Calgary churches coordinate pandemic plan
CALGARY, AB—Calgary churches are working to create an integrated emergency response plan in anticipation of a full-blown H1N1 pandemic this fall.
With the World Health Organization predicting a second and more lethal wave of the virus, the province of Alberta is preparing by leasing space for vaccination clinics and has already purchased more than 100 ventilators to handle a surge in serious cases.
Churches can be mobilizing to work with municipal and provincial authorities by providing food, shelter information and volunteer care.
The Regional Faith Community Emergency Preparedness Coalition (RFC-EPC), comprised of church leaders with training in emergency response, is creating an organized network of resources to coordinate with Calgary's Emergency Management Agency.
"Our aim is to have an integrated approach to emergency management," says coalition member Marg Pollon of Bridges of Love Ministries, an organization dedicated to connecting churches with community. "If we are uncoordinated with government framework, we could run the risk of hindering instead of helping."
Pollon has four years emergency management experience and is working on a response structure that would include churches to act as quadrant leaders with a downward chain of command.
"Our hospitals are already extended. We won't want contagious people sitting in our hospital waiting rooms," she said. "We're going to have to look at alternate facilities. We'll need people to look after children, drivers and food banks. I don't want to create fear, but we want churches to react now because if it hits, we won't have time to do anything."
Fred Friesen, pastoral care pastor with Bonavista Evangelical Missionary Church, has emergency response training from his days as a mining engineer. When he joined the RFC-EPC, he saw how serious local government was about preparing for emergencies of any kind, he realized churches need to examine their own readiness.
"We have buildings, a network of people, our own communication systems and awareness of neighbourhoods," says Friesen. "At Bonavista, we have a kitchen, we have space. Since we host Inn from the Cold, we have 20 beds with bedding. We could step forward. We're ready for that sort of thing."
He believes churches need to pay attention since historically pandemics have started with a primary, less serious wave followed by a resurgence with the coming of colder weather. He doesn't want to get into fear mongering but realizes that if the WHO is correct, the next H1N1 outbreak could affect as many of one third of our population.
"When people in community are connected with each other, they look after each other. I know elderly neighbours I'd be there to look out for them tonight," says Friesen. "Churches have to be more than a building in the community."
In a letter to members, Calgary Evangelical Ministerial Association president, Brent Trask, urged churches to take some appropriate level of action now.
"There is great wisdom and need for us as community leaders to use this season as an opportunity to deepen our understanding of the situation," Trask said. "One of those actions would be to plan and prepare how each of our ministries will respond should an emergency crisis of some sort hit our city."
Pollon said even if a pandemic never comes, it's still important to get to know people in the community.
"So much more can be accomplished if we work collaboratively with others," she says.
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