MAJOR EMERGENCY - A16
in Worcestershire and the Borough of Dudley
1. Planned Responses
Ministers of all denominations are used to dealing with the everyday emergencies that affect people's lives. But some events are out of the ordinary - like terrorist attacks, plane, train and massive motorway crashes, and natural disasters like floods.
The emergency services and local authorities have developed plans for co-ordinated responses to these "major incidents". They are very different but there are some common factors: the lives of a large number of people are disrupted and the normal local service providers - fire, police, ambulance, hospitals, mortuaries, social services - may not have adequate resources for the number of casualties, deaths or displaced people involved and therefore have to call in resources from neighbouring areas.
Although no disaster will fit neatly into the mould of any plan, it is important that the response is planned for, irrespective of the incident.
2. In the event of a Major Incident
If clergy are needed to assist in the aftermath of a major incident, the Dudley or Worcestershire Emergency Planning Teams will call the Diocesan Emergency Incident Coordinator on the emergency mobile telephone, giving details of the incident, the location and the number of clergy needed. The Coordinator will then call the designated person(s) in the appropriate deanery(ies), who will then call clergy as necessary.
Although clergy may be called to the scene of an incident, they are far more likely to be called to rest centres for people evacuated from the vicinity of a major incident or to survivor reception centres so that they can offer spiritual and pastoral care.
They may also be called to temporary mortuaries to support relatives who have come to identify their next of kin, or to refreshment areas to give a listening ear to members of the emergency services and others who are responding to the disaster and may be under stress. Hospital, fire and police chaplains work to different plans developed by the organisations they serve.
Church of England clergy while responding to a call out as authorised volunteers co-ordinated on behalf of the Bishop (for this purpose the "designated person(s)" in each deanery are delegated to authorise the volunteers and will keep a record of those authorised in this way.) are insured under the insurance policy held by the Diocesan Board of Finance with the Ecclesiastical Insurance.
3. Crisis Support Teams in Dudley and Worcestershire
Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council and Worcestershire County Council operate Crisis Support Teams. Qualified volunteers of recognised organisations, including clergy, Readers and ALMs in the Diocese of Worcester, can offer their services to help in an emergency. For Dudley, please contact Sarah Hill, Contingency and Disaster Management Officer, or The Revd Mark Stobert, . For Worcestershire, details can be found at http://www.worcestershirecrisissupport.org/ Clergy, Readers and ALMs volunteering to join either Crisis Support Team are covered for insurance purposes by Dudley MBC or Worcestershire CC respectively.
4. The Long Term Response
After the immediate response, clergy may be involved in pastoral care, spiritual counsel, and planning and conducting memorial services. Some of those affected by the disaster may need specific help for post-traumatic stress, and clergy should know to whom they can be referred for help. Some major emergencies call for very long term practical local care for displaced people. Dudley Borough, Worcestershire County and the District Councils have access to a range of resources which clergy may request help through local authority contacts and, in particular, the emergency planning officers. Clergy and licensed Lay Ministers should not engage in the delivery of professional counselling; while they themselves might wish to avail themselves of the Diocesan Counselling Service (see A15) that is not a service that can be offered to the wider community.
5. When operating normally is difficult
All denominations need to plan how best to keep going and offer appropriate services when a major emergency affects a large number of people across the region or otherwise makes it difficult to operate normally.
There is an Emergency Management Plan for the Church of England in the Diocese of Worcester. This is designed to try to ensure resources - people, buildings, expertise and experience - are co-ordinated in the best possible way to provide effective pastoral and spiritual support for victims, evacuees, emergency services and residents.
The bishops and archdeacons, in collaboration with the Diocesan Secretary or Assistant Diocesan Secretary, can activate the Plan. One of them will become the Incident Control Officer, and set up a Control Centre in the Old Palace or in a pre-arranged church. The currently designated centres are:- All Saints, Evesham - Great Malvern Priory - Christ Church, Matchborough - Holy Trinity, Old Hill - St James, Wollaston.
The Incident Control Officer may request clergy and lay people, through the rural deans, to suspend their normal activities, work outside their parish area, make buildings available for emergency use, provide extra worship and prayer opportunities, etc.
6. Media Relations
There could be a huge influx of media representatives when a disaster happens. Initial co-ordination of the media is usually handled by the police who will provide a media liaison officer. Media requests should be channelled through the officer to avoid contradictory messages, to protect confidential information and to prevent unnecessary distress for relatives. We have a Communications Officer in the Diocese of Worcester who will provide a link with the media liaison officer for all the churches. The Communications Officer may also be able to help the relatives and survivors with the media, advising them prior to any media exposure and working with them to prepare statements related to the Church's pastoral role. The Clergy Response Co-ordinator can provide contact details for the Communications Officer
Contacts
Clergy Response Co-ordinator: Mobile 07521 701487 (24 hours)
Local Authority Emergency Planning Officers
Dudley MBC: 01384 817080
Worcestershire CC: 01905 766175
JANUARY 2012
