[Exclamation Warning] For the Preparedness Specialist
by Noji Ratzlaff
This website and its contents are the sole responsibility of Noji Ratzlaff, and are in no way sponsored, endorsed, or promoted by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

You've been called as a Preparedness Specialist / Coordinator in your ward, your stake, or other ecclesiastical domain, or you want to know what to teach a newly called Specialist. This page is designed to help you absorb the material that's most effective because of the challenges you face. Much of today's preparedness literature is rendered rather useless because it tends to be too lengthy, is not easily internalized, and frankly is not relevant to your calling. The goal here is to educate you on the basic things you need to learn or teach, to perform effectively as a Preparedness Specialist by providing you with good, useful knowledge in plain English.

While this page has a very obvious LDS orientation, it can easily be applied to similar service that's available in any organization, religious or otherwise. In fact, I'm not going to assume that you are a member of the LDS Church, but that you've been asked by a church leader to help. To keep things simple, I use the terms ward and Bishop, although your ecclesiastical scope and leadership can apply to others, such as a stake, branch, area, or district. Furthermore, in agreement with secular terms laid out by FEMA, the equivalent of an LDS ward, Catholic parish, or Jewish congregation is a neighborhood, while the equivalent of an LDS stake, Catholic diocese, or Jewish synagogue is an area. Because most cities in the US are already sub-divided into these convenient geographic boundaries by faith-based organizations, I will use these terms, plus the block (six to ten households within the neighborhood) to help reduce confusion.

Hover over a word in brown to display additional information
Abstract (about this page, in a nutshell)
    As capable as he might be, your Bishop simply does not have the time to teach the entire ward about preparedness or to help them actually arrive at the point of sufficient preparedness. That's why he called you, to offload that responsibility. Also, at the moment of a true disaster, civic responders will likely be overwhelmed, and they will need extra volunteer eyes, ears, and hands to help out.

    You now have two jobs, 1) to help your ward become better-prepared in case of a disaster and 2) construct a simple plan for your ward to follow in the event of an actual emergency. Once you obtain approval from your Bishopric, you can proceed with the long-term plan. The short-term (emergent) plan requires no church approval.

    Performing much of the work of your calling is fairly easy because you have control over the material creation. One of the most difficult tasks you'll likely face is helping others prepare as they should, because you have little control over them, and they have agency. So, there are generally two types of people you're called to serve, those who already possess the vision of preparedness and those who do not.
[Called by the Bishop]
Contents
Your dual role
What constitutes an emergency?
The emergent moment
The Block Captain program
Long-term preparedness strategy
The Church is a resource, not a crutch
Why won't people listen to me?
Summary
References
About Noji
Your dual role
    The role you fill involves two things, teaching others to follow a long-term preparedness plan, and training others to act the moment an emergent event occurs. The long-term plan should prepare people for a potential disaster, in which they need to survive without food, water, or electric power for several weeks. The short-term, emergency plan should help people understand what actions they should take to survive without available basic necessities for 24 to 72 hours.

    Your goal is the self-sufficiency of your neighborhood or area. People should be self-reliant enough to 1) create a plan that fits the needs of their families and 2) carry out that plan should the need arise, without waiting for direction from church or other authority.

    You yourself possess no real authority, but you do have a stewardship, meaning you're accountable to your leaders for the service you provide to a specific group of people in your assignment, typically your ward. Neither your calling nor your stewardship entitles you to any Church representation, so you do not represent the Church in your service, and if confronted by the media, you must redirect all questions to the Bishop or the Incident Commander.

    In addition, I highly recommend you obtain a ham radio license. While I recommend everybody depend primarily on their phones, pretty much everybody already has one. As an effective backup option, ham radio can work without any sort of commercial or government infrastructure, is more powerful and versatile than CB or walkie-talkies (FRS / GMRS), is inexpensive, and does not require any sort of subscription or periodic fee. Starlink, satellite phones, and Garmin inReach are becoming increasingly popular options as their monthly subscription fees and equipment prices fall to more affordable levels.

    Finally, my mention of the term go-kit is synonymous with go-bag, grab-and-go bag, bug-out-bag, go-box, battle box, jump-kit, ready-kit, bail-out bag, and numerous other names. The term 72-hour kit can also be used alongside those terms, but typically contains more comprehensive rations and gear for greater duration, where the go-kit can be very temporary.
[Specialist With Clipboard]
What constitutes an emergency?
    In a widespread emergency there will probably not be enough civic professionals to help all victims, and they will need the extra eyes, ears, and hands that you can provide, to help fill that gap.

    There are three terms we should to agree on for this discussion, as suggested by CERT:
    • An incident is any problem, issue, hazard, or other event or situation that endangers people or property, including domesticated animals, and is often referred to as an urgent situation
    • An emergency is a sudden, unexpected critical incident, in which help is urgently required and is likely on the way; an emergency is typically regarded as an immediate threat to life or property, and is often referred to as an emergent situation
    • A disaster is a critical incident, in which help is not likely on the way in a reasonably sufficient time to prevent loss of life or property, possibly because the incident is so widespread that services and resources have become overwhelmed, or that access between the victims and the help have become disrupted (damaged roads, downed trees, unsafe buildings, etc.)
    Sometimes whether an incident is emergent is left to your best subjective judgment according to your particular situation. Good Samaritan laws have been enacted to protect you, the ordinary citizen, from liability should you act in good faith according to your training. With those two in place, you are now hereby empowered to do everything within your ability and training to render aid to others, and even save people's lives. Neither Priesthood nor civil authority or permission is required for you to act in the service of others.

    No matter the occasion, never enter an area that poses a threat to your safety. Nor should you ask or expect anybody to enter such a situation.
[CERT Logo]
The emergent moment
    The moment you become aware of the emergency, take note of the time, then activate your emergency plans when the incident involves your household, neighborhood, or locale.

    Activate your emergency protocol

    • Make sure you and your family are safe and taken care of
    • Call 911
    • Notify your Block Captains and Co-captains of the incident by text
    • Check in to your own Block Captain with your family and home status
    • Grab your personal go-kit, and go to your gathering place if it's safe
    • Inform your out-of-state contact of the incident and your status
    • Turn on your TV to an appropriate channel for updates (KSL AM/FM/TV are the designated Utah emergency broadcast channels)
    • Turn on your two-way radio to the appropriate (area, ARES, ERC) channels and check in
      Here's a proposed household emergency plan

      Your Block Captains should contact each household on their blocks and find out (and report back to you)
      • How many people live in the household
      • How many people are home
      • Any issues (injuries, deaths, damage)
        • Here's a sample set of Block Captain expectations.

      In addition, you should
      • Learn the location and welfare of all missionaries in your area
      • Learn the condition of church property in your area
      • Find out what vehicles, especially trucks, are available to help

    Activate your communication plan

      Your APS (area preparedness specialist) should be the person dictating the area / stake communication plan. But if he or she does not, or does not have one, you are fully empowered to implement one of your own. Ideally,
      • Establish communication with your area / stake using your phone
      • Establish a second communication link with your area / stake using ham radio
      • Establish communication with your Block Captains using your phone
      • Establish a second communication link with your Block Captains using ham or FRS or GMRS
      • Ask two runners to come to your location, if their own homes are secured
      Here's a proposed stake disaster communication plan.
      It's often necessary to communicate both ways, from the households to the leadership, and the leadership to the households, to give instructions on evacuation (whether to leave or shelter in place), request needed help (strong bodies, vehicles, equipment), and announce incident updates (change of plans, all clear, etc.)

    Think

      During a truly emergent moment, it's much better to rely on muscle memory than to think, but if you have little to go on, here are a few things to think through.

      No commercial electrical power
      • Don't open the fridge or extrernal freezer unless you really need to
      • Unplug or turn off all non-essential items
      No commercial water pressure
      • The water in your toilet tank is drinkable
      • Stored bottled water and your ice maker are more water sources
      • The dishes can usually wait
      No natural gas
      • The hot water currently in your tank is what you have
      • If you smell gas, LEAVE IMMEDIATELY and call 911
      • Never turn on the gas at the meter yourself

    Displaced people

      Depending on the incident, family members can easily become separated or displaced, and reuniting them can become a priority, but often requires good judgment.

      Separated
      • Report lost children and lost parents to the Bishopric or to authorities
      • Never leave a child alone
      • Gently learn as much about a separated child as you can, without interrogating the child
      • Ask about service animals and accessibility equipment (wheelchair, walker, hearing aid, etc.) needed by household members
      Always work in pairs
      • Work in teams or groups, never alone if possible
      • Never be alone with people outside your family, especially children

    Don't wait for Priesthood authority to activate your plan
    By the end of 1993, the Van Nuys Stake in California had organized an elaborate, comprehensive, and well-orchestrated emergency communication plan for stake-wide incidents. Then in January 1994 their plan was put to the test during a 6.7 magnitude earthquake, and had failed miserably. The equipment they drilled and tested with was available and worked perfectly. The problem was church leadership, who had better things to do than play with communication toys, like making sure their own families were assured and cared for, and had collected their belongings, and in some reported cases had left town to escape the destruction, and deposited loved ones with family elsewhere. And they made the right decisions, because their families came first. Many leaders reported later that locating and using a radio had never even crossed their minds during this adrenaline-filled moment. Furthermore, none of them had assigned others to replace them if they became unavailable.

    As a result, trained communication officers and preparedness specialists were awaiting the green light from stake and ward leaders to proceed with the plan. But in many cases, the go-ahead never came, so they waited and waited. Many precious minutes passed before a few of them took matters into their own hands and started a rescue net and a locator net. By that time, it was a little too late, and most of the stake was in the dark as far as communication, and did not know what steps to take next, until they learned much later how to proceed, from local broadcast radio stations.

    Both Area Authorities and Church Headquarters had little idea of numbers of members affected, number of missionaries accounted for, which church properties had been affected, and how they can mobilize resources to help out. It wasn't until they were informed by civil authorities that the Church could act on even a few of their needs. Do not wait for Priesthood authority before responding to an actual emergency. You are fully authorized to act in your capacity and within your training to activate your plan, set up a help network, save lives, and report your findings to higher authority.
[Block Captain Knocks Door] [Girl on her HT]
The Block Captain program
    The two primary goals of Block Captains are to provide aid to their households and communicate their welfare. Teach this section to your Block Captains and Co-captains.

    Prior to the emergency

      Recruit
      Also known as the Neigborhood Safety, Block Watch, or Neighborhood Watch, the Block Captain program is the focus of an emergency that involves more than one household, and provides a reporting process on the welfare of households. It gives leaders and officials a way to provide the best service to greatest amount of people in the shortest amount of time.

      Get hold of a map of the households in your neighborhood, sub-divide your neighborbood into blocks of about six to ten households. From each block, select two leaders to serve as Block Captain and Block Co-captain; they do not need to be members of any particular religious organization. For some geographies, this can present a challenge, so you'll need to use your best judgment as to how to fit this to the needs of your neighborhood. Ask these Block Captains to serve as such; no church authority is required for your selection, although you should inform your Bishopric out of courtesy. Block Co-captains can be members of the same household as the Captains, but that's not ideal.

      Train
      Gather the Block Captains and Co-captains in your home once each quarter and train them on their duties. Keep it simple. Let them know that they are not law enforcement, nor do they possess any authority, but are volunteers acting purely out of civic need. Let them know how grateful you are for their volunteer service. Tell them that they should never enter into any dangerous structure or situation, and should report those.

      Collect the phone numbers and email addresses of all the Block Captains and Co-captains, then text all the numbers and email the addresses, to be sure you're in contact with them, and haven't fat-fingered anything. Ask each to reply, to be sure you're in contact.

      Ask the Block Captains to meet or get to know their block members. They should expect some block members to resist, and that's their right, but the Block Captains should do their best to let their block members know that the Block Captain is there to serve them in the event of a multi-home emergency.

      Instruct each Block Captain to
      • Attempt to collect a skills and equipment assessment from each household, to know how each household can be of future service to other households
      • Pre-populate a copy of the Incident Tally Form as much as reasonable, and share that with the Co-captain
      • Designate a central gathering place for his or her block
      • Recruit people to be runners between houses to relay information
      Here's a sample drill flyer that invites block households for contact.

      Block Captain apparel
      It's not necessary to insist or even ask Block Captains to wear any particular thing, especially if they feel the item is unfashionable or presents a false image. But, according to CERT, there might be good reasons to wear (or have available) these items:
      • Hard hat (protects your head from sharp edges and falling debris)
      • Vest (helps people and officials know you are serving them)
      • Small notepad and pen (lots of information to capture, such as date, time, names, locations, conditions, needs)
      • In addition, a headlamp, steel-toed shoes/boots, and radio can be useful
      If you have not been CERT-trained, you might naturally feel that wearing some of these items is a little pretentious. From the perspective of the family who's been affected by the incident, however, seeing somebody who appears to have some semblance of training can go a long way to helping them trust you and giving them a little peace-of-mind. So, it's not about you.

    At the moment of the emergency

      Steps
      • Take note of the time
      • Take a deep breath and calm down
      • Check yourself for injuries
      • Check your own household for injuries and damage
      • Report
      The Block Captains should make sure their own household needs are met first. Then the Block Captains should contact each household and learn of their whereabouts and how they've been affected by the incident, and report that information to you by any reasonable means. You then report your collected information to the Bishopric and area Preparedness Specialist, who in turn reports it to the city. If official services (fire, emergency medical, law enforcement) are spread too thin, they might need the Block Captain to remain in contact with the households through the incident.
      • If you or a Block Captain venture outside to a damaged area, be sure to wear your hard hat and vest
      • Check on neighbors, if it's safe to do so
      • Recruit two runners

      In summary, ask each household
      • How many people live in the household
      • How many people are home at the time
      • Any issues (injuries, deaths, damage)
      In addition, each Block Captain should be aware of
      • Missionaries and their welfare
      • Disabled or elderly individuals and their needs
      • Pets and other household animals
      If there are injuries or trauma, physical or emotional
        Talk with them, not to them
        • Sit with them, if possible
        • Ask them how they feel
        • Use their name as much as possible (it's their favorite word, and helps them feel assured)
        • Reassure them that you're there to help
        Do not tell them
        • Everything will be alright (you don't know that)
        • It's God's will (you don't know that either)
        • I understand (you have no clue)
        • Don't feel bad (they have every right to feel bad, and feeling badly might be their own therapeutic way of dealing with the situation)
        • Help is on the way (even if you knew that, you have no idea how long it will take)
        • It could be worse (and this helps how?)
        It's alright to tell them
        • I'm so sorry
        • I can only imagine how you feel right now
        • Go on, tell me more about it
        • How can I be of help?
      Put people to work
      • People want to help
      • Never turn away anybody who can help, within reason
      • Helping out is a distracting and coping mental mechanism
[Block Captains] [Disaster]
Long-term preparedness strategy
    The goal of a long-term preparedness plan is the self-reliance of the members. You want them to be dependent on others for help as little as practical.

    Create a disaster plan

      Help is not on the way
      The definition of a disaster includes the fact that help is not likely on the way soon enough to save lives. As they say, You are the help until help arrives. Learn how to be of help by
      • Taking a First-aid / CPR course
      • Taking a CERT course
      • Purchasing basic first-aid supplies and actually using them
        • Not just band-aids, but gauze, wraps, tape, anti-bacterial ointment, scissors, tampons (for deep wounds)
        • Plan a fun FHE using them on each other
        • Make sure everybody knows where the kit is stashed
      • Attending a prepardness class. This one can be tricky, because there are so many being taught with content and scope way beyond what you need for your long-term preparedness plan, and you want to use your learning time wisely.
      • Learning (and teaching) emergency handyman skills to improve self-reliance

      Make a 72-hour kit and stash it conveniently
      • Make sure it only contains what you really need, not every possible want
      • It should contain a first-aid kit, headlamp, water, MRE, toilet paper, hygiene, medicine
      • Don't make it too heavy
      • Stash a radio in your kit, if possible
      • Keep it near the front door or garage or in your vehicle
      • Purchase a collapsible wagon

      Plan on no power and no water and no natural gas
      • No commercial electrical power
        • Generator - use only outside, with cord running to your house
        • Solar - good during daylight, unless you have a good battery bank
        • Decide which non-essential items to turn off in advance
      • No commercial water pressure
        • Store one gallon of drinking water per person per planned day
        • Stash paper plates and plastic utensils to save water
        • Turn off your lawn watering cycle

      You're on your own, but you're not alone
      Your neighbors and leaders most likely have your back, so reach out to them. People want to feel useful and used during a time when things are a little crazy.
      • Make use of the Church Ministering system, and correlate (make lists) between Ministering Brothers and Ministering Sisters and their families and your Block Captains and their households
      • Engage the Elders Quorum President and Relief Society President and inform them of your plan; ask them how your plan and theirs can augment each other

      Keep communication on your mind
      As they say, In any disaster, communication is the first casualty. You and I have a thirst for information and a need to communicate during a crisis, whether that's to contact somebody for help, to let a loved one know you're alright, or to just stay on top of the news.
      • Your phone is your main communication lifeline, because it can text, take photos and videos, take notes, locate your position, and so much more when the internet and cell service are available, and they usually will be
      • Again, I highly recommend you obtain your ham radio license
        • Ham radio is inexpensive and does not depend on the internet or any other commercial or government infrastructure, but it does require a license
        • Here's an LDS-oriented ham radio preparedness Q&A
        • Ham radio has two additional benefits. One is the ability to talk directly with somebody without the need of "calling" them, hoping they'll pick up. Another is that, in a true emergency, you can call out on ham radio for help without needing to know or "dial" anybody's number, and anybody who's listening can answer the call. When 911 is unavailable, ham radio can be life-saving.
      • Don't underestimate the power of an AM/FM broadcast radio for news, weather, and information, to offer peace-of-mind to you and others nearby
      • CB radio and walkie-talkies (FRS, GMRS, MURS) can be useful for short-range communication
      • If you can afford the monthly subscriptions of Starlink, Garmin inReach, or satellite phones, by all means check out those options as well
      • Depending on the size of your stewardship area, asking for a communication specialist might be a good idea
      • When considering the non-phone type of communication device to use, also keep in mind the temporary nature of church callings and the transient nature of people in general

    Disseminate good information

      Home production
      • Grow a garden
      • Learn the art of canning
      • Learn how to cook simply
      • Examine food dehydration (dried fruit, powedered milk, etc.)
      Food and water storage
      • Store a year's supply of food and necessities
      • Learn which foods are best to can, and learn how to can them
      • Rotate your food storage by using it regularly
      • Purchase a small water filter
      • Store water safely, learn how to prevent algae growth, appropriate types of plastic
      • Keep special dietary needs in mind
      Managing waste
      • Learn how to make a latrine out of your toilet
      • Tricky ones (babies, elderly, handicapped)
      Energy
      • Generator, fuel
      • Food and water heating sources (butane, propane, etc.)
      • Be careful when storing fuel, especially gasoline and alcohol
      • Rotate your gasoline and sterno
      • Solar (electrical) power, charge controller, batteries
      • Solar (heat) power is fun and novel, but can be impractical
      Prepare in advance
      • Clothing
        • Coats, hoodies, socks, garments
        • Shoes, boots, gloves, hats
        • Blankets, pillows, sleeping bags
      • Photographs, perishable papers
      • Make a will
      • Scan important documents such as passports, insurance papers, wills, photos, account numbers and passwords, property info, and copy the digital images onto a thumb drive; do not stuff all this information in some binder that can get lost, damaged, or forgotten
      Preparing for uncertainty
      • Spiritually (your relationship with God and people)
      • Financially (get out of debt, set aside cash)
      • Emotionally (preparation helps, talk with somebody)
      • Educationally (learn a new skill, finish your degree)

    Keep it simple

      Simple foods
      It's typically easy to plan meals for adults, but when it comes to children, keep in mind that they'll prefer to starve to death rather than eat something they don't like.
      • Locate a specialist who has experience with simple food preparation and storage, and host a fireside or preparedness night
      • Take your time to build up your food supplies, storage, and cooking methods; do not go out and spend a ton of money in an attempt to collect those things
      • Continually eat your storage and build it up; not only will it be relatively fresh when you need it, but you'll also be accustomed to it
      Simple plans
      The more complex your plan, the less people will remember it, and the more counter-productive it will be to survival. Make it easy and intuitive, if at all possible.
      • Locate a specialist with experience in long-term family prepareness planning, and ask the person to make a presentation in your ward for a simple plan
      • Educate yourself by visiting Ready.gov
      • While living completely "off-grid" is unnecessary, you can learn many good tips from somebody who knows about that kind of minimalist life style
      • Make lots of friends. Often, it's not what you know, but who you know; a community of help goes a lot farther during a crisis than food, money, or ammunition.

    Practice your plan

      Demonstrate your readiness
      • Hold occasional fun home readiness drills
      • Attend ward or local preparedness trainings
      • Set up a Stake Preparedness Fair
      Participate in annual drills
      Each September the City of Orem holds a city-wide communication drill. Other cities hold similar drills, some with a different scope (injury, mock disaster, triage, etc.) and purpose from that of others. Furthermore, the State of Utah holds their Great Utah Shakeout each April to help citizens become better prepared for earthquakes and other disasters.
[Go-kit] [Portable Wagon]
The Church is a resource, not a crutch
    You've no doubt been called and set apart by church leaders who have caught the preparedness vision, even if it was mandated by a higher authority. That kind of assurance provides you with a degree of support that can embolden and empower you to move forward positively and confidently. But people are often transitent, callings are temporary, and you might eventually be governed by church authorities who don't share the same feeling or outlook their predecessors held. But that's how inspiration works, and you sustain your new leaders.

    Assuming you still hold a preparedness calling, your charge to serve remains, even if your responsibilities and stewardship are redefined by more recent authority. Whether or not your calling has been modified, formulate this preparedness plan so that you can make use of the Church's resources if they're available, and other resources if they're not. It's kind of like planting tomatoes in your garden. If the garden produces, you can have tomatoes, but if it doesn't, all is not lost, and you can either eat other vegetables or go to the store.

    Also, if your plan depends on the Church to provide you with resources, such as personnel, supplies, or time, keep in mind that your calling does not entitle you to them. During a truly emergent moment, your ward or stake leadership could become so overwhelmed by the event that you might be waiting for extended periods of time before you can acquire the provisions you want. When the Church is able to help out, they're a huge blessing, but you should plan for the worst case, which is that your ward, stake, or higher is unavailable to provide you with timely help.

    The same is even more so for communication. The Church will not purchase or provide amateur or satellite equipment for preparedness purposes and must rely on volunteers for those kinds of communication resources. Therefore, it will likely be up to you or your stake counterpart to establish a communication plan, then share your design with your ward leaders. Ideally, they might call an emergency communication coordinator or similar, but if they don't, then recruit and train one yourself.

    As you can tell, you have a lot of flexibility in how you carry out your calling, and you should exercise that freedom. Typically, your church leaders do not micro-manage your every move, and will give you the opportunity to learn and grow by allowing you to make your own decisions. You should then treat your Block Captains the same way, by offering them the agency to implement their own ideas.
[LDS Help]
Why won't people listen to me?
    Preaching to the proverbial choir makes our jobs easier, because our listeners have "caught the vision" of the need for preparedness, and actually want to learn and help. The rest might include those who couldn't care less about preparedness, and some of these could be your very own church leaders, leading you to become frustrated by the seeming lack of support.

    People might not listen to you for a few different reasons. One basic reason is that they might not respect you, because they don't know you, or you present yourself poorly. Maybe you have little control over your presentation, due to a speech impediment, a disability, or are not the same race as them; who knows. It's possible for your church leaders to insist that others follow your instruction, because "Whom the Lord calls, the Lord qualifies," but that's not the ideal approach you want to take.

    If you do command people's respect, the most common and most important reason that people do not follow your guidance is lack of relevance to them. Face it, we're so very busy in today's phone-connected world of information overload; we don't need one more thing to take up our time, even if it seems important.

    Your job in this case is to help them feel the relevance, and that ain't always easy. In the end, they have their agency, and you cannot, should not, attempt to force any of them to listen to you. Sometimes it takes a good, old-fashioned disaster to help people feel that relevance, and in some cases, that might be a bit late, but hopefully you've done your best to make the information available. You can resort to scare tactics, but I've seen that approach be very temporary and largely ineffective.

    So, what can you do? Occasionally pass out flyers about prepareness, letting people know who you are, but don't turn them off by an in-your-face approach and don't spam people with numerous emails. Ask to arrange for a preparedness fireside, or set up a Stake Prepareness Fair. You'll still be preaching to the choir, but others can't help but see that they know where to turn for information. After a while, the relevance might start to be more obvious to them as your name becomes synonymous with preparedness.
[Pouting Girl]
Summary
  • You, the Preparedness Specialist have one goal, and that is the self-sufficiency of those under your stewardship. To achive that goal, you serve two roles, teach others how to plan for a long-term incident, and teach others how to jump into action at the moment of an emergency.
  • Learn, implement, and practice the Block Captain program. The two primary goals of Block Captains are to help their households and communicate their welfare. For each volunteer, including yourself, the primary responsibility is the health and welfare of the volunteer and the volunteer's family, before that of anybody else.
  • In a widespread emergency there will probably not be enough civic professionals to help all victims, and they will likely need the extra eyes, ears, and hands that you can provide, to help fill that gap. You should develop both an emergency protocol and a communication plan that you can activate in the event of an actual incident.
  • You are fully empowered to help others without any Priesthood authorization, as long as you remember that you do not represent the Church. Report all issues and incidents to church leaders and the area Preparedness Specialist.
  • Lay out a simple, long-term preparedness plan that's intended to help people survive for weeks. Using the items now that you plan for later will help prevent surprises. There is a lot of good information to collect, but store it on a thumb drive instead of creating a binder to hold it.
  • Don't become dependent on the Church for all your needs, but make use of its resources for preparedness training, for guidance, and for a communication conduit to report health and welfare of its members.
[Empowered Specialist]
References
About Noji
    I am not an expert on preparedness, nor am I a prepper, but I'm a CERT instructor and have taught numerous preparedness classes and seminars. I've held several Preparedness Specialist callings, and am now serving as one on the ward level. I don't know everything about preparedness, but I know a little bit about it, and I believe I know how to find out the rest.

    I'm a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon), a licensed ham radio operator who is set up for emergency communication, and I believe we need to be armed with accurate, simple, and useful knowledge when it comes to preparedness.
[Albert Einstein]
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