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Is your church prepared for any emergency?
Imagine, as the leader of your church, receiving a call and being told the church was “fully engulfed” in flames. Or, what if you lived near a river that began rising and threatened to flood your neighborhood, including the church building? Think about someone having a heart attack during worship. Would you have a plan?
Nearly every week we hear of a congregation that has experienced some kind of loss or emergency. What church is ready to handle the onslaught of questions from reporters, police, members and the community?
Many churches would be found ill-prepared to handle even the slightest emergency. Yet more and more are realizing that a plan is needed and they are responding. These churches recognize the direct correlation between investing time now and their ability to respond correctly should an event occur. By doing so, not only will they potentially protect lives and property, but their reputation as well.
When contemplating emergency situations, think of these things:
Internal Events: These are those situations that occur that directly impact your congregation. Such as a flood, storm, medical emergency, theft, bomb threat, misconduct, or the sudden injury or death of a staff member or minor. A church should assess whether they have the plan, personnel and resources in place to respond.
Local or Regional Events: Though your congregation may not be directly impacted by an event, they may be called upon to respond to such emergencies as an explosion, weather, civil disturbance, or chemical spill. Your congregation can act as a positive force in the event by providing shelter, medical care, supplies, or meals. But to do so, you will need to have a plan, personnel and resources in place ahead of time.
National Events: We hope and pray that there will not be another catastrophic event such as a terrorist attack, massive hurricane damage, or a huge earthquake. But we know such events do occur. And once again, instead of responding with a “knee-jerk” reaction, a much better approach is to have a plan, personnel and resources ready so that you can respond immediately in a positive, safe, and planned way.
How can a church be ready for such events? The answer is, start now! Pull together people who may already be responsible for emergency preparation and response, whether they are from your church or community. Seek to pull together a team, both in your organization and within the community that can meet and plan. Share ideas and seek assistance from organizations that are already in place preparing for emergencies. Train and practice, so that when and if an event occurs, you will be counted as both good and faithful in your response.
For more information, please consider the following:
AG Financial Insurance Solutions Risk Management Guide