HOUSE OF WORSHIP Mitigation & Preparedness The Importance of Coastal Storm Readiness in NYC Faith 01 DISASTER PREPAREDNESS Why Prepare? You can t t help others if you and those in your immediate care are not prepared! To protect and save lives To be empowered and self-sustaining sustaining To honor the sacred trust people place in you To enable you to assist and serve in a disaster 02 Mitigation CONGREGATIONAL Research shows us that in times of crisis, people look to their clergy & religious leaders for critical information, for help, and for hope. Your leadership is vital in disaster: Preparedness Response Recovery Leadership requires working knowledge of All-Hazards 03 June 2007 1
MITIGATION BEFORE The Next Hurricane Hits New York City MITIGATION Do everything you can to prevent or lessen the impact of a hurricane or coastal storm on your house of worship facility (mitigation). Do a vulnerability/risk analysis of your location and facilities. Backup your records and inventory your equipment. Take steps to build relationships with other houses of worship and a community organizations for safety during a hurricane & aid networking during recovery. 04 PREPAREDNESS BEFORE The Next Hurricane Hits New York City PREPAREDNESS Make an emergency plan (preparedness). Form a Continuity of Operations (COOP) Planning Team Formulate plans for evacuation of your house of worship, staff, building users and members of the congregation and PRACTICE it Be sure staff, ushers, teachers, and building users know evacuation procedures and their designated roles in an emergency Maintain a written COOP plan and provide copies to key leaders Identify an alternative meeting location for your staff & congregation gation Designate a remote phone number where an emergency message can be b recorded and be sure that all staff and members know that number Have a current list of members and communications network or phone tree 05 PREPAREDNESS BEFORE The Next Hurricane Hits New York City PREPAREDNESS Make an emergency supply kit to accommodate the # of congregants your House of Worship is prepared to assist Flashlights with extra batteries First aid kit Basic tool kit Food and water for 72 hours Battery or crank radio Get training and help your congregation & neighborhood prepare Your congregation s s first priority in a disaster is preserving its current capacity to serve its members and your social service clients. 06 June 2007 2
EVACUATION EVACUATE When and how will I evacuate? When and how will my family and/or my pets evacuate? Where should I go? Have I secured my staff and house of worship? Have I accounted for all dependents with special needs? SHELTER IN PLACE Am I outside of the evacuation zone? Do I have enough food, water, supplies? Have I secured may staff and house of worship? Have I accounted for all dependents with special needs? 07 RESPONSE DURING A Hurricane Evacuation of New York City RESPONSE Evacuation and Sheltering Know your flood zone, nearest evacuation center and evacuation route. Have a plan, practice it and share it with your family. Activate your personal and house of worship communications network and encourage congregants to evacuate. Seek shelter with friends or family outside of the Hurricane Evacuation Zone. Advise your congregation to do the same. Shelters providing basic food and water will be activated as needed. (Be certain you have religious foods and meds needed). Use public transportation to safe areas. 08 RESPONSE DURING A Hurricane Evacuation of New York City RESPOND IF YOU DO NOT HAVE TO EVACUATE ACTIVATE your plan and open your doors to serve. Consider feeding, sheltering, or offering safe sanctuary. (Become a Ready Receiving Center). RESUME religious worship, care-giving and routine social services as soon as possible. HELP those with special needs in your congregation or in your neighborhood (Partner with CERT). 09 June 2007 3
RESTORE AFTER A Hurricane Hits New York City RECOVERY Houses of worship are a vital part of the short and long term recovery of a community. They can provide: Culturally Competent Communication and Critical Information Mental Health, Pastoral Care and Human Services Referrals Basic Human Services Monetary Donations Advocacy for Victim s s Rights 10 GET TRAINING TRAINING FOR RELIGIOUS LEADERS You should never go to a disaster site unless trained and requested. If you are interested in working with first responders and disaster victims as a spiritual caregiver, participate in NYDIS Disaster Chaplaincy Training Program. NYDIS also coordinates the Strategies for Trauma Awareness & Resilience (STAR-NY) program for religious leaders and caregivers. You can also train to volunteer with local response programs, such as: American Red Cross The Salvation Army Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT) 11 NYDIS New York Disaster Interfaith Services NYDIS is there for you at our Headquarters or OEM s s Emergency Operations Center NYDIS provides routine and emergency information and coordination of services to faith communities through NYDISnet NYDIS provides religious leaders with educational resources & trainings. NYDIS tracks and mobilizes the resources of participating faith communities through HOWCALM NYDIS trains and coordinates READY RECEIVING CENTERS. NYDIS trains, credentials & deploys Disaster Chaplains from our member agencies. 12 June 2007 4
The System Includes: Location & Senior Leadership Emergency Staff Contact Facilities and Programs GIS Maps & Satellite Pictures Logistics Information HOWCALM House of Worship Communitywide Asset & Logistics Management Homebound Congregant Registry 13 READY RECEIVING CENTERS Ready Receiving Centers (RRC) are houses of worship which self-activate to become hospitality centers and safe sanctuaries for the public during emergencies and mass evacuations. RRCs Provide : Shelter from the Elements Basic First Aid Access to Emergency Information and Communication Water and Snacks Bathroom Facilities 14 RESOURCES Educational Resources NYDISnet & NYDISnet Alerts Website: www.nydis.org NYDIS On-Site Resource Center NYDIS Disaster Tip Sheets for Religious Leaders House of Worship Disaster Plan Template (July 07) House of Worship Continuity of Operations Plan Template (July 07) Disaster Mental Health & Spiritual Manual for NYC Religious Leaders (September 07) A Pandemic Flu Plan for Religious Leaders (September 07) 15 June 2007 5
TRAININGS NYDIS Trainings for Religious Leaders & Faith Annual Preparedness Summit for NYC Religious Leaders (September 25 th, 2007) Congregational Preparedness Training: Readiness & Resiliency for Faith NYDIS Disaster Chaplaincy Training NYDIS Ready Receiving Center Training Sustainable Community Networking Participatory Leadership on the Local Level Ready NY Training (OEM Collaboration) 16 Want to learn more about NYDIS? New York Disaster Interfaith Services Go to our website at www.nydis.org Subscribe to NYDISnet, our free bi-weekly electronic newsletter which provides NYC news, national news, training information, local disaster recovery resources and other information helpful to clergy and religious leaders and your house of worship Attend a NYDIS event 17 NYC OEM OEM GUIDES Ready NY for Households is available in English, Spanish, Korean, Arabic, Russian, Chinese (Simplified and Traditional), Japanese, Polish and Haitian Creole. Ready NY: Beat the Heat Guide is available in English, Haitian Creole, Russian, Chinese, Korean and Spanish. Ready NY: Hurricanes and NYC is available in English, Chinese, Haitian Creole, Russian, Arabic, Spanish, Korean, Polish, Yiddish, Urdu, and Italian. Ready NY for Seniors and People with Disabilities is available in English, Russian, Chinese and Spanish. Ready NY Pocket Guide is available in English, Russian, Chinese, Spanish and Yiddish. Ready NY for Small and Mid-Sized Businesses is available in English. Ready NY for Pets is available in English, Spanish, Russian and Chinese. www.nyc.gov/readynewyork 18 June 2007 6
TRAININGS NYC OEM OEM TRAININGS READY NY Ready New York is OEM s s Household Preparedness Campaign. It includes several hazard specific brochures, public service announcements for radio and television, a speaker s s bureau, print and outdoor advertising, corporate partnerships and community programs. CERT NYC CERT teams are groups of neighborhood and community-based volunteers that undergo an intensive, 11-week training program in disaster preparedness and basic response skills. 19 NYC OEM CITIZEN CORPS COUNCIL OF NEW YORK Coordinated by OEM, the Citizen Corps Council of New York City uses voluntary citizen involvement, through the coordination of interagency resources, to create a culture of preparedness among New York City's most vulnerable populations and to enable individuals citywide to prepare for, respond to, and recover from disasters. Learn more about the agencies and organizations that make up the Citizen Corps Council by visiting www.nyc.gov/oem. 20 HUMAN SERVICES COUNCIL HUMAN SERVICES COUNCIL The Human Services Council of New York City, Inc. (HSC) works to build broad recognition and support for the substantial and essential contributions of the not-for for-profit human service sector to the citizens and the fabric of New York City. HSC coordinates both planning and implementation of not-for for-profit disaster-recovery recovery services following a major disaster. The HSC Disaster Preparedness & Response Committee sets policy and oversees HSC s planning and response work. 21 June 2007 7
THANKS FOR COMING! 25 June 2007 8