Emergency Plan

Level 3

The ward

The bishop has primary responsibility for preparing for and responding to the emergency needs of all people residing within the ward boundaries — not only members. The ward council and the ward emergency preparedness specialist organize families into small neighborhood groups, each with a block captain.

Who directs, and in what order

When an emergency occurs, members of the bishopric may not be available. This order holds until a presiding officer is present:

  1. Bishop
  2. First counselor in the bishopric
  3. Second counselor in the bishopric
  4. Elders quorum president
  5. Ward emergency preparedness specialist
Members are taught that civil authorities are in charge and that we accept direction from them during an emergency. Everything here operates underneath that.

The ward command post

Location
At or just outside the meetinghouse, near the bishop's office, unless conditions require somewhere else. Confirm exact spot
Who convenes there
Bishopric members, after their own families are cared for and after checking their immediate neighbors.
First tasks
Determine the initial course of action based on direction from civil or stake authorities. Make assignments — key priesthood leaders free to administer to people, others on physical arrangements. Take an initial read on the condition of families from block captains and ministering assignments.

Priority actions

Bishopric and emergency preparedness specialist
  1. Assist those injured or in danger. Establish mobile response teams — at least two 4-wheel-drive vehicles, two to four people in each, traveling together through the ward to assist block captains and families and report status back. They carry FRS radios, respond first to block captain reports, and can transport injured people to the CERT command post at the stake center. Each team carries a copy of the ward map and marks it using the city's notation.
  2. Account for all families and help them reunite. Particular attention to individuals and families with special needs. Block captains, ministering brothers and sisters, and ward leaders are the primary sources of this information.
  3. Inform the stake of conditions in the ward and request assistance as needed.
  4. Arrange shelter — keeping people as close to their own property as possible, in the homes of relatives, friends, and neighbors, before sending anyone to a public shelter.
  5. Assess damage to Church property and take steps to protect it.
  6. Assess damage to homes and work out how neighbors can help one another.
  7. Organize volunteer relief teams under the direction of stake or civic leaders with the help of CERT-trained members, without disrupting the ward's own emergency operations.
  8. Provide for emotional and spiritual needs. Arrange supervision and care for young children whose parents are injured or working in the response — including play areas, toys, and recreation equipment.
  9. Do not open the meetinghouse as a shelter unless stake or civil authorities request it. See the shelter procedure →

What the ward reports to the stake

  • Name, title, and unit of the reporting officer, and how the presiding officer can be reached
  • Description, location, and magnitude of the emergency
  • Number of members injured, missing, or dead
  • Location and extent of damage to Church or member property
  • Actions being taken to help those in distress
  • Needed assistance that isn't available locally

Communication runs by ham radio on the stake frequency where operators are available, otherwise FRS radios, runners, or whatever else works. Each report sets the time and method for the next one.

Preparing, year-round

The ward council facilitates

  • Organizing the ward into small neighborhood groups, each led by a block captain
  • Including the emergency preparedness specialist in ward council
  • Obtaining the city's Emergency Preparedness Manual and providing copies to every resident in ward boundaries
  • Encouraging CERT training
  • Sending the specialist to quarterly stake preparedness meetings
  • An annual fifth-Sunday meeting reviewing this plan
  • Elders quorum and Relief Society lessons, and ministering messages
  • Youth classes and quorum lessons and activities
  • Dry-pack canning opportunities, open to non-members too
  • Block captain training at least annually
  • Family home evening lesson plans on preparedness

Reviewed and reported quarterly

  • Accuracy of the ward address list and map of all homes — keep a printed copy for when the power and the computer are out
  • Status of the block captain organization and what block captains have been doing
  • Who is assigned to assist each family that may not be able to care for itself
  • How many people inside ward boundaries, member or not, have special skills or equipment that could be called on
  • Who is currently CERT certified
  • The method of communication to the stake if telephones are out, including the names of any ham operators
  • The designated ward command post location
  • The plan for the spiritual and emotional needs of members, including recreation and care for children whose parents are injured or in relief efforts
  • How less-active and non-member families will be informed of the ward's response plan

Resources and training

Carried over from the ward's own guidance

Training offered

  • Quarterly preparedness workshops — watch the ward calendar
  • CPR and first aid certification classes
  • Food storage and preservation demonstrations
  • Emergency communication drills

Available to the ward

  • The emergency preparedness library in the Relief Society room
  • Equipment to borrow — water barrels, hand carts, and similar
  • A community skills list — medical, construction, ham radio operators

Getting involved

  • Join the ward emergency preparedness committee
  • Volunteer your skills and expertise
  • Participate in preparedness activities
  • Share what you know with others