A resource on preparedness has become available. It is the winter 2012 newsletter of the Kentucky office developing disaster communication systems. One of its information items is to call Kentuckians to practice an earthquake drill.
The Council has a long and distinguished history of service to the Commonwealth in the area of long-term disaster recovery. Former director John Bush studied disasters and the role of churches and helped the Council become a true leader in this field. His successor Nancy Jo Kemper continued that tradition by writing and publishing a resource for churches on preparedness and recover. And over the years many thousands of dollars were raised and carefully placed where they could help communities recover.
Council leaders began to ask how our own role should evolve in light of the fact that member denominations and faith-based organizations developed considerable expertise and capacity for recovery assistance work. Consultations in 2010 and 2011 led to a clear recommendation. The Council should now major in helping churches mitigate the impact of disasters by doing good advance preparations, and in helping churches prepare in advance to be of real assistance to their communities. Some of that advance preparation has to do with theological reflection about what, from our spiritual tradition, we have to say about the existence and impact of disasters.
To make this key change of emphasis clear, the Executive Board voted on August 30, 2011 that the Council program called "KIDRP", the Kentucky Interchurch Disaster Recovery Program, no longer exists. Instead we will work in the area of preparedness education and theological reflection. We welcome recommendations about helpful ways to fulfill this mission.
Kentucky, and especially our western zone, is “overdue” for a significant earthquake. We have the New Madrid fault to consider. The faith community will be looked to for a response, and we must become more ready than we are now. A first step is to make sure our own church buildings and leaders are ready so we can be there for others when the time comes. Please review the attached brochure and act now!
The Rev. Karl Lusk, the Episcopal Diocese of Kentucky's disaster response coordinator, has been named a member of Partners in Response, the disaster and emergency response team of the U.S Disaster Program of Episcopal Relief and Development. He is the rector of the Church of the Ascension, Bardstown, where he is a chaplain at Flaget Memorial Hospital.
Lusk was invited to New York City to meet with the other five team members and Episcopal Relief and development staff for planning and training. The team will provide consultation and assistance to diocesan disaster coordinators and teams when major disasters strike. Lusk was selected to serve because of his background as a first responder, emergency services chaplain, and member of the KY Community Crisis Response Network. Lusk hopes to recruit a diocesan disaster team.
January 31, 2012