 | Heads of ministerial
associations, Council of Churches staff and/or board members
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Pastors and congregational lay leaders
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Neighborhood leaders
| | | Union leaders
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| Business leaders
| | | Attorneys
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Local government officials from Health, Fire and Emergency Management
| | | Representatives of groups
reflecting the racial and ethnic diversity of your community
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American Red Cross and The Salvation Army officials
|
| | VOAD
(Voluntary Organizations Active in Disasters) representatives
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Representatives of charitable foundations
| | | Other
local service providers (social services, housing groups, etc.)
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Local college professors with appropriate specialities
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Whew! That's some list. Why so many people? Because the
secret to a successful task force is to have all involved parties at the table.
An ecumenical task force may be the ONLY place all these folks are willing and
able to gather as one. And the point of an ecumenical task force is to break
down the natural "us and them" dynamics that will develop and help all parties
to bring their resources to bear on a solution that will be good for
everyone.
Such a diverse task force will be awkward at first and with
many points of view present at once, making headway may seem difficult at times.
Set up some ground rules for your discussions, including an understanding that
differences will be aired honestly. The job of the task force is not to identify
and punish the guilty, but to help devise solutions for the problem(s) and meet
the needs of those suffering.
Many such groups adopt a form of
consensus building, rather than a majority rule, so that automatic winners and
losers are not created. Consensus means that everyone at the table can live wih
the solution proposed, not that the solution is agreed to in every detail by all
people.
Choosing a name for the task force can be important. Use of
terms such as "homeowners" or "Christian" should be discouraged because of their
limitations. Renters can be affected by a technology-caused disaster, just as
much as homeowners. And many communities have people of faith who are not
comfortable with the label "Christian," including Jewish congregations,
Buddhists and others.
Special efforts may be required to reach out to
non-mainline congregations, such as those who do not normally participate in the
formal ecumenical organizations. You may also find some wonderful neighborhood
leaders who are not part of any formal group, but need to be at the tables as
opinion leaders in the community.
AN ACUTE technology-caused DISASTER CAN BE
BROKEN DOWN INTO THREE PHASES. THESE ARE EMERGENCY, RELIEF AND RECOVERY.
The emergency stage can last from a few
hours to several days or weeks. Immediately after a fire, explosion, spill or
release, the substances involved may be unknown. And even if the individual
substances are known, the ways in which they interact with each other and the
human body under the conditions present may not be known. Immediate evacuation
is usually wise, but local emergency authorities will decide this. A
presidential disaster declaration, which brings federal assistance to survivors
of natural disasters, is not likely.
During the emergency stage it is
best to leave the area immediately and let the experts handle the most dangerous
work. Even before authorities arrive, children, the elderly, pregnant women and
those already ill should be evacuated.
Churches close by, but not in,
the affected area may offer their buildings as emergency shelters. This can be
facilitated by prearrangement with the American Red Cross.
Communication with the Disaster Response Office of Church World Service and
your regional church office are the other main tasks in this stage.
The relief stage follows completion of evacuation.
Persons in need of basics such as food, shelter and medical and pastoral care
should be identified and assisted. This is best done through a coordinated
ecumenical effort where each congregation and denomination represented can pool
its knowledge, contacts and resources to see that all in need are served
efficiently and effectively. See the Church World Service books Prepare to Care
and Organizing an Interfaith Disaster Response.
The third stage is long-term recovery , which can last indefinitely.
Effects of exposure may even afflict succeeding generations due to exposure in
the womb, and birth defects and reproductive problems.
You can plan
on controversy regarding when (or if) the affected area will be safe to resume
normal activities. Medical, legal and spiritual needs may continue a decade or
more. An organized ecumenical response is critical. Do not take sides, but call
for the facts and act as a go-between to be sure all parties are brought to the
table and clear, accurate communication becomes possible.
Working
together, churches and religious organizations can ensure that all affected
persons are assisted and that the disenfranchised have an advocate. Working
together also prevents duplication of services and provides a way to access all
persons or families in a community.
"Unfortunately, in some cases, one family member grew [in
learning to deal the problem of Love Canal] and the other didn't. That sometimes
caused marital problems, and in some cases, divorces. Some marriages ended in
divorce because of the stress on the families throughout the crisis; moving in
and out of hotels and motels, sick children who just never seemed to get well,
personal guilt for moving to that house, and the frustration and fear of being
trapped. Husbands felt helpless trying to protect their families while wives
continually cried because they feared something would happen to their babies.
("Love Canal: The Story Continues," by Lois Marie Gibbs, p. 189)
CHRONIC technology-caused DISASTERS CAN BE BROKEN DOWN
INTO THREE STAGES AS WELL: RUMORS, REPORTS AND REACTIONS.
Chronic
disasters are often rumors before they can be confirmed or they become
acute. Denial, uncertainty and apathy will be the earliest expressions from the
involved parties.
Persons reporting medical conditions that may be
connected to an emission will often be looked upon as "nut cases" or "isolated"
incidents that can't be connected. Victims will usually seek each other out for
support and understanding.
As reports begin to pile up and
responsible authorities declare an emergency, some victims will feel intense
anger at those they hold responsible, while others will be greatly relieved to
have their suspicions confirmed.
After the responsible parties and
the substance(s) involved have been identified, many people may react
with feelings of relief, but for some, these answers can raise even more
questions. Affected individuals and families may report increasing levels of
concern as the problem is better defined but no solution is in sight.
As in an acute disaster, not knowing when or if the area affected will be safe
again adds worries at this point. People naturally want to know if they will be
living in shelters for a few days or weeks. They want to know if their property
can be cleaned up, how it will be done and who will pay for it. They want to
know if they will be safe, if their children will be healthy. They want to know
if someone will buy them out and let them get on with their lives in another
location. These answers may not be forthcoming for months, even years.
Waiting and not knowing and not being able to make their own decisions all
take a toll on families, even those that were strong before.
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