Emergency Incidents & Disaster Response

POLICY & PROCEDURE BOOKLET

www.chaplaincyaustralia.com/the-75-plan/

All over Australia, our chaplains are uniquely and individually placed in the centre of our communities. These communities are multifaceted and intricate – they have moments of brilliance and joy but they also face moments of darkness and challenge.

Every community has the potential to experience the ‘unthinkable’ and when the unthinkable happens, chaplains are there.

Every community is different and we need to be agile, responsive and respectful of the culture and context we are stepping into.

This information is designed to assist you to be prepared if you are activated in the event of a disaster or emergency.

Thank you for your willingness to assist in the process of response and recovery.

Some material used with permission from Disaster Recovery Chaplaincy Network (DRCN).

______

Chaplaincy Australia 75% Plan. Updated 30/8/2018 Page 2

Chaplaincy Australia Disaster Response

Responding Chaplain Role Description

APPOINTMENT: Responding Chaplains will be appointed by the Chaplaincy Australia (CA) State Director or Delegated Other. CA Chaplains are NOT to self-activate.

CRITERIA:

• Current accredited Chaplaincy Australia Chaplain • Registered with CA for Emergency Incidents and Disaster Response (Registration form completed, signed and witnessed by CA Leader) • Proven experience in disaster settings (preferred) • Good people skills • Team player

ACCOUNTABLE TO:

• State Director • Sector Leader • Disaster Coordinator • Team Leader

ROLE DESCRIPTION:

1. TEAM PLAYER

The responding Chaplain will work under the direction of the State Director, Sector Leader, Disaster Coordinator and the Team Leader on the ground. They must be willing to follow instructions and quickly adapt to the ever-changing setting of a disaster. They must work in co-operation with other responding agencies, maintaining a good relationship with other agencies and being a good example of a Christian. They must be able to work with members of all other Faiths.

2. MINISTRY ON THE GROUND

The responding Chaplains are to minister to the emotional and spiritual needs of people. They are not to proselytize, but are able to share faith, prayer and hope when the situation arises. They must know their limits, know the resources available for people and know how to refer to other agencies when applicable.

______

Chaplaincy Australia 75% Plan. Updated 30/8/2018 Page 3 They must respect the confidentiality of those to whom they minister, but be sensitive to all duty of care and mandatory reporting situations as per their training. In such situations, the chaplain would need to inform their client (if it is safe to do so) that they must report the information back to relevant agencies.

3. DAILY BRIEFINGS & REPORTS

The Team Leader will brief each Chaplain on their roles for each day. If applicable, the chaplains can attend the larger group briefing meetings with other agencies at the beginning and end of each day. The Team Leader will conduct a debriefing session with the CA Chaplains at the end of each day where possible. The Team Leader will ensure each Chaplain is cared for throughout the duration of their deployment.

4. ACCEPTANCE OF DONATIONS

CA Chaplains must not accept finances for their ministry from clients. If the latter are insistent, they should be put in contact with the CA office or directed to the Chaplaincy Australia Website where they make a tax-deductible donation. Small tokens of gratitude such as flowers/chocolates may be accepted.

5. MEDIA

Chaplains should refer media enquiries to the Team Leader or State Director. All Chaplains need to be very careful in giving information or stating personal opinions about the disaster. The Chaplain must not speak negatively in public about issues or other Chaplains or agencies. Any concerns should be raised with their Team Leader or Disaster Coordinator.

6. ENDING THE RESPONSE

Each Chaplain will be given an approximate response period. At the end of this time, the Chaplain must return all unused resources to the Team Leader before returning home. Supervision within 1-2 weeks of returning home is compulsory. This should be done with a recognized supervisor. Any continuing concerns should be raised with the State Director.

______

Chaplaincy Australia 75% Plan. Updated 30/8/2018 Page 4 Chaplaincy Australia Disaster Response Team Leader Role Description

APPOINTMENT: The Team Leader will be appointed by the CA State Director or Delegated Other.

CRITERIA: • Current accredited Chaplaincy Australia Chaplain • Registered with CA for Emergency Incidents and Disaster Response (Registration form completed, signed and witnessed by CA Leader) • Previous experience in disaster settings • Leadership qualities • Good people skills • Administration skills • Communication skills • Problem solver & diplomat

ACCOUNTABLE TO: • State Director • Sector Leader • Disaster Coordinator

ROLE DESCRIPTION:

1. ACCOUNTABILITY

The Team Leader needs to consult the Disaster Coordinator before making any key decisions. The Team Leader is responsible for providing daily reports to the Disaster Coordinator. These daily reports should include chaplaincy hours on the ground, number of people contacted, issues arising and matters for follow-up.

2. CARE FOR THE TEAM

The Team Leader must ensure the practical needs of the team are being met e.g. accommodation, food and rest is adequate.

They are to ensure the safety of the team whilst conducting chaplaincy ministry, able to oversee each team member, delegating responsibilities and ensuring the responsibilities are completed.

Debrief team members at the completion of a shift if possible. Otherwise, close communication by phone with each team member.

Deal with team dynamics, conflict and problem solving. Utilise the skills sets of each team member. Be responsible for the ‘Sign On/Off Sheets’.

______

Chaplaincy Australia 75% Plan. Updated 30/8/2018 Page 5

3. PROBLEMATIC TEAM DYNAMICS

If a team member is presenting challenges to the group, the Team Leader should consult the Disaster Coordinator to discuss the way forward.

4. LIASE WITH OTHER AGENCIES

Attend daily briefings and debriefings. Ensure a good working relationship with other government agencies, including matters for follow up by other agencies. Assist with problem solving.

The Team Leader can speak to media on behalf of the team if given prior permission by the State Director/Disaster Coordinator. Otherwise, all media inquiries should be directed to the State Director.

5. LOOK FOR OPPORTUNITIES Be alert to areas of need that could be met by CA Chaplains Discuss these areas with the Disaster Coordinator first, then approach the relevant agency on the ground.

______

Chaplaincy Australia 75% Plan. Updated 30/8/2018 Page 6

Chaplaincy Australia Disaster Response Procedure

When an emergency situation arises which requires a Government response, Chaplaincy Australia will only activate as part of this planned response if invited to do so by an agency that is part of the relevant State Disaster plan. In this case CA response procedures will be followed, in addition to any special considerations and directions that are given as part of the Government response.

However, sometimes the emergency is not deemed to be in the category to be activated by the State or National Government plan. In this instance Chaplaincy Australia may be directly approached to provide assistance. This may come from a local ACC Church or other denomination activating the 75% Plan or another organisation requiring assistance. CA Chaplains are NOT to self-activate but to work under the direction of the relevant CA State Office and follow all policies and procedures. In the case of CA being directly activated the following procedures will be followed:

CHAPLAINCY AUSTRALIA RESPONSE PROCEDURE:

PERSONNEL NEEDED: 1. State Director or Sector Leader 2. Disaster Coordinator (to oversee this particular response) This may be the State Director or delegated other 3. Administration assistant (to assist with logistics) 4. Trained people to take over from the above if the situation is requiring prolonged management.

The State Director or delegated other should discuss the following with the local Pastor or organisation: a) What are the current needs of the Community that can be met by a Chaplaincy response? b) How many chaplains would be needed? What Chaplains are the most suitable for this response e.g. from a specific sector? c) What is the estimated time frame for a chaplaincy response? EVALUATION d) Would the Chaplain be working alongside the Local Church/Organisation? STAGE e) Is accommodation & food provided for responding Chaplains? f) What other resources would be required?

If the conclusion is to activate CA Chaplains to the area, the office needs to determine: a) How to meet the above criteria as discussed with the local Pastor/Organisation. b) What finances are available to fund this response?

______

Chaplaincy Australia 75% Plan. Updated 30/8/2018 Page 7

a) The State Office would need to determine the scope from which to draw the Chaplains: local, further afield, State wide or National. The network should be contacted by sms or email to see availability. An example of the wording is:

“CA has been activated to help in the ? crisis. Please respond with your availability from (date when help is needed to commence) to (approx. date when the response will finish), stating how many days you could commit”

b) Once Chaplains have responded, the State Director/Sector Leader and Disaster Coordinator should evaluate which of the available chaplains would be most suitable and begin to plan the response.

c) Necessary administration:

i. Which Chaplains should be used, and for what ACTIVATION duration of time? • Rosters need to be drawn up. • The recommendation is maximum 5 days on the field. If the chaplain would like to continue for a few more days, a compulsory rest-day on day 6 should be taken, before continuing for a maximum of 2-3 more days. • If a 24-hourly response is necessary, the day should be divided into no more than 10-12 hour shifts.

ii. A spreadsheet with all necessary details should be kept up to date. This should include: • Travel, accommodation, food and insurance • iii. Finances needed for the above • Accurate financial documentation needs to be kept throughout the response iv. Response details to be sent to each selected Chaplain. v. The Local Pastor/organisation needs to be continuously updated as to what Chaplains are coming to assist, with all necessary contact details.

______

Chaplaincy Australia 75% Plan. Updated 30/8/2018 Page 8 a) A Team Leader should be appointed. The responsibility of the Team Leader is as per the Team Leader Role Description.

b) The Team Leader is responsible for: • The wellbeing of their team on the ground • Problem solving on the local level (consulting the CA State Office where necessary) • If there are challenges with team members, the Team Leader should consult the Disaster ON THE FIELD Coordinator or State Director/Sector Leader before action is taken. • Liaising with the local Pastor/organisation and other relevant bodies • Reporting back to the CA State Office

c. The Local Pastor/organisation and the CA State Office should continuously be evaluating the situation, including what is effective, what is not effective, and the duration of the response.

a) When the responding Chaplains return home, they need to be contacted by the Disaster Coordinator or delegated other to assess how they are going. b) Supervision is mandatory. The Chaplain must book in to their regular supervisor or a recommended supervisor, to be seen as soon as possible. Any concerns must be raised with the CA State Office and followed through to ensure the health of the Chaplain/s. c) All reports need to be collated by the Disaster Coordinator, statistics summarized, and a report sent to the CA State Director, who will send a report to CA National Director and relevant others e.g. ACCI d) A final financial report needs to be prepared by the FINISHING THE Disaster Coordinator, sent to the State Director, who will RESPONSE submit to the National Director and relevant others eg. ACCI and other donating agencies. e) The relevant ACC State President should also be kept informed as to the CA response and the outcomes. f) At an appropriate time, the State Director, Disaster Coordinator, Team Leader, local Pastor/organisation and relevant others should conduct a debriefing session to evaluate the response: What worked really well? What could have been improved? Lessons learned for the next response. Review of financial report. g) The Office database should retain the history of who has been activated, including comments on their suitability for future activations. g.

______

Chaplaincy Australia 75% Plan. Updated 30/8/2018 Page 9

Kit Bag Ideas for Disasters

Every disaster will be slightly different. Prepare a kit bag so you are ready to respond if you are activated by Chaplaincy Australia. Here is a basic list to include in your kit bag.

• Small backpack or bag • Appropriate clothing: COOL WEATHER: long pants, layers for warmth, waterproof jacket; waterproof walking shoes or boots; hat, scarf/gloves WARM WEATHER: light long pants or long shorts/ three-quarter pants; knee length skirts; T-Shirts/blouses (long sleeves to protect from the sun); closed in shoes/joggers; hat; sunglasses • Toiletries • Insect repellent / sunscreen • Identification: o Official CA Chaplain Photo ID, o Other relevant photo ID o Car ID - this can be obtained from your CA State Office o CA Tabard • Small note pad and pen • Appropriate flyers/handouts; holding crosses; trauma teddies • Printed contact details of CA State Office, State Director and Sector Leader • Mobile phone, charger • Emergency equipment—torch, batteries, transistor radio (AM/FM) • Snacks & water • Personal medications • Bible • Book/crosswords, etc., for quiet times • Bedding & towels if requested • Printed CA Emergency Incidents & Disaster Response Policies and Procedures Booklet.

______

Chaplaincy Australia 75% Plan. Updated 30/8/2018 Page 10