EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS -
WHO NEEDS IT?

Maybe you have noticed recent government ads about preparing ourselves and our families to manage for a short period of time without some of the services and items that we all take for granted. Some of us have already encountered problems with gasoline shortages due to a refinery fire, and power outages caused by a recent snow and ice storm. Most of us tend to react to these interruptions in our usual way of life with anger and a feeling of helplessness. We also are suddenly forced to recognize how dependent we are on things like a reliable supply of electricity, fuel, food, and safe water. Without electricity many of us can't heat our homes, cook a meal, communicate with the outside world, or see to carry on activities during the long, dark nights. A lack of fuel may also interfere with home heating and cooking, as well as with transportation to work, stores, etc. When we go to the grocery store, we expect the shelves to be well stocked with the items we need. When we turn on the tap, we expect to get clean water for drinking, cooking, and washing. How will we manage during periods of time when these goods and services may not be available? Whose job is it anyway to make sure that we have the things we need? Society has a responsibility to develop plans for providing needed services to its citizens under abnormal conditions, but we share this responsibility in terms of planning our own response to unexpected situations.

The Tri-Congregational Parish Nursing Ministry (TC-PNM), which now involves four congregations (Iona, St. Cyprian's, St. Christopher's, and Trinity Mandarin), is actively involved in planning designed to help the churches and their individual members be ready for potential future emergencies (e.g. influenza pandemic). Over the course of the next few months, watch for educational sessions, pamphlets, and handouts dealing with general emergency preparation as well as protection and management during a flu pandemic. With the help of our partner churches, we will provide information in appropriate languages (English, Mandarin, Cantonese) to ensure that it is "user-friendly" for all. Please stay tuned to this channel…

God has blessed us in this community with an abundance of resources and the intelligence to decide how best to use them in promoting and protecting our own and others' health. It is up to each of us individually, and all of us in the Body of Christ in this neighbourhood, to accept the challenge of preparing ourselves for potential emergencies. Then instead of feeling like angry, helpless victims, we can feel that we have some degree of control in whatever situations arise.