On Saturday, October 24, the Rev. Aaron Payson, member of the UU Trauma Response Ministry and settled minister of the UU Church of Worcester, conducted an Emergency Preparedness and Trauma Response workshop for all congregations on the Front Range. Jefferson Unitarian, First Unitarian Denver and Prairie anchored the Boulder Denver Cluster contingent while all three Southern Colorado Cluster congregations were present: All Souls, High Plains and Pueblo.
The handout packet from this workshop can be downloaded here (PDF 1.3MB). It contains important information, checklists and inventory pages to help you improve the safety and emergency preparedness of your congregation.
Rev. Payson reiterated a number of times that this work is a ministry of the congregation providing safety as well as capacity to respond in emergencies. He urged congregations to resist the temptation to overwhelm and simply to begin with whatever seemed most important to those willing to serve.
Your first project might be to ask the Fire Department and Police Departments to walk through your buildings and offer guidance and advise. When you do this, most first responder departments will file your floorplan so that they better understand the building before they arrive. This is a great time saver in an emergency.
You might also develop an evacuation plan for the adult congregation and the children. The plan should be posted and practiced if your leadership finds that a good idea. You may need some special equipment to evacuate babies and small children quickly and safety. Are all of your fire extinguishers up to date AND do folks really know how to use them? You might consider a safety workshop that focuses on home and church.
Rev. Payson and three former police officers in attendance all recommended against armed guards or members who are licensed to carry concealed weapons. Their great concern was about the added risk of having firearms on the premises all the time. Payson did recommend a uniformed police officer or security person if you feel the risk of violence is increased for any reason. When considering safety from outside violence, please check all doors and see which are open without anyone watching them during a service. We want to be welcoming, and can be with all latecomers entering through a single door ushers are watching.
When considering safety during an incidence of violence it is important to have trained and trusted leaders who have thought through the protocols so that they can adequately guide the people. A dangerous situation is not the time to negotiate what we are going to do.
For additional information, there is a 45 minute video, “The Life-Cycle of a Disaster,” available on the UUA website.
Tags: Aaron Payson, emergency preparedness, UU Trauma Response Ministry, workshop