• Preparedness 1-6

  • Confirm Contact Information 2

  • Make Arrangements for Those With Special Needs 3

  • Secure Congregation Records 4

  • Review Arrangements With the Body of Elders 5

  • Schedule a Local Needs Part 6

    • Prepare Emergency Supplies 6.1

    • Have an Evacuation Plan 6.2

    • Maintain Communication 6.3

• When a Disaster Occurs in the Local Area 7-12

  • Contact All Publishers 7

  • Update the Coordinator of the Body of Elders 8

  • Update the Circuit Overseer 9

  • Be Safety Conscious 10

  • Shepherd the Publishers 11

  • Provide Ongoing Practical Support 12

• When a Disaster Occurs in Another Area 13

1. If advance warning of a disaster is given, elders should ensure that all publishers are in a safe location and, if time permits, should obtain and distribute any supplies that may be needed. The following steps should be taken in preparation for disasters and various types of emergencies, even if it seems that such are not likely in your area:

2. Confirm Contact Information: The secretary should maintain a list containing the contact information and emergency contact information for all publishers, including inactive ones. This list should also include the circuit overseer’s contact information. Whenever there is an update to this list, the secretary should promptly provide a copy to all elders. Each elder should ensure that he has ready access to this information. Keep in mind that following a disaster, electronic files may not be accessible if power or Internet service is disrupted.

3. Make Arrangements for Those With Special Needs: The Congregation Service Committee together with the field service group overseers should develop a plan to assist those with special needs, such as the elderly.

4. Secure Congregation Records: Congregation records and confidential files should be secure and safely stored at all times. In addition, the Congregation Service Committee should develop a plan to protect the records in the event of an impending disaster.​—See 22:10.

5. Review Arrangements With the Body of Elders: Annually, during a quarterly elders’ meeting, the local preparations should be reviewed.

6. Schedule a Local Needs Part: Annually, use one of the local needs parts on the midweek meeting to review with the congregation how to prepare for a disaster or emergency. When doing so, consider material from Awake! 2017 No. 5, page 4, under the heading “Before​—Prepare!” and the box on page 6, “Do You Have What You Need?” Emphasize the following recommendations:

1. (1) Prepare Emergency Supplies: Store at least a three-day supply of emergency items, including safe drinking water, food, and medications, in a “go bag” that can be quickly taken in an evacuation. This bag should also include important documents, such as passports and those related to identification, insurance, property ownership, and prescriptions.

2. (2) Have an Evacuation Plan: Consider various safe locations you may evacuate to, depending on the type of emergency. Follow the directions of local authorities and the elders. Consider what items should be taken in an evacuation, such as emergency supplies and important documents.

3. (3) Maintain Communication: Keep in regular communication with your field service group overseer.

7. Contact All Publishers: When the congregation is affected by a disaster, elders should quickly make an assessment of the immediate needs of the publishers. Group overseers should take the lead in locating each family in their field service group, including inactive ones, and should inquire of their well-being.

1. (1) Determine and address immediate needs, such as medical care, food, water, shelter, clothing, and other basic items.

2. (2) Determine the condition of the brothers. Are any displaced, missing, injured, or deceased?

3. (3) Determine the basic condition of their homes. Are there power or utility outages? Are any homes damaged or destroyed?

8. Update the Coordinator of the Body of Elders: As soon as possible (usually within one day), group overseers should communicate their findings to the coordinator of the body of elders, even if the information is incomplete or no one has been affected. Continue to provide daily updates until all of the publishers have been accounted for.

9. Update the Circuit Overseer: Once this information is gathered, the coordinator of the body of elders should immediately inform the circuit overseer of any damage and the health condition of congregation members. He should also inform the circuit overseer if the Kingdom Hall was damaged or destroyed. Continue to provide daily updates until all of the publishers have been accounted for. When the circuit overseer has received the report from the elders, he will promptly contact the branch office. The branch office will determine whether there is a need for further assistance.

10. Be Safety Conscious: Before volunteers assigned by those coordinating the relief effort arrive, it is expected that those in the affected and surrounding areas will reach out to try to assist with the immediate needs of those in their congregations. However, when providing assistance, it is vital that all remember to use modesty in what they are qualified to do. It may be that the situation is hazardous or that buildings could be susceptible to collapse. No one should endanger himself for material possessions.

11. Shepherd the Publishers: Give spiritual and emotional support to the congregation, and resume congregation meetings as quickly as possible.​—od p. 162 pars. 15-16.

12. Provide Ongoing Practical Support: If the damage was extensive or the relief effort will continue for weeks or months, elders should be alert to do the following:

1. (1) Identify congregation publishers who could offer temporary accommodations for those who are displaced or for construction volunteers.

2. (2) Ensure that relief supplies are distributed adequately and equitably to families in need.​—Acts 6:1.

3. (3) Accompany Local Design/​Construction Department (LDC) field personnel when visiting publishers to survey property damage.

4. (4) Help publishers determine if they qualify to apply for government aid. Before they submit an application for such, ensure that publishers understand what would be required of them after they receive the help. These are personal matters for publishers to consider before entering into an agreement.

5. (5) Help the LDC to determine which publishers qualify for reconstruction assistance from the organization, based on direction from the branch office.​—od pp. 119-120 pars. 12-15.

13. If a disaster occurs in another area, elders can remind the publishers of the following points:

1. (1) We should remember our brothers and sisters in our prayers.​—2 Cor. 1:8-11.

2. (2) Those desiring to provide monetary assistance may donate to the worldwide work. In this way, the organization can help to care for the needs of any in the worldwide brotherhood.

3. (3) Materials or supplies should not be sent to the disaster area unless specifically requested by the brothers in charge. This will ensure an orderly relief effort and the proper distribution of goods.

4. (4) The branch office should not be called merely for information, as this can tie up phone lines that are needed to handle incoming calls from the disaster area.

5. (5) Publishers should not travel to the affected area to help unless they have been invited to do so by those coordinating the relief effort. Volunteers should have an approved Local Design/​Construction Volunteer Application (DC-50) or Application for Volunteer Program (A-19) on file.