MIDDLETON IDAHO STAKE
EMERGENCY PREPARATION AND RESPONSE PLAN
Working together to make our community a safer, more prepared community!
GUIDING PRINCIPLES
The scriptures admonish us to prepare every needful thing—we must do what we CAN do. Like many of the prophets
before him, President Gordon B. Hinckley warned of possible disasters and counseled members to prepare: “the time has
come to set our houses in order…There is a portent of stormy weather ahead to which we had better give heed…No one
knows when emergencies will strike…If you have paid your debt, if you have a reserve, even though it be small, then
should storms howl about your head, you will have shelter for your wives and children and peace in your hearts. ” (Ensign,
Nov.1998, 53).
Heads of households are ultimately responsible to prepare their families in the event of an emergency. Through
cooperation, families, neighborhoods and communities become safer, more prepared, and ready to respond to various
disasters. As Disciples of Christ, we should be like the Good Samaritan—both willing and able to help everyone in our
community—“because the rain falls on both the just and the unjust” (Matt. 5:45). Emergency Preparedness is universal
to all faiths and can open a door, which might otherwise be closed. The great blessing of being prepared gives us all
freedom from fear as guaranteed to us by the Lord:
“…If ye are prepared, ye shall not fear” (D&C 38:30).
MIDDLETON STAKE GOALS
Encourage every family in the boundaries of the Stake to get their own Family Disaster Plan in place and practice it,
because the responsibility to prepare for and respond to emergencies rests on each individual member and family.
Work together to make each home in the Stake a safer, more prepared home by helping members of the Stake prepare
themselves both spiritually and temporally for all types of emergencies and disasters.
In our meetings teach the doctrine of Christ first for to God everything is spiritual. When the greatest reason to obey all the
commandments, even preparedness (temporal and spiritual), is felt in the heart, real action will take place.
Set up a Stake Communications Network between wards, city and county officials, local churches, and other stakes in the
region.
HAZARD ANALYSIS FOR THE MIDDLETON IDAHO STAKE
Before considering a suitable response to a disaster, we must first determine the threats, which are most likely to occur in
our stake. Due to its location, the following hazards could potentially affect the Middleton area at any time.
HAZARD
Earthquakes
Dam Failure
Flooding due to heavy rains, a canal
break, dam failure, or an overflowing of
the Boise River
Severe Weather / High Winds
Wilderness Fire / Home Fire
Terrorist Attacks
Hazardous Materials Accident
(chemical and radioactive)
Natural Gas Line Rupture
POSSIBLE RESULTS
Fires, Floods, Dam Failures, Landslides, Loss of utility services, Entire
neighborhoods could be isolated for days
Flooding, Mudslides, Middleton Stake would have approximately 4 to 5
hours before floodwater would reach its boundaries
Evacuation to higher ground. The Lansing and Middleton Buildings are
both in the flood plain on the revised FEMA map; an alternate EOC
above the flood plain may be needed. (see individual Ward Plans)
Prolonged Power Outages, resulting in a need for alternate cooking and
heating, crop damage, home damage or medical needs
Evacuation of several homes, Loss of homes
A Shelter-in-Place Order due to (WMD) Weapons of Mass Destruction
which could be chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, or explosive
Mass evacuation of neighborhoods
Well / Water Contamination
Pandemic or Influenza Outbreak
Economic Failure
Evacuation of neighborhoods, Need for alternate heating or cooking
or shelter
Illness or water shortage
Quarantine or Isolation of mass amounts of people
Unemployment, Psychological effects
Tornados
Volcano
Power Failure
Drought
Fires, Building Damage, relocation of families
Mass evacuation of neighborhoods
Loss of heat, communication, cooking, etc.
Loss of water, food – famine.
LEADERSHIP AUTHORITY
The Stake President, Bishops, and Heads of Households are the Emergency Directors for their respective units. Each must
designate and train alternates to perform these functions in their absence. The presiding priesthood officer, as described
below, will direct response efforts until a more senior leader is available. The Church leaders should make the services of
the Church available to civil authorities during an emergency. They also should take independent action on behalf of
Church members as needed. REMEMBER, Civil Authorities have priority in directing efforts to respond to
emergencies that involve the community.
Church Unit
Stake
Ward
Officer
Stake President
Member of the Stake Presidency
High Councilor over Preparedness
Stake Preparedness Specialist/
Melchizedek Priesthood Holder
Bishop
Member of the Bishopric
High Priest Group Leader
Elders Quorum President
Ward Preparedness Specialist/
Melchizedek Priesthood Holder
INFORMATION FLOW
Information flow and basic communications are based on Priesthood lines of authority. After their own families are
contacted and safe, Home Teachers should contact their assigned ward families as soon as possible to provide any support
that may be needed, especially those with special needs, and report according to the following information flow diagram.
NOTE: if phone lines are down, it may be neither safe nor practical for Home Teachers to cross across neighborhoods to
check on assigned families when there are immediate needs in their own blocks.
Information Flow Diagram:
Home TeachersElders Quorum or High Priests Group Leaders Member of the Bishopric Member of the
Stake PresidencyRegional Welfare Leader or Area Presidency
COMMUNICATION
Depending on the disaster, phone lines may or may not be working. Cell phone towers also may be affected.
Working phone lines:
Stake activates Middleton Stake ERC (Emergency Response Communications) group texting system (such as GroupMe)
Wards initiate their Communications Calling Plan.
Families initiate their Family Communications Plan, including calling neighbors.
The county can alert residents through the reverse 911 system, which sends out a recorded message to all phone lines in the
county simultaneously. It can also be neighborhood specific. Individuals can utilize this resource in an emergency by
calling 9-1-1 or the county Emergency Management Coordinator.
The Stake President will forward emergency information in a timely manner to regional representatives and Civil
Authorities by phone.
Area Presidency Elder Erickson
Middleton Mayor Darin Taylor 585-3133
Middleton Police Chief Brian Zimmerman 585-2038
Middleton Fire Department 585-6650
Idaho Red Cross 1-800-853-2570
Canyon County Emergency Management Coordinator David Schorzman 454-7271
Non-working phone lines:
Aaronic Priesthood holders—Young Men—can be used as “runners” between the wards, stake leaders, city officials, and
other local churches.
Each Bishop, the Stake President, and Stake Preparedness Specialists will have an FRS (Family Radio Service) radio in his
office or home to relay information through a Priesthood Frequency assigned radio channel.
Stake Primary channel ___10_____ sub code ____1____
Stake Back up channel ___10______sub code____2____
Each Ward will have an assigned FRS channel for individuals who own FRS radios to use to relay emergency information
throughout the ward. The primary channel will be the ward number followed by sub code 1. The sub code on the backup
channels will go up sequentially.
Example: Middleton 1st ward: primary channel 1.1, backup channel 1.2 …
The Stake President or Stake ECS will activate the Stake Amateur Radio ERC system to forward emergency information in
a timely manner to regional representatives and civil authorities on assigned frequencies.
Stake Communications Specialist:__Brent Gibson 454-8545___Call Sign: ____KD7RBX____
Bishop Storehouse Frequency: 146.940 (t100.0), 145.040 & 446.250 SIMPLEX Caldwell / Middleton Stake
Frequency 146.560, 145.100 & 445.825 and Nampa Region Frequency 146.400, 144.980 & 446.750
BEFORE THE STORM
Member Responsibilities:
A. The head of each household is ultimately responsible to prepare his/her family in the event of an emergency.
1. Develop a Family Disaster & Communications Plan and practice it annually.
2. Be familiar with Hazards or possible threats to your neighborhood, how to respond, and cooperate with neighbors
to prepare in advance to work together during times of emergency (Map Your Neighborhood).
3. Store 3 months of food that is part of your normal, daily diet, and add longer-term food items to it when able.
Store enough water to sustain your family for 2 weeks—14 gallons per person. (See All is Safely Gathered In:
Family Home Storage Pamphlet.)
4. “We must live as true followers of the Christ, with charity toward all, returning good for evil, teaching by example
the ways of the Lord, and accomplishing the vast service He has outlined for us” (President Gordon B. Hinckley,
Ensign, May 2004, 84).
5. Establish a financial reserve by saving a little money each week and gradually increasing it to a reasonable
amount. (See All is Safely Gathered In: Family Finances Pamphlet.)
6. Members may choose to maintain fire extinguishers in easily accessible places and know how to use them.
7. Members may choose to have 72-hour kits and car kits and place in accessible locations. 72-hour kits will include
other items the family may need other than food. Clothing, medications, stoves, water, etc.
B. Ward Responsibilities:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Establish Ward (EOC) Emergency Operations Center—primary & alternate locations should be predetermined;
This information should be copied to the Stake President along with phone numbers of alternate emergency
directors. Become familiar with Gov./agency Incident Command Structure.
Establish a Ward Emergency Preparedness/Response Council (PEC, RS, EPS, ECS)
o Develop and practice Ward Communication Calling Plan when phones are working and when they are
not working.
o Using Home Teaching identify Special Needs( Disabled, Elderly), Special Skills, Children Home Alone.
o Develop a response notebook with emergency numbers, leadership checklists and reference material.
o Identify (2-3) Ward Emergency Response/Assessment Teams (Amateur Radio, CERT, Building Skills)
Survey families to determine skills, supplies, and special needs. Compile information using the church mapping
system into a quick reference for the Bishop.
Develop a system for obtaining the status of each ward family and all neighbors who need assistance. Where
possible these systems should support neighborhood watch and “Map Your Neighborhood”.
Encourage all families in the ward boundaries to create a Family Disaster/Communications Plan, and 3-month
supply of food, 2-weeks supply of water and financial reserve through handouts, Enrichment classes, Ward
activities, sacrament talks, firesides, fifth Sunday lessons, newsletters, and any other sources.
Melchizedek Priesthood leaders through home teachers have primary responsibility for training members to
prepare their families for emergencies and to take a helping role in their neighborhoods.
Relief Society leaders train all sisters in compassionate service, emergency response and caring for sick and
afflicted.
The Stake would also like to see each Ward have at least one or two members within the Ward boundaries obtain
an Amateur radio license and maintain communications with the Stake Communication specialist. In case of an
emergency the link between Stake and Wards will remain in contact so resources and help can get to those who
need it most.
C. Stake Responsibilities:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Establish Stake Emergency Operations Center location. An alternate location may be needed, depending on the
condition of the first location.
Establish a Stake Emergency Response Council (Stake Presidency, RS, HC over EP/EC, EPS, ECS)
The Stake Preparedness Committee, consisting of: a member of the Stake Presidency, the High Councilor over
welfare or Emergency Preparedness, Stake Preparedness Specialists, and a ward Emergency Preparedness
Specialist from each ward will meet monthly or quarterly to report progress towards achieving Stake goals and to
discuss the preparedness needs of each ward.
Assist Ward Emergency Preparedness Specialists in encouraging, motivating, and inspiring all families in their
ward boundaries to get their Family Disaster/Communications Plans in place; to build 3 months of food that is part
of their normal, daily diet; to add longer-term food items to it when able; to store enough water to sustain their
family for 2 week; and to build a small financial reserve through preparedness fairs, firesides, sacrament talks,
handouts, newsletters, government pamphlets, and other sources.
Actively support and work closely with city officials, county officials, school officials, local churches of other
faiths, and Middleton fire department to promote emergency preparedness awareness throughout the community.
Review and update the Stake Communication Network annually or as new information becomes available.