1.0 Purpose
The purpose of this Plan is to
inform Colleyville Stake leaders of their responsibilities and to outline stake
vs. ward roles in the event of a disaster. It should be understood that the
procedures discussed herein may need to be adapted based on the location and
severity of the disaster.
2.0 Definitions
2.1 Major
Disaster. For the purposes of this Plan, a Major Disaster is an incident
causing or imminently likely to cause major, widespread injury, destruction, or
illness. Examples of Major Disasters in the Colleyville stake area could
include extensive tornado damage, fires, epidemic illnesses, or nuclear
incidents. Such disasters would likely, but not necessarily, involve more than
one ward. In most Major Disasters, the capabilities of local relief agencies
are overwhelmed, and state or federal assistance is needed.
2.2 Localized
Emergency Event. For the purposes of this Plan, a Localized Emergency Event
could be of the same nature as a Major Disaster, but of a reduced scope. For
example, a tornado, flood, or fire that causes damage to several homes. Such
catastrophes are generally within the scope of local relief agencies and, for
the purposes of the Church, would be dealt with at the ward level.
3.0 Organization
3.1 Stake
level. The stake president is ultimately responsible for all emergency
preparedness and disaster relief actions related to a Major Disaster that
impacts the stake. It is the stake president who will be called upon by Church
area and general leadership to provide reports and coordinate activities in the
event of a Major Disaster. The stake president may delegate all disaster-related
preparatory and functional activities to a counselor and in turn to a stake
high counselor. In addition, the stake organization includes a Stake Emergency
Preparedness Specialist whose assignment is to coordinate with, train, and
support Ward Emergency Preparedness Specialists in the fulfillment of their
responsibilities.
3.2 Ward
level. The bishop is ultimately responsible for preparedness and emergency
relief in the ward. The bishop should delegate this responsibility to a
counselor and to other ward leaders (such as the Elders Quorum president and
Relief Society president). In addition, a Ward Emergency Preparedness
Specialist should be called and given the responsibility to educate ward
members about preparedness and disaster relief and encourage the implementation
of a ward emergency preparedness plan.
4.0 Preparations for a Major
Disaster
4.1 Establishing a network and points of contact for information
gathering and reporting
4.1.1 Within
the stake.
The
stake president designates himself or one of his counselors as the primary
point of contact for gathering and reporting disaster-related information. A
high councilor or the stake Relief Society president is designated as the
secondary point of contact for the stake. Each bishop designates himself or one
of his counselors as the primary point of contact and designates one other ward
leader as the secondary point of contact. The list of stake and ward level
points of contact, found at Appendix A, will be refreshed and updated each January.
Each ward will use its home teaching network, backed up by its visiting
teaching network if necessary, to gather and report information about members
in the event of a Major Disaster.
4.1.2 Communications
and reporting within the Church and the community
LDS
Church disaster relief procedures operate at both the general and regional
levels. In addition, a variety of city, county, state, federal, agencies as
well as several NGO's operate in the North Texas area to provide and coordinate
disaster relief. Appendix B "Points of Contact in the Event of Disaster
Relief" sets forth the key points of contact in the Church and in the
community. In the event of a Major Disaster, the stake president or his
designee will communicate with these individuals. The listing of key points of
contact will be updated each January by the high councilor responsible for
emergency preparedness.
4.1.3 Key
community organizations
- City Office of Emergency Management. Each
city in the Colleyville Stake area has an Office of Emergency Management (or
equivalent). Names and contact information are provided in Appendix B.
- VOAD. Voluntary Organizations Active in
Disaster (VOAD) is the organization
where the Red Cross, United Way, Catholics, Baptists, Mormons, and other
volunteers come together to pool resources and coordinate their response to
disasters. The Colleyville stake president will direct that one of his
counselors or a member of the high council sit on the Fort Worth VOAD board and
meet regularly with them to coordinate disaster relief preparations.
4.1.4 Emergency
communications
Normal
telephone, cellular, cable, satellite, and fiberoptic networks will be used for
voice, text, and internet communications as long as they are active and in
service. Pre-existing call lists and email distribution lists will be used for
mass communications. In the event of failure of standard telephone
communications networks, ham radio communications will be used. The Colleyville
stake does not intend to set up an independent ham radio communications network
but will participate in the pre-existing networks operated by the Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service
(RACES). Ham radio operators within the stake will be identified by the high
councilor assigned to emergency preparedness. These operators will be
encouraged to establish and maintain an affiliation with RACES and with the
Northeast Tarrant Amateur Radio Club (NETARC), and they may be called upon to
contribute their time, skills, and equipment in establishing and maintaining
communications in the event of a Major Disaster. The list of Colleyville Stake
ham radio enthusiasts, found at Appendix C, will be updated each January.
4.2 Training
4.2.1 Leader,
specialist, and point of contact training
Each
year (on the 3rd Thursday in January) the Colleyville stake will
conduct a training session for all stake and ward leaders, specialists, and
points of contact designated for roles in emergency preparedness and disaster
relief. This training will include the following:
- Review of this Stake Emergency Preparedness
Plan, including updated Appendices
- Confirmation that each ward has an active
Ward Emergency Preparedness Plan
- Review of roles and responsibilities in the
event of a Major Disaster
- Other elements of training and instruction
as determined by stake leaders
4.2.2 Training
of church membership
Each
year (the last Sunday of January) will be designated "Safety Sunday".
On this Sunday, the sacrament meeting and Sunday School will be shortened by 15
minutes each, and a 30-minute Safety Sunday session will be held immediately
after the closing of sacrament meeting and before dismissal to Sunday School /
Primary. The content of the Safety Sunday session will include:
- Review of plans and procedures in the event
of a Major Disaster
- Review of plans and procedures in the event
of a Localized Emergency Event
- Review of the ward's Emergency Preparedness
Plan
- Review of the stake Active Shooter Plan
- Review of emergency systems (alarms, escape
routes, what-ifs, etc.) in the ward meetinghouse, and outline member and leader
responsibilities
- Remind and instruct families in their
responsibilities regarding emergency preparedness planning
4.3 Physical
preparations for a Major Disaster
4.3.1 Disaster
relief equipment and supplies
Food,
clothing, tents, bedding, tarps, water tanks, shovels, chain saws, pumps,
communications equipment, etc. that may be needed for disaster relief are not
stockpiled by the stake. These items and others of this general nature are
stored and maintained by the Church in various regional facilities. The
Bishop's Storehouse in Carrollton is a Church-designated emergency storage
facility.
4.3.2 Use
of church buildings as emergency shelters
The
establishing of shelters for disaster relief generally falls under the purview
of the Red Cross. The LDS Church has a signed a memorandum of understanding
with the national Red Cross organization indicating our willingness to
volunteer our buildings in the event of extreme need; however, both Red Cross
and Church officials recognize that our buildings do not readily convert to
shelters. Therefore, it is not likely, except under direction from general
Church leadership, that any of the Colleyville stake buildings will be used for
emergency shelters. More information about the use of church meetinghouses as
emergency shelters is available at this link: https://www.lds.org/topics/emergency-preparedness/guidelines-for-use-of-meetinghouses-as-emergency-shelters?lang=eng&_r=1
5.0 What to do when a Major Disaster strikes
5.1 Church direction
Detailed
instructions from the Church regarding what stake and area authorities are to
do in the event of a disaster are found on the Church website under Area
Emergency Response at this link: https://providentliving.lds.org/leader/emergency-preparedness-and-response/area-planning-guide/introduction?lang=eng
. These instructions are summarized in the following paragraphs.
5.2 Who is in charge?
On
the ecclesiastical side, the Area Seventy, acting under the direction of the
Presidency of the Seventy, will coordinate the Church's multistake emergency
planning, including preparations and response. On the functional side, the Area
Seventy is assisted by the Area Welfare Manager. The Area Welfare Manager's
name and contact information are found in Appendix B. Initial contacts should
be made to both the Area Seventy and the Area Welfare Manager. These two
brethren will coordinate with all other Church points of contact, including
those at Church headquarters, at the Carrollton emergency relief facility, and
at all other Church operations.
5.3 What to report
The
basic information required by the Church is specified in the Disaster Update
Form found at Appendix D. The stake president or his representative provides
this information by phone as well as submits the filled-out form by email to
the Area Seventy and the Area Welfare Manager. The required information
includes:
- Basic contact information of the stake
president and the submitter, if different
- Status of missionaries serving in the area
of the disaster
- Status of church members (injuries, deaths,
homes)
- Status of church buildings
- Status of the community (power, water
supply, communications, emergency responders)
- Activities of disaster relief volunteers
working in the area
- Anticipated needs to be provided by the
Church
Bishops
and other church leaders are instructed annually in emergency response
processes so that they are aware of what information they will need to supply to
the stake president and how they will gather the information. See "Safety
Sunday" instructions above.
5.4 Emergency response actions to be
taken
In
the event of a Major Disaster, the following actions should be taken by the
stake president, his emergency response designee(s), and those in leadership
positions:
a. Take care of your family first.
b. Follow the instructions of government leaders
for evacuations and other emergency orders.
c. Respond to needs (especially people with
special needs, neighbors, etc.).
d. Assess and report the impact of the disaster.
(See Para. 3 "What to report" above)
e. Establish communications. Activate existing
networks and establish a communications schedule for mass texts, emails,
conference calls, etc. Activate emergency communications, if necessary.
f. Determine, in consultation with Church
headquarters, if an emergency operations center is needed
g. Organize work crews for disaster cleanup.
Involve other stakes as directed by the Area Seventy.
h. Determine whether help such as funding,
clean-up supplies, food, or water from Church headquarters is needed. Contact
Area Welfare Administration (801-240-0450) for guidance.
i. Manage offers of help from others, such as
government and other emergency response organizations.
j. Keep the media informed of the Church’s
response.
k. Respond to community requests for Church
assistance with volunteers, and recommend approval of commodities or cash for
community organizations.
l. Ensure that all requests for reimbursement
for local expenses are submitted to Church headquarters.
6.0 Ward emergency preparedness plans
Each bishop is to work with his ward Emergency
Preparedness Specialist and Ward Council to develop a ward-level ward emergency
preparedness plan that outlines ward emergency preparedness actions and teaches
families how to develop family-level preparedness plans. Ward emergency
preparedness plans should include the following elements:
6.1
Before a Disaster: Prepare
6.1.1 Gather
Information
Ward
Emergency Preparedness Specialists work with Bishops and Ward Councils to
gather information on ward resources and potential needs. This may include:
a.
members with
special needs, such as the disabled, elderly, or those with food allergies
b.
missionary
residences
c.
members with
equipment or special skills
d.
contact
information for public safety agencies (police, fire, medical) and community
agencies (Red Cross)
6.1.2 Prepare
Families.
Ward
Emergency Preparedness Specialists work with Bishops and Ward Councils to teach
all ward families how to develop a family preparedness plan that focuses on:
a.
A family
emergency communication and meeting place plan, in case family members are
separated during a disaster
b.
Food and
supplies storage: 72-hour kits, medical supplies, diapers, etc.
c.
Basic first aid
training
6.1.3 Develop
Ward Communication Plans.
In
the event of a disaster, home and visiting teachers contact their assigned
families and pass this information to priesthood and relief society leaders who
in turn pass the information to their Bishop and Relief Society President who
share the information with the Stake President and Stake Relief Society
President.
6.1.4 Coordinate
with Local Relief Agencies.
Leaders
in each ward should become familiar with leaders of local relief agencies and
establish plans for communication and coordinated actions during and after a
disaster.
6.2
During and Immediately After a Disaster
6.2.1 Gather
and Share Information.
Home
and visiting teachers contact their assigned families to identify injuries and
property damage and pass this information to Priesthood and Relief Society
leaders who in turn pass the information to their Bishop and Relief Society
president who share the information with the Stake President and Stake Relief
Society President.
6.2.2 Provide
Relief.
Bishops
and Relief Society Presidents coordinate efforts at the ward level to provide
immediate relief to those who are injured. The Stake President and Stake Relief
Society President receive reports and ensure that needed action is being taken
in all affected wards.
6.3 After a Disaster: Coordinate Care and Clean-Up
6.3.1 Ward
leaders provide ward injury and damage reports to the Stake President and Stake
Relief Society President and their designated representatives.
6.3.2 Stake and ward leaders coordinate the providing of long-term care
for victims.
6.3.3 Stake
and ward leaders work with families to ensure arrangements are made for housing
and other life needs.
6.3.4 Stake
and ward leaders coordinate with community leaders to implement plans for
clean-up.
6.4 Appendices
Ward
emergency preparedness plans may include appendices providing detailed
information about
- Contents of 72-hour kits
- Procedures and items for long-term storage
of food, water, medical supplies, and other necessities
- Communications and data gathering plans
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