Disaster Response

Fast Facts

Washington Conference Adventist Community Services (ACS) aided and consulted in relief and donations management for the Oso Landslide.

Upper Columbia, Oregon and Washington conferences have been involved in donations management, chain saw crews and relief for the Carlton Complex Fires, raising more than $70,000 for building recovery.

Cindy Cook of Brewster, Washington, operated an ACS distribution center for more than a year, aiding in the relief effort, and she is still involved.

Mission

To serve the poor and hurting in Christ's name.

Summary

The North Pacific Union Conference (NPUC) disaster response coordinator serves as a liaison with government agencies encompassing the NPUC and responds to requests for donations management, coordinating and supporting conference ACS leaders and volunteers activated to disasters. He also organizes annual advisories of conference ACS Disaster Reponse (DR) directors and North American Division leadership, including training events for ACS DR volunteers. He supports relationships with Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster Response (VOAD) and government agencies. The NPUC DR coordinator is a volunteer who is given an expense budget by the NPUC to support training events and travel expenses.

What’s Been Accomplished

STORM RELIEF — Oregon, Upper Columbia and Idaho conferences sent ACS staff to operate multiagency warehouses in New York City and New Jersey in response to Hurricane Sandy.

FLOOD RESPONSE — Alaska Conference ACS DR volunteers led by Barney Batey ran donations management operations in response to the Yukon River Floods in cooperation with the state of Alaska.

DISASTER DRILLS — NPUC ACS DR personnel participated in the Cascade Rising Disaster Response Drill in Seattle, Washington.

ACS TRAINING — We annually train ACS DR volunteers in chain saw recovery, forklift operation, disaster preparedness, and volunteer and donated goods management.

GOVERNMENT RELATIONS — Confirmed a Memorandum of Understanding with the state of Washington and the Oregon, Upper Columbia and Washington conferences. NPUC DR confirmed a temporary Memorandum of Understanding with the state of Alaska and the Alaska Conference.

The Challenges Ahead

PROPHETIC WARNINGS — In addition to the news we see around us every day, inspired writings alert us to increasing disasters near the time of the end.

PREPAREDNESS — We must be ready to relieve suffering from disasters whenever and wherever they happen. Personal, family, community and institutional preparedness requires a plan, trained personnel, equipment and resources.