ReadyChurch Emergency Team

Having the right leadership in place is vital for the success of any endeavor. The same holds true to the development as a ReadyChurch. Christian Emergency Network (CEN) has found that a team approach is the most effective. We call this team the Church Emergency Team (CET). The CET is made up of nine roles that work together to provide the infrastructure for the ReadyChurch development process as well as the leadership for further response teams within the church. Formulated after the Incident Command Structure (ICS) used by emergency responders, CEN has added in the role of Prayer Officer, Share Officer and Care Officer to meet the spiritual, emotional and mental needs of the community in crisis.

By now, your church understands the importance of upholding a strong Biblical Readiness Standard and is preparing to develop your Church Emergency Team Leadership. You will need to ensure any CET candidates have themselves completed the ReadyChristian training in order to ensure they are ready themselves to lead others to follow.

• What is expected of a ReadyChurch leader?
• What are the nine roles of the Church Emergency Team?
• What are the Church Emergency Team’s roles and responsibilities?
• How do I select a Church Emergency Team?

These are just a few of the questions that will be answered in this section.

Church Emergency Team Overview

In a time of great vulnerability and openness, how would hurting people respond to the Christian who is ready to meet their needs and show them the way to God? What impact would this have? How would faith in action support the Word of God preached from the pulpit?

About 90 % of people in crisis will ask: Where is God in this? (According to a 2001 survey published in the New England Journal of Medicine)

Consider that figure.

With an overwhelming number of people asking about God during a crisis, where should the Church be spending its outreach and evangelism energy? How does the Church minister to those in crisis?

Have you encountered a person or family member who is facing a serious emergency like the loss of their job, loss of a home through a natural disaster, news of brain cancer, or the death of a child? All these are emergencies that are very painful to those experiencing them. Christians are needed to pray, care and share Christ with the hurting appropriately. These are the jobs of the Church Emergency Team in a ReadyChurch.

The Church Emergency Team (CET) leads the church to effectively pray for, care for and sensitively share the love of Christ with people in emergencies. These “emergencies” do not just refer to natural disasters, but also to daily disasters that happen in our communities, including the safety and security needs of our congregation. Disasters include divorce, first-time crime, job loss, violence, as well as man- made disasters. The church is commanded and uniquely positioned to respond to the heart cry of his children.

Many churches have a lot of experience in preparing for events. They plan an event around a holiday, an outreach objective, or a worship service. But what happens if something unexpected happens? The things needed to prepare for an event are the same things needed to respond to a crisis. The only difference is that a crisis happens without being scheduled. CEN has found that the roles used in developing a Church Emergency Team can also be used in planning for events, effectively increasing the capacity of the church in times of disaster while strengthening the team dynamics for events.

Church Emergency Team Roles

The nine roles that constitute a Church Emergency Team are:

Each of these roles play a unique role in the CET.

Administration - Responsible for the leadership of the CET within a Christian organization, recruiting and training volunteers for activation, and for accomplishing the mission of the ReadyChurch.

Operations - Responsible for developing and maintaining the church Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) and ensuring support systems are in place for the implementation of an EOP.

Public Information (PIO) - Responsible to communicate both internally and externally for the CET.

Logistics - Responsible for acquiring the human and material resources needed to accomplish the EOP, maintaining relationships within the broader Christian and church community in order to connect them to the services of the members of the CET and others in their community, and connecting nationally with the Christian Emergency Network for supportive mutual aid.

Prayer - Responsible for developing prayer networks within the church and working with the PIO to develop and communicate prayer prompts during crises

Care– Responsible for developing the emergency related compassionate care activities of the EOP and helping to connect with the Share Leader for transformational opportunities.

Share – Responsible for developing the outreach related activities of the EOP.

Finance– Responsible for ensuring funding and initiative alignment, models and leads in transformational giving and ensures all accounts are current.

Safety and Security– Responsible to assess risks, mitigate risks, practice drills, establish security protocols, and conduct training of security team.

More detailed information about the roles can be found in the downloadable material, Church Emergency Team Leadership Roles.

Church Emergency Team Mission Process

The overall process that the CET is designed to facilitate includes the following steps:

1. Assessing church readiness and capacity through the Church Capacity Assessment in order to meet specific needs

2. Partnering with other churches to prepare and respond

3. Committing to meet specific needs in crisis and disaster with unique services

4. Maintaining the Biblical Readiness Standard

5. Conducting the ReadyChurch and ReadyChristian Campaigns to build capacity

6. Training in emergency Pray-Care-Share and safety and security

7. Planning for emergencies

8. Conducting response drills

9. Managing Emergency Pray-Care-Share Teams and stations during incidents large or small

CET Functions - Overview

The CET prepares to respond to spiritual, emotional, mental and physical emergencies. Its first responsibility is the safety and preparedness of the church it serves, and then the support of the local ReadyChurch and ReadyCity.

The CET is trained to:

• Handle the safety and security needs of the church
• Create a Ministry Continuity/Emergency Operations Plan for the church
• Assess church capacity and capability to serve the community in crisis
• Set up and run an emergency operations center in the church when needed
• Set and manage emergency response procedures
• Manage God-glorifying communication with the public during a crisis or disaster
• Connect members and others in crisis to the services of the church or other Christian organizations in the area
• Help members get personally prepared spiritually, emotionally, mentally and physically
• Show people where to volunteer to serve in emergencies and get trained
• Train Christians to effectively pray, care and share their faith with the 90% of people in crisis who ask: Where is God in this?
• Mobilize trained, certified and recognized volunteers capable of helping the community and responders in a crisis and disaster.

Ready Church CET’ s play a unique role in crisis and disaster response by providing:

• Prayer Station - A prayer center where survivors can seek God’s provision and grace and receive prayer from clergy and church members.
• Care Station - A program providing comfort, respite and relief, shelter, food, and services.
• Share Station - A crisis-counseling center providing emotional and spiritual guidance.

Your own church may or may not be ready to provide this level of service to the nearby community, but ask yourself this: What can you do? What will your emergency focus be? How will you organize to reach out to people in crisis? What is the emergency in your community right now? How prepared are you for upheaval in their lives? Will you be prepared to give an answer as to why you have Hope when they are struggling with the question, Where is God in this?

The trained Church Emergency Team (CET) has a plan for safety and security, preparedness and response, and is ready to lead your church with intention: spiritually, emotionally, mentally and physically.

The CET ensures personal and church support networks are in place. They have, along with your pastoral staff, assessed and developed an emergency response focus for your church.

The CET will lead the church through:

• Development of Ministry Continuity Plan, Emergency Operations Plan and Church Safety & Security Plans.
• The Establishment and Training of Emergency Pray-Care-Share Teams
  • Emergency Prayer Team
  • Emergency Care Team
  • Emergency Share Team
  • Response Drills Church/Community
  • Community Outreach:
• Emergency Pray-Care-Share Team Deployment
  • Church Emergency Response Group
• ReadyCity/Church Response Group
  • Emergency Directory Research
  • Memorial Services

Further examples of functions a CET can do before, during and after an emergency can be found in the downloadable material in the document called: “Church Emergency Team (CET) Example Functions Before, During and After Emergencies” The Church Emergency Team (CET) Recruits Biblically Ready, Gifted Leaders. Trusted Church Emergency Team (CET) leaders are vital to the readiness of any church. In this section you will learn how to determine trusted leaders. Many gifts are needed to have a successfully mobilized CET.

CET Leaders need to be hand-picked by church pastoral staff through a screening for leaders who are spiritually, emotionally, mentally, and physically ready to respond. CEN has provided a document in the downloadable material called “Profile and Responsibilities of a Church Emergency Team Leader” that provides suggested characteristics for the CET Officers as well as a summary of their responsibilities.

Once you’ve learned the basic role descriptions and responsibilities for the different team members, complete the following tasks to build your team.

• Write down two names for each CET leadership role.
• Write a short letter of invitation, attach the overview, and ask for a 10-minute meeting to discuss the opportunity.
• Describe the evangelistic outreach opportunity of the ReadyChurch and the chance to meet the needs of people in crisis and disaster.
• For each leadership role. ask one person to prayerfully commit to the responsibility
• Invite every church member to register online and connect to the church’s ReadyChurch

Response Group on the CEN website.

Church Emergency Team (CET) Training

Training the CET for its responsibilities in safety and security and emergency preparedness, including emergency Pray-Care-Share (PCS) response, is an important part of the CET development process. The CET trains to handle church safety and security issues and to mobilize the congregation in response to emergencies. Emergency Pray-Care-Share (PCS) Teams receive ongoing training on how to pray for people, meet urgent needs, counsel and guide survivors into recovery programs, thus giving the pastor more time to focus on leadership and ministry while the CET handles most crisis needs.

Over time, the CET develops the spiritual, emotional, physical and mental resilience of the church.

• Spiritual resilience is the ability to stay true to our relationship with Jesus Christ under all circumstances and to following the leading of the Holy Spirit.
• Emotional resilience is the ability to stay calm under pressure and to manage our fears. Emotions tell us if things are going well or not. In times of stress or high performance (like a crisis or disaster), our emotions can overwhelm us if we are unprepared.
• Mental resilience is the ability to know what to do and how to make good choices in difficult situations.
• Physical resilience is the ability to stay alive in difficult situations and to maintain health during normal times.

As you learn how to operate your CET, think about the people in your church and community. How will their lives be improved through the efforts of your team, even if they were never to face a crisis or disaster?

Define your Christian Emergency Team’s (CET’s) Response Group Area

This is an area within a 2.5-mile radius around your church (5-mile radius for suburban, 15 mile for rural, 30 - 100 miles for remote areas) to which you will give special attention toward understanding the needs of the people, and then will prepare to meet them in any crisis. If your church or churches in your 2.5 mile radius have conducted a demographics study, share that with your area’s churches.

• Assemble your CET for a planning meeting.
• Get a local map and draw a circle in a 2.5-mile radius around the church (5-mile radius for suburban, 15 mile for rural, 30 - 100 miles for remote areas).
• Mark out the main neighborhoods.
• Describe the kind of people living there and answer the following questions:
• What crises do they currently face? Divorce? Job loss? Violence? Crime? Flood zone? (See Church Capacity Assessment for ideas that fit your local area)
• What is God calling your church to do about it? What can you do right now to help?
• What kind of natural or man-made disasters are possible in your response group area?
• How is God calling your church to prepare? When the unthinkable happens, what will you be prepared to do for the community?

Recruiting Church Emergency Team Leaders (CET’s)

Trusted Church Emergency Team Leaders (CETs) are vital to the readiness of any church. In this section you will learn how to determine trusted leaders. Many gifts are needed to have a successfully mobilized Church Emergency Team (CET).

Church Emergency Team Leaders (CETs) need to be hand-picked by church pastoral staff through a screening for leaders who are spiritually, emotionally, mentally, and physically ready to respond.

Emergency Team Role Training and Biblical Readiness

Once you’ve selected your Church Emergency Team, we strongly recommend they take the CEN Role trainings available on our site. We’ve developed (or are in the process of developing) specific training for each role. You can get more information on these trainings at http://www.christianemergencynetwork.org/resources.

• Administration Officer
• Operations Officer
• Public Information Officer
• Logistics Officer
• Planning Officer
• Prayer Officer
• Care Officer
• Share Officer
• Finance Officer
• Safety & Security Officer

It is so important that as your CET focuses on crises, their faith be strengthened in an ongoing effort. This is called Biblical Resilience. CEN has developed a checklist evaluating 4 key aspects of life that, if proactively sought after, will impact and strengthen Biblical Resilience. The areas that are addressed are Spiritual, Emotional, Mental and Physical components. Look at each item on the download “CET SEMP Survey”, and see how you can integrate the checklist into your efforts to becoming a ReadyChurch.

Role of a Church Emergency Team

The following are guidelines for creating a Church Incident Response Team within your congregation should you deem it necessary. The Church Incident Response Team is part of the Church Emergency Team responsible for the Church building and properties during a crisis and disaster. The positions listed are recommendations and can be adapted to the needs of your particular site.  We recommend that several people be designated and trained for each position and that each position be represented at every possible worship service or event.

The Church Incident Response Team prepares to respond to threats against the church or congregation when on site or at church sponsored functions. Responsibilities include:

1. Training and maintaining a Church Security Team
2. Enacting the church’s policies on Use of Force, Use of Firearms, Use of Non-lethal Weapons, Use of Restraints.
3. Dealing with
   1. Dangerous person on site
   2. Unruly people
   3. Suspicious people
   4. Suspicious package/item
   5. Telephone threats
4. Building Emergency Procedures

Training is available for the setup of the Church Emergency Response Team and Church Security Team.

Building Coordinator

A building coordinator is a staff member or volunteer trained to know the floor plans of each building and the emergency evacuation procedures for any emergency—medical, fire, tornado, etc. The building coordinator may be involved in long-range planning. (Your church disaster response coordinator or building trustee might be appropriate for this position.)

A building coordinator may be responsible for:

• Receiving status reports from the Incident Coordinator.
• Relaying status report information to the emergency agency/agencies involved (e.g., fire department, police, paramedics, emergency management, etc.).
• Coordinating with the emergency agency/agencies any needed evacuations or other emergency actions.

 A building coordinator may work with the emergency response team to:

• Coordinate emergency planning activities
• Assist with recruiting team members.
• Schedule training.
• Communicate ongoing plans.

Incident Coordinator

The incident coordinator on duty assumes responsibility for implementing the local church emergency plan at the time of the incident, providing leadership until personnel with more experience arrive on

scene. (Greeters, ushers, or other church leaders might be appropriate for this position.) Responsibilities may include the following:

• Ensuring that all emergency response team members are assigned duties and understand all emergency procedures.
• Working with other emergency response team members to evaluate an emergency.
• Ensuring proper emergency communication.
• Delegating needed emergency actions.

The incident coordinator may also be called upon by the emergency agency/agencies involved to aid in crowd control and building evacuation.  The incident coordinator should immediately identify her/himself as such to maintenance personnel and emergency agency personnel responding to an incident.

Medical Response Team Members

Medical response team members are members of the emergency response team who have been trained in medical emergencies. Responsibilities may include the following:

• Providing “first responder (medical) service” to those incurring a medical emergency until medical personnel with higher training arrives on scene.
• Conducting a primary assessment of the medical emergency situations and reporting this assessment to appropriate personnel.
• Participating as emergency response team members in emergency situations when their medical expertise is not required.
• Providing medical assistance and support until professional help arrives.
• Remaining “in charge” of a medical emergency situation until professional help arrives.

Medical response team members should immediately identify themselves as such to any personnel responding to the incident.

Emergency Response Team Members

The remaining emergency response team members are staff members or volunteers who are trained in evacuation techniques and use of fire extinguishers.  Emergency response team members know the location of approved tornado shelter areas in the building. Responsibilities may include the following: Building evacuations—responsible for reporting to the incident coordinator that their assigned section has been cleared during an evacuation.

Work in coordination with the building maintenance/trustees to minimize hazards.

If available, maintain hand-held radios to coordinate with incident coordinator or other team members.

Emergency response team members should immediately identify themselves as such to any personnel responding to the incident.

Church Emergency Team (CET)

Example Functions Before, During and After Emergencies

Before an emergency the Church Emergency Team (CET) gets ready to respond by completing the ReadyChurch Training and maintaining a level of readiness by recruiting, training and certifying volunteers. Below are some examples of ways a church can response in an emergency.

During an emergency, the CET can mobilize the church to operate using:

Pray-Care-Share Teams and Stations

• A prayer station where survivors can seek God’s provision and grace and receive prayer from clergy and church members.
• A care station providing comfort, respite and relief, shelter, food, and services.
• A crisis-counseling station providing emotional and spiritual guidance.

Crisis Communications

The CET builds a database of church members and their response capabilities with redundancy in case the data is lost in an incident, preferably off site and in multiple locations. During big emergencies, your local CEN ReadyChurch can mobilize the resources of numerous Christian organizations, churches, businesses, media and Christian volunteers all at once through their list of CET’s. Crisis communications ensures all church members are accounted for, communicated with as able, and informed of changes in services and support. Through the use of the CEN online Church Response Group, updated information and events are posted for church members to stay informed through the recovery stage. The church’s own Public Information Officer ensures the internal and public information is timely, accurate, and Gospel honoring.

Every member of the church should be encouraged to sign up for CEN ALERTS online to receive up to the minute incident information; a Christian worldview; and a response to national, state or local events located at www.christianemergencynetwork.org. During an emergency, these alerts will be invaluable to communicate how Christians may respond together.

Referral Network

CET’s interact closely with and often are the guiding force behind the ReadyChurch, a unified community effort. With a vibrant ReadyChurch , not every church needs to be an expert in every kind of emergency response; each provides what God has uniquely called them to do in a community response effort.

Churches can fill different roles in training, warehousing supplies or other efforts. During non-activation periods, the CET’s serve the ReadyChurch as a referral network. They also resource meeting the needs of people at their point of crisis and helping them find a Christian fellowship where they can recover and find a new direction for their life. The CET’s are also in a position to potentially mobilize a response to attacks on Christian values or Christian organizations related to emergency responses of all kinds.

Sharing Resources

Church “A” has a great career-counseling program. Church “B” has a women’s shelter. Church “C” has a food pantry. By assessing and sharing this data, churches A, B and C can respond together to meet needs. The CET is able to make these connections and provide a broader range of solutions to each crisis or disaster through the network on behalf of their own church as well as to reach the community with the Hope of Christ. CEN ReadyChurch member churches and individuals can post their needs online and request support from other ReadyChurch leaders to mitigate their incidents.

Broad Collaboration

As a ReadyChurch grows as a beacon of light in the community, working alongside more CET’s, and more Christians participate and the influence grows, a ReadyChurch group develops. The ReadyChurch engages in partnerships with government and non-governmental agencies as well as Christian agencies and networks to foster greater capacity and to expand the efforts of one local church into a greater impact in the community. In addition to the network of ReadyChurches and the ReadyChurch infrastructure, the CEN national network collaborates with ReadyChurch leaders to further support local efforts. The CEN national network acts as a support behind the scenes to the local churches and local response where incidents are best managed.

Capable and Coordinated Biblical Response

The fully mature CET is relied upon for its ability to maintain a meaningful, biblical and sustainable contribution to the needs of people in emergencies. During disaster responses, the capabilities of a Church Emergency Team (CET), working in a ReadyChurch alongside a national network team, provides the complete infrastructure for a self-mobilized, self-organized, and self-sustained Christian response. This coordinated local to national network provides a “go to” partner for federal or local emergency managers that does not need to ever compromise on its spiritual values. The national CEN network supports the local church by providing federal and state relationships, resources unique to the Christian readiness community, nationally recognized partners in readiness, and a response platform using all forms of media to assist in any incident response.

Church Safety and Security Response

Utilizing experts, the CET trains their leaders and congregation on how to handle church safety and security issues and to mobilize the congregation in response to emergencies. The church’s Emergency Pray-Care-Share Teams (part of the CETs) receive ongoing training on how to pray for people, meet urgent needs, counsel and guide survivors into recovery programs; thus giving the pastor more time to focus on leadership and ministry during a crisis while the CET handles most of the response needs.

Church’s Own Capacity Focus

As the CET completes the Church Capacity Assessment, they will identify their own capabilities as a church. This will direct them on how they want to respond during a crisis. Before and during crisis, it is the responsibility of the CET to further develop the capacity focus of the church and how they plan to engage in responding to crisis.

Profile and Responsibilities of a Church Emergency Team Leader

A CEN Leader knows what God’s word says: I Thessalonians 2:4-12

Paul is talking about his ministry and what should characterize the disciple of the Lord

A CEN Leader asks:

1. Where am I going? Matt 25:23 (personal conviction)
2. Who is going with me? Phil 1-2 (those who unite around Gospel)
3. Why are they going with me? Matt 28:19-20 (PCS is Biblical response in disaster)
4. How do we do this? Book of Nehemiah (identify the problem, offer solutions, measure progress)
5. What am I supposed to do? James 1:17 (gifts, resources, and talents)

A CEN Leader has exceptional qualities:

1. Careful discernment

2. Exceptional attitude

3. Tactful diplomacy

4. Decisive under pressure

5. Unpretentious spirit

6. Respects what is biblical and right

7. Loves other people enough to sacrifice

8. Recognizes the difference between Thy Kingdom and My Kingdom

9. Serves people not programs

10. Relishes in true worship

11. Fellowships and works well within the body of believers

12. Nurtures friendships through partnership and kinship

A CEN Leader is teachable and grows.

Church Emergency Team Leader Responsibilities

The CET Leader Responsibilities:

1. Assemble a Church Emergency Team (CET). You may want to select the CET volunteer coordinator early in the process so they’re on board to help with the volunteer screening process and other projects.

2. Schedule meetings & trainings. Assist the church to complete levels of preparedness desired.

3. Inform the church’s governing bodies and the local CEN ReadyCity of emergency response needs and activities.

4. Represent the CET at citywide or emergency management meetings. (This is an opportunity to develop partnerships with other organizations such as the local Salvation Army and other groups.)

5. Establish a church disaster response inventory of human and material resources through the use of the Church Capacity Assessment (found in the Resources).

6. Be part of a Community/County Activation plan. Use a process like a phone tree, etc. to acti vate team members.

7. Decide on Deployment outside local area once deployment training has occurred.

8. Deploy with the church’s response to emergencies/disasters to another ReadyChurch or ReadyCity.

9. Maintain a contacts/needs log for the team’s use only.

10. Establish meetings with the CET in the mornings during deployment. Facilitate/ delegate daily prayer/devotion time and brief your team. Debrief at the end of the day and conclude with prayer.

11. Function as the liaison between the CET and the Emergency Operations Center (EOC), the Incident Command Center (ICS) or any other body governing the situation.

12. For deployment with other Christian agencies, other training may be required. See CEN’s preferred agencies of those who meet the Biblical Readiness and Response Standard online at www.christianemergencynetwork.org.

The Church Emergency Team has three goals:

1. Safety and Security

2. Biblical Readiness

3. Biblical Response

Once churches determine their level of need and involvement by taking the ReadyChurch and ReadyChristian Assessment, Church Emergency Teams (CET’s) are hand selected by the pastoral leadership to provide guidance in the following areas:

Church Safety and Security

• Protecting property
• Responding to emergency medical needs
• Providing security during services, events and church activities
• Responding to threats of violence against members, staff or the property
• Screening staff and volunteers
• Mitigating internal and external risks
• Reporting incidents to law enforcement or other authorities
• Assessing state safety procedures and protocols

Church Biblical Readiness

• Modeling Personal Biblical Readiness using the ReadyChristian principles
• Assessing the church’s own level of Biblical Readiness and desired response
• Guiding the congregation in ReadyChristian
• Measuring the Biblical Readiness progress of the church
• Keeping Biblical Readiness Standards front and center with incentives
• Ensuring the church staff is modeling Biblical Readiness
• Designating Readiness leadership that is trusted and rotated

Church Biblical Response

• Utilizing the churches own Emergency Operations Plan (EOP)
• Networking with other local churches
• Providing community wide memorial services
• Ensuring church response group is posting up to date information
• Ensuring a Pray-Care-Share approach to all responses
• Rotating leadership to avoid attrition
• Celebrating an obedient, loving church that responds in the community

Church Emergency Team (CET)

Leadership Roles

Administration/Incident Commander

Responsible for the leadership of the CET within a Christian organization, recruiting and training volunteers for activation, and for accomplishing the mission of the ReadyChurch. The Administrator is also the liaison with the ReadyCity. The Administrator leads any church emergency response and is the incident commander unless otherwise designated. The EOC Administrative Officer heads the EOC with overall management responsibility for the incident. The Administrative Officer is a decision maker and is recommended to meet with their Emergency Response Team leaders hourly during the first days of incident. The Administrative Officer also handles the planning component of ICS. The Administrative Officer collects and analyzes all data regarding emergency operations, develops alternatives for tactical action plans, conducts planning meeting and prepares the Action Plan for emergencies requiring extended operations. Team can be sub-divided into several groups and augmented as deemed necessary by the Administrative.

Safety and Security

Responsible to assess risks, mitigate risks, practice drills, establish security protocols, and conduct training of security team. The Safety & Security Officer monitors incident operations and advises the EOC Administrator on all matters relating to operational safety, including the health and safety of emergency responder personnel. The Safety & Security Officer provides 24-hour safety overview for the EOC, incident, and support facilities. Responsible to assess risks, mitigate risks, practice drills, establish security protocols, and conduct training of security team. They also work with the Administrative Officer to determine any security concerns and needs and work with the PIO to communicate as determined.

Public Information (PIO)

Responsible to communicate both internally and externally for the CET. The PIO guides the emergency prayer response and works with the Emergency Prayer Team Leader. The PIO is responsible for interfacing with the public and media and/or with other agencies that require incident-related information. The PIO will develop and release information to the media, incident personnel, and other agencies as appropriate and will monitor public’s reaction to information.

Operations

Responsible for developing and maintaining the church Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) and ensuring support systems are in place for the implementation of an EOP. The Operations Officer shall be responsible for coordination and management of all Operations teams. In government this section includes Police, Fire/Rescue, Medial, Public Works, Utilities and Coroner. Normally field operations (incident command) and multipurpose staging areas for resources are also under the management of this section; although the staff responsibility for the establishment and provision of support of staging area lies with Logistic Section. This could include pastors and ministries as part of field operations.

Finance

Responsible for ensuring funding and initiative alignment, models and leads in transformational giving and ensures all accounts are current. The Finance Officer is responsible for the financial needs of the emergency response elements and supporting organizations and agencies. Includes purchasing and billing, personnel accountability, time-keeping functions and claims management.

Logistics

Responsible for acquiring the human and material resources needed to accomplish the EOP, maintaining relationships within the broader Christian and church community in order to connect them to the services of the members of the CET and others in their community, and connecting nationally with the Christian Emergency Network for supportive mutual aid.  The Logistics Officer is responsible for assessing the logistical needs of the operations, to include the needs of supporting organizations and agencies and the acquisition and distribution of said resources. Include procuring equipment and supplies, providing food and medical support to incident assigned personnel, and meeting the transportation requirements of the field elements. Logistics Officer may be augmented by representatives of other sections when deemed appropriated.

Prayer

Responsible for developing prayer networks within the church and working with the PIO to develop and communicate prayer prompts during crises. The Prayer Leader assists the care and share leaders. The Prayer Officer is responsible for developing prayer networks within the church and working with the PIO to develop and communicate prayer prompts during crises. The Prayer Officer assists the care and share officers.

Care

Responsible for developing the emergency related compassionate care activities of the EOP and helping to connect with the Share Leader for transformational opportunities. The Care Officer is responsible for developing the emergency related compassionate care activities of the EOP and helping to connect with the Share Officer for transformational opportunities.

Share

Responsible for developing the outreach related activities of the EOP. Coordinates closely with the Prayer and Care Leaders; ensures worship services have a Gospel-sharing component, assimilates seekers in crisis, and ensures the overall mission is celebrated within the local church. The Share Officer is responsible for developing the outreach related activities of the EOP. Coordinates closely with the Prayer and Care Officer; ensures worship services have a Gospel-sharing component, assimilates seekers in crisis, and insures the overall mission is celebrated within the local church.

Church Emergency Team Survey

Spiritual, Emotional, Mental and Physical (SEMP) Survey

Spiritually

• The Sermon Series, “ReadyChristian, ReadyChurch” is preached.
• Volunteer leaders are trained in emergency Pray-Care-Share principles by applying the Together We Will Stand principles of Standing Strong In Crisis.
• Additional Guiding principles are used with those in crisis or to expand spiritual resilience found in the book Lighting the Way
• At least 25% of the church is committed to provide Pray-Care-Share efforts during and after crises or disasters.
• Prayer for the church and the community is alive and well, via an Emergency Prayer Team approach.
• Members practice sensitively sharing the love of Christ in preparation of a crisis or disaster and are led by a cadre of care leaders who cultivate transformation through loving acts of kindness and concern.
• The church has come into agreement with the Christian Emergency Network’s Mission and its Statement of Faith.
• The church is committed to recognize and respond to all people in crisis (large or small) regardless of race, religion, or beliefs so as to build a relationship pleasing to God.

Emotionally

• Members learn what it means to be emotionally ready and are in an accountability covenant partnership to ensure growth.
• Members have identified a support structure and response plan with friends and family.
• Leadership diligently maintains good relationships with its own volunteers and other networks helpful in all areas of ministry within the community.
• Differences are dealt with according to Matthew 18, avoiding unnecessary conflict.
• At least 25% of members have participated in the ReadyChristian covenant response Together We Will Stand - Standing Strong In Crisis (TWWS) response and have an emergency partner.
• Members trained in sound, biblically emotional response as explained in the Biblical Readiness Training.

Mentally

• Members understand the need, have clarity in mission, and have accepted the call to do their unique part in crisis and disaster.
• Members know the officials to follow during an emergency and, in particular, understand that it is beneficial to obey the instructions of local Emergency Management officials.
• Church leaders and members have an emergency plan that they have agreed to and practiced in peer groups.
• Members are trained in readiness response principles and know where to go for information that is timely, accurate and Gospel-honoring.
• Church has an Amateur Radio communication relay system, or other system, to keep in touch with the local CEN ReadyCity group of churches and other CEN-required working infrastructures.
• CEN link with ReadyChurch Response Group is posted on the church website.
• Members are signed up to recieve CEN News for timely, accurate information otherwise unavailable to the Christian community.

Physically

• Church volunteers and leaders are able to take care of themselves in emergencies.
• Church volunteers have practiced evacuation and emergency response drills.
• Church Emergency Teams (CET’s) are trained to identify leaders who have sustained Biblical Readiness as identified in the ReadyChurch Bibical Readiness Assessment, to provide for the safety and security of the church, and are working actively to improve their church’s overall readiness.
• At least 25% of the church is recruited as emergency volunteers and are trained in HURT (available online at www. christianemergencynetwork.org).
• CET and the Emergency Pray-Care-Share Team leaders are trained in CEN’s basic Emergency Pray-Care-Share Training, CERT and the CEN/NIMS 100,300, and 700 series.
• Congregational Church Readiness Assessment scores track the progress of the church and individuals participating in the ReadyChurch. Progress is shared with the local CEN ReadyCity leaders.
• Church understands the importance of and creates an Emergency Operations Plan that is shared with other churches and leaders in the CEN ReadyCity.
• Church maintains a capacity to help others in crisis and disaster. The church may be a shelter or have the ability to stage, warehouse and distribute resources, provide counsel, handle traffic, help to power up cell phones, or exhibit other capabilities.
• ReadyChurch partners with and serves with other CEN ReadyCity leaders, churches and non-religious city government or non-government organizations.