Emergency Preparedness

Hurricanes are an annual concern, and because of that, we have a tendency to focus on them to the exclusion of all other potential disasters. But if we look at the history of Charleston and the surrounding area, we quickly see that Earthquakes, Fires, Floods, Tornados, Ice Storms, Desease and even war have all had a major impact on the residents of this area in the past.

While we would like to think that these problems are only historical phenomenon, most of them are in fact eventualities that we will have to grapple with again in the future. This is not reason to panic, or fear, but it is reason to do the prudent thing, which is cultivate a condition of readiness.

When an emergency arises, the work we have done planning and preparing will be of great comfort, and will allow us to face the challenge with a sense of calm, methodically executing an established plan, and relying on our faith in God to protect us.

With your flashlight, of course, which brings us to the second element of readiness, an emergency readiness kit. We all know that we should have one of these, and we even have a good idea of what they should contain. Flashlights, batteries, water, non-perishable food, medical and first aid supplies are obvious in the list of contents, but don't forget rain gear, rubber boots, work gloves, rope, tarps, duct tape, chain saw with extra chains and fuel, fuel for your vehicles, and the list goes on and on. Wouldn't a generator be nice to have if the lights go out? How will you cook? When you really start thinking about what it is like to be thrust back into the stone age, the list of things you would like to bring with you tends to grow.

Click the link to see a Readiness Kit List provided by FEMA, but treat the list as a tool to provoke thought, and not as an all inclusive list. Spend some time thinking about what you would like to have if you and your family are alone in the dark, in a storm. Remember, help may be slow to arrive, and you need to be ready to take care of yourself and those you care about.

Storms, earthquakes and other natural phenomenon tend to dominate our thinking when we talk about emergency preparedness. But disasters can also come in the man-made variety. Industrial accidents, mass transportation catastrophes, or even terrorist acts can also happen.

We should not live in a state of fear, but the responsible thing to do is to live in such a way that we can react quickly to any emergency that arises, and not only survive ourselves, but also take care of those around us. In this way, we are part of the solution rather than part of the problem.

Time invested educating ourselves in the proper ways to react to different emergency scenarios will pay great dividends when an emergency arises. As Christians, it is our proper role to position ourselves to help others, to promote calm and composure, and to serve to bring the community back on line as soon as possible. Please spend some time preparing yourself and your loved ones to fulfill this role.

There is a wealth of information available to the public. The links above on this page are a good place to start. If you know of members of this parish who will not be able to take care of themselves in an emergency, You have a responsibility to prepare to help them. If you or someone you know are unable to prepare adequately for an emergency, please fill out the form below, and someone will contact you to help you prepare a readiness plan. Please act now to be part of the solution.

God Bless you.