Hurricane & Other Disaster Policies

The Administrative Ministries Committee coordinates the updates of  policies of the church each year.   In addition to those listed below, they include other policies during a disaster related to control of cash, etc.

The St. Andrew Disaster or Special Information Phone Line: 1-877-578-4446 – Messages will be posted on this website and/or on this phone line regarding our congregation and church, alerting members as to property conditions, ability to gather for worship, etc. 

STAGE 1– PLANNING AND PREPARATION

The local church is the point of contact for many persons in a community who may have no other options for help.

  1. By the end of March each year the Planning Committee should have ascertained that all of the Phone Chains are correct; names, phone numbers, evacuation plans etc.
  1. The committee should have reviewed all the notes from the previous year and updated the material in the manual.
  1. New photos and videos should have been made for insurance purposes.
  1. Any changes in the financial information should be included.
  1. The Committee should have talked with the Trustees about suggestions on evacuation and re-entry.

STAGE 2–WATCH HAS BBEN ISSUED

USUALLY 72 HOURS BEFORE A HURRICANE

DIRECTOR OF ADMINISTRATION IN CONFERENCE WITH THE SENIOR

PASTOR WILL MAKE DECISION TO CLOSE THE CHURCH (NO LATER THAN

VOLUNTARY EVACUATION AS CALLED BY THE TOWN)

The Director of Administration or a designee will:

1) Initiate Staff Phone Tree. Phone Tree–Chart 1

2) Initiate Disaster Planning Committee Phone Tree. Phone Tree–Chart 2 

3) Update the 800 telephone number message

4) Assure Membership Secretary has master membership role.

5) Be sure all back ups are current.

5) Begin shutting down all of the office equipment.

6) Be sure altar ware is on an upper shelf in sacristy closet and that needlepoint cushions are        enclosed in plastic and in the attic of Celebration Center.            

7) Have items to be evacuated by DOA packed.

The Church Treasurer will:

  1. Pay all outstanding bills.

2)  Contact Accounting Firm for most up-to-date Accounting Run.

  1. Notify check signers to pick up their packets The packets should include IV in Procedure to Control Cash Funds and how to activate line of credit.

The Financial Secretary will:

1) Bank all funds (contribution and non-contribution).

ITEMS TO BE EVACUATED:

By Director of Administration:

  1. Insurance payment file and copies of policies’.
  2. Insurance Inventory lists.
  3. CD of campus photos.
  4. Photos and videos of parsonage.
  5. Program CD’s for Church Windows database, MS Office.
  6. Back-ups of Church Windows and data from server.
  7. Copies of church directory from Church Windows.
  8. Up-to-date copy of Officer and Leader list.
  9. Most recent Charge Conference notebook.
  10. Church history file.
  11. Current Year Church Council file.
  12. Current Year Endowment recaps.
  13. Year-end financials notebook.
  14. Sample New Member Packet.
  15. List of vendors and phone numbers.
  16. Computer information/passwords for web administration, emails, etc.
  17. Media Notebook.

By Financial Secretary:

  1. Back-ups of Church Windows and data from server.
  2. Contribution & Non-Contribution binders
  3. Bank Statement notebooks.
  4. Current year Cash Disbursements & Payroll ledger
  5. Deposit slips, bank stamps.

By Pastor:

  1. Copies of Church Directory from Windows.
  2. Photos and video of parsonage.

By Treasurer:

1) Any bills that remain unpaid.

By Insurance Trustee:

  1. Insurance payment file and copies of policies.
  2. Insurance inventory lists.
  3. CD of campus photos.

Chain of Command:

Upon return for recovery, a chain must be in place so that police, fire and others know who is ultimately in charge and there are no conflicting decisions.  (The person wearing the “White Hat” for easy recognition.)

Understanding that church members have their own homes to secure, the person in charge on-site at the church may rotate to the next person on the list.

The assumed order for command is:

  1. President, Board of Trustees
  2. Other designated Trustee
  3. Chairman of Church Council

Communications:

In the event of a disaster, it is assumed that the Sr. Pastor & Associate Pastor will be needed for ministry and attending to the church family, and may need to limit their exposure to the media.  Also, because our facility may be used as a distribution/recovery team site, a media/communications person(s) should be established to deal with the local, regional and national media.  Ideally, this would be an articulate member of council or the church family who understands the needs of all facets of the media and could not only act to direct media, but also be or appoint spokespersons for the church.  This person or another designated person may need to communicate with the conference and national church as well.

Insurance:

The trustee in charge of insurance will advise the administrator as to the evacuation location/temporary office of the insurance provider.  The trustee will evacuate with insurance policy information and will, at the direction of the President of the Board of Trustees, notify the insurance provider of any losses.

Stages 3, 4 & 5 deal specifically with emergency response, relief and long term recovery.

Disaster Use of CELEBRATION CENTER

The Disaster Response Committee proposes the following uses for the Celebration Center in case of a disaster:

1.    If in proper condition the Celebration Center would be used as a base for the United Methodist Early Response Teams.

2.    A feeding center for islanders who did not leave and are now homeless.

3.    A Coordination Center for Disaster Recovery Teams.

4.    A storage and distribution center for food, supplies, etc.

5.    The parking lots could be used for FEMA and other relief organizations as offices.

6.    If no other building on the campus is usable, one area would be set aside for St. Andrew offices.

7.    If the sanctuary is not usable, the building would be used for worship services as soon as the pastor is ready.

MOTION: The Church Council of St. Andrew By-the-Sea United Methodist formally ratifies the proposal to designate the Celebration Center as a disaster recovery site for services as listed above and to make this decision known to the appropriate town, county and South Carolina United Methodist Conference officials.

Passed June 18, 2007

 

Note:  It is very important to track all volunteer hours following a disaster and turn those into the county. These hours translate into Federal dollars for community recovery. In 2005, each hour was worth  $18 in reciprocal money from the government.