EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS
Find Emergency Preparedness Checklist at the bottom of this page.
This is a Pastoral Letter issued by Bishop Smith on occassion of the 5th anniversary of the 9/11 Tragedy:
Pentecost XIII, 2006
A Pastoral Letter* from Bishop Smith
Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,
Tomorrow will mark the Fifth Anniversary of the September 11 tragedy. It is also a little more than a year from when Hurricane Katrina struck. We now hear warnings of a possible outbreak of Avian or "bird flu," which could severely test our health and public service infrastructure. Although the flu epidemic has not received much attention recently, it is a very real threat. As one expert from the Centers for Disease Control has remarked, "It is not a question of if, but rather when" this disease will strike. When it does arrive, some experts predict a mortality rate as high as 10% over a period lasting three to six months. It is also expected that children and young adults will be the most susceptible. As a nation, we could be facing an unprecedented disaster.
In the days after Hurricane Katrina, the American people learned two things-first, government agencies cannot adequately respond to a crisis of such magnitude; and secondly, it was often churches and volunteer groups which were first on the scene and provided the most help to those suffering.
I am writing you today, not to cause fear, or upset you, but to urge you and your church leadership to take some simple steps to prepare for any future disaster, whether it is from terrorism, storm, or epidemic. I have convened a Diocesan Emergency Preparedness Committee of experts to help us respond to such an event. Along with this letter, they have included a preparedness checklist for every parishioner to have at home.
We expect that should such a crisis arise, churches will be called upon to take the lead in serving the needs of our communities; that will require planning and organization. Yet, all of us can begin, even now, to stockpile in our homes, at least two weeks of food, water, and necessary medicines, in case they are ever needed. If we start now, our families and churches will be self-sufficient enough to face any eventuality.
I realize this is a somber message, but it is a necessary one. I fervently pray that such steps will never be needed. We are assured that our faith will sustain us in any situation, for as the Psalmist says, "even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, thou art with me."
Still, it is also incumbent upon us as people of faith to be good stewards of what God has given us and be ready to use those resources in good times and in bad. And please, remember in your prayers those victims of natural and man-made disasters and their families.
This comes with all my prayers and blessings,
+Kirk
*"The Bishop may, deliver, from time to time . . . a Pastoral Letter to the people of the Diocese. The Bishop may require the clergy to read the Pastoral Letter to their Congregations." Canon III. 18.5.
Full size, 11" x 17" format brochure
Same as above, except in a more manageable 8.5" x 11" format
