Disaster.

As many of you know, on Mon., June 19th, parts of the Houston area were
inundated by more than 12 inches of rain, causing flooding in several
thousand houses. Ordinarily, TACCOR would be able to respond to meet the
need for Flood Buckets and Health Kits for the victims of this flood.
Unfortunately, on that same Monday, the Christian Alliance warehouse in
Pearland, where almost all of our flood buckets and health kits were
stored (along with tons of food and clothing), was burning to the ground.
Nothing in the warehouse was salvageable. Consequently, there is an
immediate need to replace as many of the destroyed flood buckets and
health kits as possible.
Christian Alliance does have some empty flood buckets in a trailer
which we hope to access on Tuesday, June 27th. At that time, the buckets
will be available for distribution. We are asking every church to step
up and help replenish the supply of completed flood buckets and health
kits. Instructions for completing both items can be found at the UMCOR
website (www.umcor.org). For the time being, there is no central
repository in the Houston area for new buckets, so please find a place to
TEMPORARILY store any new supplies until a new warehouse is located. We
will let you know as soon as we know just where the new facility is
located.
Please help us with this urgent need as past events have shown us
that an adequate supply of flood buckets and health kits is a necessity
in our flood-prone area.

ROM Kathie Mann, Dir. PIM, Texas Annual Conference~

EARLY RESPONDER Training will be offered on July 8th for those who
would like to be certified by UMCOR to go into a disaster area to make
homes and churches SAFE, SANITARY and SECURE. Plenty of space is
available!
Classes will be at First UMC in Navasota on July 8th from 9 AM - 1
PM. Cost is $15, which includes a T-shirt, badge & lunch. ADVANCED
REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED.
Additional T-Shirts are available for $7 each.
Contact Mary Ann Hodges, Conference Disaster Response Coordinator
at maryannhodges1@aim.com or 281-379-5091(H) or 281-546-0985 (C) for
additional information and/or a registration form.

Early Responder Training

Early Responder Training

As safety forces become (unfortunately) more experienced at disaster response, they are becoming less and less willing to let just any willing worker onto a disaster site. They are increasingly requiring certification for Early Responders. UMCOR is one of the agencies who is authorized to certify individuals, and has trained Joe and Katie Beran to provide such certification and identification.

What do Early Responders do?

• Go into a disaster site after the First Responders (Police, Fire and EMS Workers) have stated that the area is safe for “civilians.”
• Provide a Christian Presence in a disaster.
• Remove debris and make temporary repairs.
• Make a dwelling "Safe, Sanitary, and Secure."
• Document damages.
• Observe victim's needs and report these to the disaster relief operations.
• Share information (where is food available, when is FEMA coming, and where will they be, what radio stations are on air, whre are shelters open).

Why Do We Need Early Response Teams?

They provide immediate assistance to those older or disabled persons, who do not have their support system (family) nearby to assist them.

• It reassures victims that the church cares about them.
• It provides visibility for the United Methodist Church. We are always “First in and last out.”
• It speeds the response to victims.
• How Do We Equip an Early Response Team?
• The team must be self–contained.
• That is, they must have all the food, water, gasoline, tools, sleeping gear, hygiene necessities, and flexibility that they will need for their 3 day stay.
• If your church or group of churches trains and equips an Early Response Team, the Early Response Coordinator will call to schedule your participation in any disaster that occurs in the Texas Annual Conference.

What Training Is Required?

• Team Leader must have received PIM Team Leader Training and Early Responder Training.
• Every member must have received Safe Sanctuary Training, and passed a background check.
• It is strongly recommended that every member attend Early Responder Training.
• Skills are optional. Willing hands, ears, and eyes are necessary!
• When and where is training available?
• Training takes 4 hours, and is scheduled for Saturday mornings.
• The dates currently scheduled are June 17 (Sugar Land), July 8 (Navasota), and September 9 (Navasota). If you would like to attend any of these classes, please e-mail Mary Ann Hodges at maryannhodges1@aim.com.

If your church would like to host a training session, please e-mail Katie Beran at katieberan1226@yahoo.com. Dates are available on most Saturdays for the rest of the year, on a first come, first served basis.

Kathie Mann, Director of Partners In Mission

We are looking for Construction Supervisors and Site Leaders to help
with assessment in the Rita Recovery area of East Texas. If you are
interested in working with the Recovery team for the summer or even longer,
please contact Ward Smith at 409-225-3135 or wsmith@umcortexas.com.