updated August 2010
Emergency Planning
Emeregncy and catastrophic events can impact a congregations well-being significantly. Planning for emeregncy response, whether it is for an event which happens within the parish or within the broader community, is a prudent way of ensuring the long term viability and security of the parish. Resources are available to assist a congregation in exploring the process involved in planning for emergencies. For information, contact; the Reverend Canon Douglas Graydon, Coordinator of Chaplaincy Services at 416-363-6021 ext 236 or dgraydon@toronto.anglican.ca.
Pandemic Preparedness Background Information:
In January 2006, the bishops of Huron, Niagara and Toronto issued a pastoral letter raising their concern regarding the threat of an influenza pandemic (often referred to as the avian flu pandemic). This threat, if realized, will have far-reaching effects upon our society and our faith community.
In February 2006, the College of Bishops met to discuss this concern and the decision was made to strike a bishop’s working group charged with the task of preparing a Diocesan Pandemic Response Plan.
Since then, this working group, chaired by the Rev. Canon Douglas Graydon, coordinator of Chaplaincy Services, working with the Tri-Diocesan Pandemic Preparedness Working Group (Diocese of Huron, Niagara and Toronto) and the national office, has developed a response plan template which has been contextualized to address the needs of the Toronto Diocese.
The goal of the working group was to incorporate into diocesan emergency protocols the tools to equip the diocese to respond to an influenza pandemic. This pandemic response plan will work in concert with the Ontario government’s pandemic preparedness plan and local public health officials.
The Diocesan Pandemic Response Plan contains a communications strategy for the Diocese, theological reflections on risk, illness and our pastoral response by Bishop Victoria Matthews, the Rev. Canon Dr. Linda Nicholls and the Rev. Canon Eric Beresford.
A pandemic preparedness checklist enables individual congregations to develop their own pandemic plan. A diocesan process is under development for the provision of educational workshops and resources for implementing the plan within the parish setting. Such resources and workshops will be posted on the Diocesan Bulletin Board as they become available.
Finally links to government, medical and public health websites, and other related Diocesan resources are listed for additional information.
For more information regarding pandemic preparedness, or to share comments and reflections upon the current plan, contact the Rev. Canon Douglas Graydon, Coordinator of Chaplaincy Services, 416-363-6021, ext. 236.
