The 213th Annual Council - Diocese of Virginia

Annual Reports
Task Force on Emergency Preparedness
Your diocesan Task Force on Emergency Preparedness has spent the past year gathering
information from other dioceses; Episcopal Relief and Development, the General
Church’s disaster response arm; and from the many partnering organizations of the
Virginia and National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster. We follow the U.S.
Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS’s) “all-hazards” approach to emergency
planning and preparedness, which involves the recognition that disasters can be
natural (floods, dam failures, weather-related, pandemic influenza); technical (nuclear
accidents and incidents, hazardous materials spills, widespread power grid failures
and the like); or intentional (chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear or high-yield
explosives attacks, cyber-terrorism, agro-terrorism or other intentional acts intended to
disrupt our way of life and threaten our security). We have studied concept of operations
plans and continuity of operations (COOP) plans from corporate, governmental and
nongovernmental organizations. We have been involved with the planning, execution,
and evaluation of preparedness exercises at the local, regional, state-wide and national
levels. We have gathered an enormous amount of information and are poised to
accomplish the following goals in 2008:
• Compile and disseminate the data we have gathered in such a way that each
congregation in this diocese can develop its own all-hazards preparedness plan
• Work within the regional structure to ensure that each congregation is partnered
with its local emergency management agency (EMA) or office of emergency
management (OEM) and that each region has a preparedness liaison who is the
point of contact with each EMA or OEM in that region
• Seek invitations to visit regional councils and individual parishes to promote
affiliation with such local volunteer organizations as Community Emergency
Response Team (CERT), Medical Reserve Corps, local law enforcement and
emergency medical auxiliaries, and the parish nurse program
• Provide facilitation to diocesan leadership in the formulation of COOP and
continuity of government plans for Mayo House, Shrine Mont, Roslyn and other
diocesan entities
For more information about the work of this task force, or to arrange for a member of
the task force to visit your congregation or regional council, please contact the Rev. Pete
Gustin at 703-442-4152 or at Peter.Gustin@L-3Com.com.
Su b m i t t e d b y Th e Re v. Dr. Pe t e Gu s t i n, Ch a i r, Ch r i s t Ch u r c h, Lu c k e t t s
Episcopal Church Women
The Episcopal Church Women of our Diocese have had a fulfilling year, and despite the
challenges facing the greater Church, have continued to focus on our mission.
Spring Open Board Meeting, May 22, 2007: Church of the Epiphany, Richmond, hosted
the spring meeting. The theme of the day was “Touching Lives…Making a Difference.”
The Rev. Lauren Stanley, missionary of the National Episcopal Church to Sudan, spoke
movingly about her work in Darfur and suggested ways we can support her ministry. Ms.
Beblon Parks, vice president, program, spoke about Millennium Development Goals and
how the Episcopal Church Women are already achieving many of these goals through
our current ministries. Joining us for parts of the day were the Rt. Rev. Peter Lee, the Rt.
Rev. David Jones, Mr. Patrick Getlein, secretary of the Diocese and several other diocesan
staff members.
The consecration of Bishop Coadjutor Shannon Sherwood Johnston took place at the
The Diocese of Virginia t Journal of the the 213 th Annual Council 139