September is National Preparedness Month
September marks National Preparedness Month, the annual public service campaign to remind everyone that preparing for emergencies and disasters can keep them, their families, and their communities safe.
After hosting our Hurricane Preparedness Webinar this past July, a congregation reached out to SPDR looking for a checklist for congregations when a potential hurricane or storm is anticipated to be 72, 48 or 24 hours away from making landfall close to their community.
Here is the Congregational Hurricane & Storm Preparedness checklist we created that we hope will be a resource to each of your congregations and faith communities. It is left in an editable version so that you can modify the list to meet your community’s particular needs.
Missed the SPDR Hurricane Preparedness Webinar? Visit the Synod’s YouTube page to catch up on this event!
What can you prepare for besides a hurricane?
SPDR works closely with each of our 11 presbyteries, and the reality is that not every presbytery is impacted by the ongoing hurricane season. There is still no shortage of ways to be prepared for disasters and crises as a community of faith.
Currently, SPDR is supporting two congregations in Tres Rios Presbytery who are committed to developing and enhancing their capacity around issues of Church Safety & Crisis Response. Through their efforts, Grace Presbyterian Church in El Paso, TX and First Presbyterian Church in Odessa, TX have:
Established a relationship with their local fire department and emergency personnel.
Received or will soon receive training in CPR, AED, NARCAN, Stop the Bleed, and basic first aid.
Reviewed their campus and are addressing issues related to safety protocol and evacuation needs.
Developed a Church Safety & Security committee to continue this ministry!
Grace Presbyterian Church, El Paso, Texas church has completed the two safety classes with the El Paso Fire department. Their newly formed Safety Team is presenting a comprehensive Church Safety Plan to the Session, which will include offering safety training to the congregation annually.
Two congregations in Tres Rios Presbytery have begun focusing on improving their congregations’ capacity to respond to emergency medical and crisis events through CPR and other first aid training provided by local emergency personnel.
Need help getting prepared in September? Contact: Rev. Kathy Lee-Cornell, Director of SPDR, at kathy.leecornell@synodsun.org or 214-390-1894.
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