Emergency Response

DISASTER PREPAREDNESS

Knights of Columbus > Faith In Action > Community > Disaster Preparedness

A Higher Purpose

Prepare your community before disaster strikes. Councils will engage their parish and community in disaster preparedness exercises by organizing trainings, fundraisers and various awareness activities.

Council Disaster Preparation

Organizing and maintaining a council-level action plan is extremely important to the success of any disaster response efforts within the local community and at the jurisdiction level. There are many steps that a council should take to be prepared in the case of a disaster, including:

1. Prepare a communication plan:
   • Meet with your parish priest on an annual basis to identify specific needs of the parish and determine how the Knights can assist
   • Create a phone tree with contact information for all council members. Practice using this phone tree at least twice a year.
   • Know the disaster chain of command within your jurisdiction and the council’s role and responsibilities, including individual roles and responsibilities
   • Maintain contact lists of the parish’s vulnerable community members (the elderly, disabled, and widow(er)s) to ensure that they are safe prior to a disaster or after a disaster has struck
2. Provide disaster safety and awareness training to council members and parish community. These trainings should include information on:
   • Fire safety
   • Disease control
   • Natural disaster awareness
3. Allocate at least $500 dollars in the council’s general funding account in case of a disaster

For more information on the duties and responsibilities of the Council ERC, please contact your Diocesan ERC or Regional ERC, or e-mail EmergencyResponse@TKofC.org. If no Council ERC is appointed, then the Grand Knight will be responsible the Council ERC duties.

The Council ERC is appointed by the Grand Knight and reports to the Community Director and the Diocesan ERC. The Council ERC should have the following qualifications:

• Brother Knight in good standing who is respected in the community.
• Must be in good health (able to walk around & supervise volunteers).
• Have reliable transportation.
• Should NOT be a first-responder (must be available to help during a local disaster).

Once they are appointed, the Council ERC should contact their Diocesan ERC and Regional ERC, and e-mail EmergencyResponse@TKofC.org with their name, address, cell phone number, e-mail address, KofC membership number, council number, location, and diocese. The Council ERC will then receive training and regular communications from the Texas Emergency Response Committee.