Course: Building a Disaster Response Team

Course Summary:

During many emergencies, local congregations are the early responders from the wider faith community. Along with the ability to meet a multitude of immediate physical needs, churches can also offer the gift of spiritual care to those facing the impact of a life-changing event. Through faith-based initiatives, churches can help communities turn a crisis into an opportunity, and provide hope amidst chaos. This 45-minute course will help your church discover how it can help during any type of disaster.

Learning Objectives:

• Define various categories of disasters and emergencies, and the stages of disaster relief
• Initiate steps to establish a church disaster response team and a focus area for response efforts
• Learn the types of disaster response your church can provide either on-site or from within your church facility
• Understand the value of partnerships with other organizations in coordinating effective disaster response strategies
• Know the risks associated with disaster relief, and best safety practices during response efforts

Key Topics Include:

• Types of Disasters and Emergencies
• Stages in Disaster Relief
• Assembling a Disaster Response Team
• Types of Assistance
• Disaster Response: What Not to Do
• Church Expenses Associated with Providing Disaster Response
• Establishing a Disaster Response Strategy
• Establishing Partnerships with Other Disaster Response Organizations
• The Value of Partnerships and Partnership Opportunities
• Training the Disaster Response Team
• FEMA Disaster Response Training, Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT), and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
• Additional Training Resources
• Disaster Response Volunteer Safety and Best Practices
• Packing to Travel to a Disaster
• Risks Associated with Disaster Response Work
• Beyond the Big Disasters

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