Emergency Operations Plan Creating a High-Quality Emergency Operations Plan for your church.

Emergency Operations Plan

Creating a High-Quality Emergency Operations Plan

for your church

Agenda

• Welcome and Introduction• Types of Disaster• Planning Process• Caring for Congregants• Staying prepared

Wake Interfaith Disaster Team

• Formed in 2002• Primary goal

– Serving unmet needs in long-term recovery phase

• Secondary goals– Fostering development of congregation teams– Training volunteers for response phase– Preparation/Mitigation

• Coordinated recovery: 2011 tornados• NC Baptist Men were key partners

Phases of Disaster

Preparing an Emergency Plan

• No universal plan• Different risks/hazards at each facility• Can you name some?

– Trees near building– Flash flooding– Others?

• Tools to make a plan

Your Planning Team• Need a team to develop the EOP

– Administrator/Facilities chair/Board Member• Leads plan development

– Ministers/Teachers/Ushers• Direct the response

– Why?• Administrator has time, knows building and hazards• Minister/teacher present when crowd is present• Minister on pulpit with microphone, commands respect• Minister/teacher looked to as authority

Consequences of Diverse Team

• Everyone must buy in• Everyone must be prepared to execute the plan• Why?

– Knowledgeable leader/teacher might not be present

• Regular practice– Tabletop exercise at every staff meeting?– Live Drills? Tornado or fire drill in religious school?

Agenda


Wake County Hazards

• Hazmat release• Hurricane• Public Health• Flood• Winter Storm• Tornado• Wild Fire• School Violence• Fire

• Criminal Act• Drought• Earthquake• Train Derailment• Airplane Accident• Civil Disorder• Severe Weather• Utility Failure

Other Hazards

• Cyber Events

• Medical Emergency (Asthma, seizure, cardiac problems)

• Severe Weather (SIP, cancel services)

• Burglary, Theft, Vandalism

• Disturbance (argument, threats)

• Gas odor, smoke odor …

Response

Plan to go

Plan to stay

Hazard Responses

• Plan to Stay• Shelter In Place

– Tornado– Hazmat outside– Utility outage– Lightning

• Plan to Go• Evacuate

– Fire– Flood– Hazmat in bldg– Bomb threat– Tsunami– Gas leak

• Plan to Restrict• Lockdown

– Intruder– Suspicious person– Dangerous person– Active shooter

Agenda


Planning Principles

• Supported by leadership

• Consider all threats and hazards

• Consider all settings and all times

• Provides for the access and functional needs of the whole house

• Follows a collaborative process

The Process in 6 Steps

1. Form collaborative planning team

2. Understand the situation

3. Determine goals and objectives

4. Identify courses of action

5. Plan preparation, review and approval

6. Plan implementation and maintenance

The Process in 6 Steps

1. Form collaborative planning team

2. Understand the situation

3. Determine goals and objectives

4. Identify courses of action

5. Plan preparation, review and approval

6. Plan implementation and maintenance

Understand the Situation

• Probability or frequency

• Magnitude (extent of damage)

• Time available to warn occupants

• Duration

• Follow-on effects

Worksheet Example

Hazard Probability Magnitude Warning Duration Risk Priority

Earthquake 4. Highly likely3. Likely2. Possible1. Unlikely

4. Catastrophic3. Critical2. Limited1. Negligible

4. Minimal3. 6-12 hours2. 12-24 hrs.1. > 24 hrs.

4. 12+ hours3. 6-12 hours2. 3-6 hours1. < 3 hours

HighMediumLow

Fire 4. Highly likely3. Likely2. Possible 1. Unlikely

4. Catastrophic3. Critical2. Limited1. Negligible

4. Minimal3. 6-12 hours2. 12-24 hrs.1. > 24 hrs.

4. 12+ hours3. 6-12 hours2. 3-6 hours1. < 3 hours

HighMediumLow

Sample Risk Assessment Worksheet

Risk/Threat/ Situation

Likelihood of Occurring1 = Likely;

5 = Not likely

Seriousness if Occurring1 = Very;

5 = Not Very

Location likely to occur

Fire

Medical Emergency

Severe Weather

Burglary/Theft

Office Disturbance

Other Emergency

Example: Goals for Fire Hazard Plan

Three possible goals for a fire hazard include:

Goal #1 (Before): Prevent it from happening

Goal #2 (During): Protect people and property

Goal #3 (After): Triage & provide needed medical aid

Examples: Objectives for a Fire Hazard

Goal #1 (Before): Prevent it from happening

Objective 1.1 – Fire prevention training for staff and volunteers

Objective 1.2 – Store combustible materials in fireproof containers or rooms

Objective 1.3 – Plan for an alternate meeting location and continuity of services.



Objective 2.1 – Evacuate all people from the building and grounds.

Objective 2.2 – Immediately call 9-1-1, fire department and EMS

Objective 2.3 – Account for everyone known to be on site.


Goal #3 (After): Triage & provide needed medical aid

Objective 3.1 – Immediately render first aid to those in need.

Objective 3.2 – Contact insurance company

Objective 3.3 – Implement continuity of operation and continuation of services plan



Objective 2.1 – Evacuate all people from the building and grounds.

Objective 2.2 – Immediately call 9-1-1, fire department and EMS

Objective 2.3 – Account for everyone known to be on site.

Examples: Goals & Objective for Evacuation Function 2.1

Before – Ensure everyone knows their evacuation route.

•Function/Action 1.1: Assess, identify and communicate the location of assembly points

During – Evacuate the building immediately

•Function/Action 2.1: Everyone get out & go to assembly points

After – Confirm that all are safely out

•Function/Action 3.1: Take head count – who was next to, in front of and behind you?

For Each Hazard

2 or 3 Goals

2 or 3 Objectives per Goal

2 or 3 Functions or Courses of Action per Objective

Identifying Courses of Action

• What is the action?

• Who is responsible for the action?

• When does it take place?

• Where does it take place?

• How long should the action take and how much time is actually available?

Identifying Courses of Action (2)

• What happened before the action?

• What happens after the action?

• What resources and skills are needed?

• How will this action affect specific populations: children, elderly, disabled?

Steps 5 and 6

5 – Plan Preparation, Review & Approval (training & testing)

6 – Plan Implementation & Maintenance

“A plan is nothing, planning is everything.”

Dwight D. Eisenhower

General of the Armyand 34th President

Agenda


Caring for Congregants

• Planning a safe response is not sufficient• Why?

– Can’t give direction with people screaming– Panicked people won’t follow direction, may

evacuate when they should shelter in place– Children in school may scream in a silent

lockdown

• Need to reassure congregants

Reassuring Congregants

• How?– Familiar plan that’s been practiced– Confident and reassuring leaders

An experienceOn the morning of November 17, 2013, a powerful

tornado tore through Washington, Illinois.

An experience (2)On the morning of November 17, 2013, a powerful tornado tore through Washington,

Illinois.

On Sunday morning Associate Pastor Ben Davidson of Bethany Community Church was preparing to begin his adult Sunday school class, when he received an emergency phone call. A tornado had touched down and their church was in its path.

Immediately he and the staff worked to move the congregation--particularly the children--to their designated shelter in the church location and they began to pray together as the storm passed through their community.

The entire congregation comforted one another through what Pastor Davidson recalls as "the longest 45 minutes of my life." Once all congregants were accounted for and families could leave the sheltered location Pastor Davidson immediately went home to confirm the safety of his children who were at home sick that morning.

Immediately following the disaster, Bethany Community Church joined its fellow members of the Washington Ministerial Association, AmeriCorps and the Illinois Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster to help coordinate the community’s recovery efforts.

Agenda


Staying Prepared

• A plan that no one remembers is worthless• Hesitating leads others to give erroneous

guidance• Hesitant directions cause uncertainty• What to do?

– Regular tabletop exercises• Administrator leads at monthly board meetings• Ushers, teachers meetings

– Annual drills: Fire, Tornado, Lockdown

Preparation

• Fire extinguishers checked annually?• People trained on fire extinguishers and

AEDs?• Emergency lighting checked?• Flashlights available and checked• Classroom doors lockable and coverable?• Tornado alert available when in worship?• Office events• Business Continuity

Resources

• Today’s charts are available online at http://www.wakeidteam.org/documents

• Materials from the January 28 workshop including presentations, FEMA manuals, sample plans, and other resources are also available at http://www.wakeidteam.org/documents

http://www.wakeidteam.org/documents




Emergency Operations Plan Creating a High-Quality Emergency Operations Plan for your church.

Documents

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approvalplan implementation

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