CHAPLAIN

CHAPLAIN’S ROLE IN A DISASTER

Introduction to Emergency Management

Definition:

        Emergency Management is the process of coordinating available resources to combat emergencies effectively, thereby saving lives, avoiding injury, and minimizing economic loss.

Four Phases of Emergency Management

        Mitigation: to be considered long before an emergency occurs and includes activities aimed at eliminating or reducing the probability of occurrence of an emergency or disaster.

        Preparedness: activities to ensure the most effective, efficient response, efforts to minimize damages, such as forecasting and warning systems, and laying the groundwork for response operation, such as stockpiling supplies and surveying facilities for fallout protection.

        Response: the first phase that occurs after the onset of a disaster. It is intended to provide emergency assistance for casualties, including search and rescue and shelter and medical care, to reduce the probability or extent of secondary damage through such measures as antilooting security patrols, and to reduce damage by efforts such as sandbagging against impending floodwaters or remedial movement of the sheltered in heavily contaminated fallout areas, or other measures that will enhance future recovery operation, such as damage assessment.

        Recovery: activities that continue following the disaster. Their purpose is to return all systems, both formal and informal, to normal. They can be broken down into short-term and long-term activities. Short-term activities attempt to return vital human systems to minimum operating standards. This usually lasts for a period of about two weeks. Long-term activities stabilize all systems.

Integrated Emergency Management Systems

        An integrated approach to emergency management incorporates all available resources for the full range of emergencies, from natural disasters to nuclear attack, and the full range of issues relating to the four phases of emergency management. Once the system is in place, it provides a means of efficiently incorporating resources form the private sector and other levels of government. When local groups, police and fire departments, voluntary groups, business medical facilities, clergy, etc. combine with City, Regional, State and Federal resources an integrated emergency management system is established.

Local Emergency Plan

        A vital element of the local emergency authority should be a provision for developing, and updating, an emergency plan. The local plan must be specific, detailing exact actions and requirements. While the plan is not law, it provides as organized format defining actions taken under the law.

Local plans typically contain three parts:

A basic plan: provides a broad conceptual framework describing the policy and approach to emergency operation.
Functional annexes: explain how a function is to be carried out in an emergency.
Hazard-specific appendices: address unique characteristics for hazards of a particular concern.

Private Sector Resources

        Although government is responsible for protecting the life and property of its citizens and promoting their well being, it does not and cannot work alone. In all facets of national security and disasters, the government works with and through private-sector groups as partners in emergency management. This partnership begins at the grassroots level, depending on resources, to provide the backbone for disaster management.

        The private sector, both profit and non-profit entities, bears the greatest casualties and costs of emergencies. It provides voluntary expertise and support of every kind for all levels and phases of emergency management. The private sector makes its concerns known to government, and it holds government accountable for management actions.

        The private sector provides an extremely large and diverse base of specialized personnel volunteers, technical assistance, equipment, and other materials, that can be called upon in an emergency. The relationship between government and the private sector must be initiated and nurtured at all times, not postponed until an event occurs -then it is too late.

        Integrated emergency management involves all of these actors, in all phases of emergency-related activities and for all types of emergencies.

Example USCoC Chaplain
EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PLAN
CHAPLAINS OPERATION

I. PURPOSE

A. To provide procedure to fulfill the responsibilities of the USCoC Chaplains and other clergy during an emergency situation.

B. To provide for basic emotional and spiritual needs occasioned by the emergency situation. Basic services will provide spiritual presence, support and counseling to disaster victims, victim’s families and friends, emergency and disaster relief workers and their families and witnesses to traumatic incidents.

II. CONCEPT OF OPERATION

The appropriate commander and Emergency Management and Combined Communications or his designee will activate the plan. This will automatically activate the Chaplains and Clergy services described herein.

Upon the declaration of a state of emergency, the commander / Clergy Coordinator will be notified. The Commander / Clergy Coordinator or the Assistant Clergy Coordinator will proceed immediately to the command location.

The Commander / Clergy Coordinator is responsible for providing the services of the Chaplains and clergy during the emergency.

To insure that services are being properly accomplished, the commander will maintain close contact with the field clergy. E. Continuity of Operations The commander or designee will be present on a 24-hour basis throughout the emergency.

The commander of the Emergency Management and Combined communications will declare deactivation.

III. ORGANIZATION

A. The USCoC Operations Team will be organized at the direction and oversight of the commander of the emergency management team.

B. USCoC Chaplain Coordinator Responsible for the USCoC Chaplain Team.

C. Line of succession for continuity of operation will be: 1. Commander - Coordinator - (Senior USCoC Officer) 2. Assistant Clergy Coordinator - (Chaplain) 3. Field Coordinators - (Chaplains or other Clergy) 4. Clergy

D. See Appendix I

IV. TASKS AND EXECUTION

V. PHASE OPERATION

Mitigation

Preparedness

Response

Recovery

Special Note:

In the USCoC's Local Emergency Operations Plan there is a designated Public Relations Officer. It is his or her responsibility to provide the media with information pertaining to the emergency. If a member of the media seeks information from you, refer him to the Public Relations Officer. Do Not Provide Information to the Members of the Media.

Appendix 1

USCoC Commander & Chaplain Operations Teams

USCoC Commander
Director of Emergency Management
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Chaplain Coordinator
Senior Chaplain
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Asst Chaplain Coordinator
Chaplain
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_________________________________________________________
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Field Coordinator                             Field Coordinator                              Field Coordinator
Chaplain                                            Chaplain                                          Chaplain

Bibliography

USCoC Chaplains' Manual

Introduction to Emergency Management (student manual)
Federal Emergency Management Agency
Emergency Management Institute
National Emergency Training Center

Integrated Emergency Management (student manual)
Emergency Management Institute
National Emergency Training Center