A Quick Guide to Emergency Preparedness for Churches
And in every work that he began in the service of the house of God, and in the law, and in the commandments, to seek his God, he did it with all his heart, and prospered.
2 Chronicles 31:21
A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself; But the simple pass on, and are punished.
Proverbs 27:12
Most of us—especially in the US—only think about emergency preparedness when we want to protect our homes. But churches are also subject to natural disasters, and not wanting or trying to protect them would mean testing God, and a form of blasphemy.
Conversely, if the church is well protected and prepared, it can serve as a designated shelter and help save lives in your community.
So what can we do to make it possible, especially with limited manpower and budgets?
There are five essential steps. The good news is, you don’t need to take them all at once. The not-so-good, it would be good not to miss any.
1. It Starts with a Plan
When devising your emergency plan, start by thinking big.
What’s the most common type of disaster that tends to plague your area? If the area’s prone to flooding, it’s the cellars and the ground floor that will be most at risk. Hurricanes and tornadoes, on the other hand, will attack the roof first. This means you need to pay special attention to these potentially most vulnerable parts of the structure.
But your plan needs to do more than just state “My church is most likely to get hit by X or Y.”
You will also need to form an emergency response team. Choose individuals from your congregation who are dependable and can remain calm under pressure. This team should include a mix of church staff and volunteers. Each of their responsibilities need to be clearly defined so that everyone knows what to do when push comes to shove.
In other words, you need roles like communication coordinator, first aid provider, evacuation leader, and security manager—at least one of each.
Next, you need to come up with a dedicated channel of communication that won’t be used for anything else, so you can avoid clutter. An app could do just fine in most cases. But if there are frequent blackouts in your area, you should have a set of two-way radios.
2. Keep Your Church Safe and Sound
Keeping your church safe and sound is the heart of being prepared for emergencies. Regular check-ups and upkeep are crucial. When was the last time you checked the church’s roof? Annual checkups aren’t enough if you live in a disaster-prone area. Making sure the roof is in tip-top shape ALL the time can prevent structural issues during storms, like your roof getting blown off completely.
(Not to mention the added benefit of improved energy efficiency.)
Fire safety gear, like extinguishers, alarms, and sprinklers, should always be ready to go. But don’t forget about the outside either. Trimming trees regularly can stop branches from falling and causing damage. And of course, keeping pathways and exits clear is a must, ensuring everyone can evacuate easily in an emergency.
The point is to make sure that there are as few things to fall off or get blown away as possible.
3. Stock Up on Emergency Supplies
Imagine an emergency strikes, and the church is the designated shelter. Are you ready? Stocking up on emergency supplies can make all the difference. Keep first aid kits well-stocked and in easy-to-find spots. Make sure they have all the essentials and check them regularly to replace anything that’s been used or expired.
Your communication coordinator needs to know exactly where they are, and how many there are.
Besides first aid kits, it’s wise to have a stash of emergency basics like water, non-perishable food, and flashlights. These supplies can help sustain your congregation and staff if an emergency lasts longer than expected.
4. Plan Your Evacuation Routes
Every successful evacuation has two phases.
First, everyone needs to be able to safely make it out of the church. This means planning the routes so that they are easy to find and follow by everyone—including people with impaired mobility.
Now, it would be ideal to have a drill every now and then, so that everybody can become familiar with these routes. It would also prevent people from panicking.
But let’s be honest: drills aren’t very likely to happen. That’s why your emergency response team needs to be aware of these routes.
Second, you need to designate safe assembly points where people will gather after they are safely evacuated. It can be the church parking lot, or a nearby school playground, or any open field. The important thing for it is to be near and easily accessible. If it’s a community center with open outdoor areas, all the better as long as it’s near! The rest of the community is likely to be there too, as well as professional first responders.
5. Don’t Neglect Training & Communication
The church staff, as well as the emergency response team, all need to know how to do CPR, first aid, and to be familiar with the emergency plan and evacuation routes.
Remember the drills we mentioned above?
While they might not be realistic with the entire congregation, they are an absolute must for the team.
But there’s more to drills than just getting acquainted with the plan.
Drills are also an excellent tool to test the plan, identify its weak points, and get feedback on how to improve it.
Their purpose is also to update the plan. For example, if there’s a new building near the church, the evacuation routes may need to be reviewed and tweaked.
