We take seriously our call to safeguard all of God’s people. In Fall of 2022,. we offered four diocesan Emergency Planning and Safety Preparation workshops withj models of best practices for emergency planning and safety (including active shooter best practices.
Here are some important resources to help your diocesan organization develop and Emergency Preparedness Plan :
- A training video which gives an overview for Emergency Planning and Preparedness (below);
- A copy of the Emergency Planning Presentation Slides from that training video;
- And a draft template for Emergency Plan Procedures of what an Emergency Preparedness Plan might look like, developed by an Episcopal Church congregation.
You can be in touch with the Rev. Canon Thomas Ferguson, Canon for Mission and Formation, with any questions.
The Diocese of Central New York recommends the following resources to congregations reviewing and updating emergency preparedness and response plans:
- FEMA’s Guide for Developing High- Quality Emergency Operations Plans for Houses of Worship. This guide contains resources for active shooter situations, as well as planning principles and content guidelines for overall emergency operations.
- The U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security’s “The Power of Hello” Guide for Houses of Worship (more “Power of Hello” resources here)
- The U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security’s Mitigating Attacks on Houses of Worship Security Guide
- Episcopal Relief & Development’s Comprehensive Preparedness Planning Guide For Congregations. This guide outlines a process to help congregations plan for a disaster, including determining how best to assist vulnerable people in the larger community.
- Episcopal Relief & Development’s US Disaster Program Preparedness Resources outline the basics of emergency preparedness for individuals, families, and congregations.