding community. Connect a faith-based organization with local and state emergency management agencies through Georgia s Praise and Preparedness Program. Plan an awareness event for parishioners. 1 Billion-Dollar Weather and Climate Disasters: Overview. Retrieved February 03, 2017, from 2 Gabe, T. (2005). Hurricane Katrina social-demographic characteristics of impacted areas. Washington, D.C.: Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress.

4 4 Over the course of the practicum, I maintained my original topic and goals. This experience enlightened me to the many details involved in preparing an emergency operations plan. It was found that the organization did not have a documented disaster preparedness or contingency plan. The ministry does have a security team which has undergone training from a local consultant, but did not have any documented procedures for emergency scenarios. I plan to continue to work with this faith based organization in maintaining and revising their emergency operations plan. I also plan to help the organization continue to strengthen its relationship with Georgia Emergency Management Agency s Praise and Preparedness Initiative by completing the steps to become a partner and continued communication with GEMA and the Macon-Bibb County Emergency Management Agency. Approach, Methods, and Findings Research was done to properly prepare an emergency operations plan for the organization. Recommendations from the U.S. federal government partners Guide to Developing High Quality Emergency Operations Plans for Houses of Worship was used as a blueprint for creating the organization s emergency operations plan 3. This guide details the planning and implementation process for developing and emergency operations plan. This includes the following six steps: 1) Forming a planning team 2) Understanding hazards and risks and prioritizing them 3 Guide for developing high-quality emergency operations plans for houses of worship. (2013). Washington, D.C.: FEMA.

5 5 3) Creating goals and objectives 4) Create an emergency plan 5) Review and approval of plan 6) Plan execution and maintenance A template prepared by GEMA s Praise and Preparedness initiative was utilized and proved to be a useful tool 4. It integrated these processes in to its guide. Planning team members included a first responder from the congregation (Macon-Bibb County Fire Captain), first responder and local security consultant from the congregation (Macon-Bibb County District Attorney Office), and church staff (Pastor, Administrator, and Accountant). Additional member(s) of the congregation were also involved in this planning process. The State of Georgia Hazard Mitigation Strategy as well as knowledge of hazards in the region were used to consider and prioritize hazards and risks that could threaten the house of worship. Contact was made with the Macon-Bibb County EMA services for a copy of the predisaster mitigation plan and consultation. It was found that the updated version of this plan is being revised and was unavailable during the time of this practicum. A facility safety assessment was completed and priority hazards were placed in the suggested categories of day-to-day disturbances and natural, technological, and human disasters (Table 1.0 customized from template). Goals and objectives were created based on the house of worships needs and risks. It was decided that the initial goal would be to prepare a draft EOP using the Praise and Preparedness template. Objectives were to include preparations for each type of emergency identified as a 4 Praise & Preparedness. (n.d.). Retrieved March 15, 2017, from

6 6 priority. The creation of this plan will lead to the initiation of a new lay team composed of current volunteers with specialized skills. Figure 1.0 gives a summary of roles in a large scale emergency response and recovery. The draft plan has been submitted for review, revision, and approval. Once approved, the plan will be presented to the department heads and team leaders of the congregation for implementation and training. Many of these lay leaders will have specified roles and responsibilities. Drills and tabletop exercises will be conducted periodically. The plan will be reviewed and needed revisions made annually. Details for an emergency preparedness awareness event for the congregation and community were created during this practicum. This event is best suited to be a part of an already planned community outreach event. The awareness event will be implemented during the annual Back to School Bash which is scheduled for July 8, This will allow for greater exposure of congregants and the community to family emergency preparedness. During this event representatives from the Macon-Bibb Emergency Management Agency and local first responders will be present to interact with the participants as they browse various booths and stations. An official request will be made to have first responder vehicles available for guided demonstrations as well. Examples of family emergency preparedness kits will be on display along with awareness videos and handouts. Giveaways of kit essentials will also occur. Preparation of the emergency operations plan and the implementation of the emergency preparedness event prepares the house of worship to become a partner of GEMA s Praise and Preparedness initiative. These items serve to meet requirements to become a partner. Becoming a partner along with continued communication with the Macon-Bibb EMA is a continuation of

7 7 the practicums objective of connecting a faith-based organization with local and state emergency management agencies through Georgia s Praise and Preparedness Program. Reflections on the Practicum Planning for the organizations emergency operations plan was a very detail oriented task. This did take more time than I planned for on my initial timeline. It has been a great experience assisting an organization with initial planning of their emergency operations plan. Consulting with the church staff, practicum supervisor, and local EMA has proven helpful. The staff of the church and the Board of Elders were very receptive of my role and were very helpful in assisting me with obtaining information about the organization needed for the assessment and planning. They, along with the participating members of the congregation, were very enthusiastic about the planning process. The highlight of my experience was the pastor of the organization expressing his gratitude for my work and that they were overdue to have such a plan documented and implemented. That gave the work of my practicum even more purpose for me. I also came across a bit of unexpected luck when I discovered that my planned objectives will help the organization obtain partner status with the Praise and Preparedness program. I did face a few minor challenges during my practicum. The initial planning for the EOP was difficult being that I needed to initiate the process rather than revise and update a current plan. I took time to thoroughly research the topic and plan for the process. Discovery of the Guide to Developing High Quality Emergency Operations Plans for Houses of Worship and the Praise and Preparedness Emergency Operations Plan template was helpful in overcoming this barrier.

8 8 I gained many insights during this practicum with the most impactful being that being acquainted with instruments, tools, and assessments can help me utilize new ones that I may be unfamiliar with. I was not overwhelmed by the facility safety assessment or the recommended process once it was discovered. I would recommend weekly journaling during the practicum experience. Without journaling, I would not have realized the large amount that I accomplished in a short period. Conclusion During this practicum experience, I moved an organization forward in their awareness of the importance of emergency preparedness and assisted them in preparing a plan. This experience proves how impactful seemingly small initiatives can be on a community. The faith based organization will be prepared to take part in organized chaos if the need ever arises in its community. This helps them to fulfill their mission to care for those around them in rough times. This has also assisted me in my learning by experiencing collaboration, detailed processes, and communication. I look forward to continuing to work with this project beyond the practicum.

9 9 Tables Table 1.0: Covenant Life Cathedral s Specific Threats and Hazards Day-to-Day Disturbances Most likely to happen during regular operating hours (i.e. Sunday Services) Natural Technological Human-Caused Resulting from acts of nature Involves accidents or the failures of systems and structures Caused by the intentional actions of an adversary Fires Internal Power Outages Unintentional Equipment Failure Congregant Health Challenges Unintentional Emergencies that suddenly make the facility uninhabitable Severe Weather Severe Winter Weather Tornadoes Utilities Failure Transportation Incidents Structural Collapse Missing Child (Kidnapping) Domestic Violence Civil Disturbance Active Shooter

10 10 Figure 1.0: Large-Scale Emergency Coordination Structure Rev. Robert Hunnicutt Church Administration Crisis Counseling Liaison Emergency Management Team Lead (Incident Coordinator) Media Liaison Finance Liaison Parent Liaison Building Coordinator Safety Response Liaison Medical Response Liaison