Emergency Preparedness Information

On June 18, 2013, the White House released guides for developing high-quality emergency operations plans for schools, institutions of higher education (IHEs) and Houses of Worship. These guides align and build upon years of emergency planning work by the Federal government and are the first joint product of DHS, DOJ, ED and HHS on this critical topic. The guides are customized to each type of community, incorporate lessons learned from recent incidents, and respond to the needs and concerns voiced by stakeholders following the recent shootings in Newtown and Oak Creek and the recent tornadoes in Oklahoma. Schools, IHEs and Houses of Worship can use them to create new plans as well as to revise and update existing plans and align their emergency planning practices with those at the national, state, and local levels.

Click here to obtain the written Guide.

Another resource:

The Institute for Congregational Trauma and Growth(ICTG) provides research, education, and networking tools for ministers, staffs, and trained volunteers leading congregations and organizations after disaster.

ICTG started as a small group of Presbyterians who happened to be closely connected to numerous congregations, seminaries, and universities around the country, including a wide range of faith backgrounds. They sought to give back to their congregations and neighbors by creating an ecumenical space where trauma-informed research, education, and networking tools could be freely accessed and used for the best results for healing and growing communities.