Fire Preparedness | Disaster Planning
Fire Preparedness
O merciful Father, who has taught us in your holy Word that you do not willingly afflict or grieve the children of men: Look with pity upon the sorrows of your servant for whom our prayers are offered. Remember them, O Lord, in mercy, nourish their soul with patience, comfort them with a sense of your goodness, lift up your countenance upon them, and give them peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Book of Common Prayer, page 831
All churches, especially those in high-risk areas, must be prepared for fire danger. Here is an article about fire preparedness that the EDSD News published in August 2024. Ensure you have a full list of contact information for all parishioners (available somewhere other than the church), and have a plan to contact members in case of evacuations in your area.
Consider whether your church could serve as a temporary evacuation shelter if necessary and how you would get supplies to that shelter.
Episcopal Relief & Development offers the following fire preparedness resources and suggestions:
- Make sure everyone has a go-bag
- Churches should work through ERD’s disaster timeline preparedness activity.
- There are also congregational preparedness guides and other risk-reduction modules in ERD’s resource library.
For resources to prepare and respond to a fire:
For those in San Diego County click here
For those in Riverside County click here
For those in Imperial County click here
For those in Yuma County click here
Disaster Planning
Planning for a fire, earthquake, flood, tsunami, or other disaster is essential for all churches. We are hubs of human activity. Even if the plan is for handling a slip and fall, or a heat stroke, the basics remain the same and can be transferred to larger disasters. The basics include:
- The appointment of a disaster team. Each member should have a copy of the plan and should be familiar with its contents
- Day and night telephone numbers of the clergy, wardens, police, fire department, utilities and insurance company, and members of the disaster team.
- Evacuation procedures, including the location of emergency exits.
- Locations of fire extinguishers, fire alarms, sprinklers, and smoke and fire detectors.
- Instructions as to how to turn off gas, electric power, and water.
- A priority list and the location of items and records to be saved first, for the Fire Department.
- A list of emergency services, with names and telephone numbers.
- The location of emergency supplies.
Other helpful tips:
Conduct regular disaster drills and inform your local fire departments to encourage their participation and input. Keep original copies of insurance policies off-site. Keep offsite copies of all important computer files, including regular back-up copies of electronic data.
