 GROVES MERCY RESPONSE CORPS 
Disaster Teams
Over the past several years, catastrophic events have tested our first responders
and in many communities, stretched them to the limit. The terrorist attacks of
2001 and devastating natural disasters (Rita, Ike, Joplin, etc.) have demonstrated
the importance of emergency preparedness for local and state emergency
professionals and ordinary citizens. Factors as number of victims, communication
failures, and road blockages will prevent people from accessing emergency
services they have come to expect at a moment's notice through 911. People will
have to rely on each other for help in order to meet their immediate life saving
and life sustaining needs. By providing citizens with the necessary training, skills,
and equipment, communities can be better prepared to respond to the event.
One also expects that under these kinds of conditions, family members, fellow
employees, and neighbors will spontaneously try to help each other. This was the
case following the Mexico City earthquake where untrained, spontaneous
volunteers saved 800 people. However, 100 people lost their lives while
attempting to save others. This is a high price to pay and is preventable through
training.
If we can predict that emergency services will not meet immediate needs
following a major disaster, especially if there is very little warning as in a tornado,
and people will spontaneously volunteer, what can government do to prepare
citizens for this eventuality?
First, present citizens the facts about what to expect following a major disaster in
terms of immediate services. Second, give the message about their responsibility
for mitigation and preparedness. Third, train them in needed life saving skills with
emphasis on decision making skills, rescuer safety, and doing the greatest good
for the greatest number. Fourth, organize teams so that they are an extension of
first responder services offering immediate help to victims until professional
services arrive.
Initiation of the training program makes good sense and furthers the process of
citizens understanding their responsibility in preparing for a disaster. It also
increases their ability to safely help themselves, their family and their neighbors.
The training will benefit any citizen who takes it. This individual will be better
prepared to respond to and cope with the aftermath of a disaster. Additionally, if
a community wants to supplement its response capability after a disaster, civilians
can be recruited and trained as neighborhood, business, and government teams
that, in essence, will be auxiliary responders. These groups can provide immediate
assistance to victims in their area, organize spontaneous volunteers who have not
had the training, and collect disaster intelligence that will assist professional
responders with prioritization and allocation of resources following a disaster.
The program educates people about disaster preparedness for hazards that may
impact their area and trains them in basic disaster response skills, such as fire
safety, light search and rescue, team organization, and disaster medical
operations. Using the training learned in the classroom and during exercises
Members can assist others in their neighborhood or workplace following an
event when professional responders are not immediately available to help. The
members also are encouraged to support emergency response agencies by taking
a more active role in emergency preparedness projects in their community.
The course is delivered in the community by a team of first responders who have
the requisite knowledge and skills to instruct the sessions. The training sessions
will focus on disaster response skills, such as disaster preparation, fire safety,
disaster medical operations, terrorism, search and rescue and other aspects of
dealing with a disaster.




DISASTER PREPAREDNESS: Addresses hazards to which people are
vulnerable in their community. Materials cover actions that participants
and their families take before, during, and after a disaster. As the session
progresses, the instructor begins to explore an expanded response role for
civilians in that they should begin to consider themselves disaster workers.
Since they will want to help their family members and neighbors, this
training can help them operate in a safe and appropriate manner. The CERT
concept and organization are discussed as well as applicable laws governing
volunteers in that jurisdiction.
DISASTER FIRE SAFETY: Briefly covers fire chemistry, hazardous materials,
fire hazards, and fire suppression strategies. However, the thrust of this
session is the safe use of fire extinguishers, sizing up the situation,
controlling utilities, and extinguishing a small fire.
DISASTER MEDICAL OPERATIONS: Participants practice diagnosing and
treating airway obstruction, bleeding, and shock by using simple triage and
rapid treatment techniques. Covers evaluating patients by doing a head to
toe assessment, establishing a medical treatment area, performing basic
first aid, and practicing in a safe and sanitary manner.
LIGHT SEARCH AND RESCUE OPERATIONS: Participants learn about search
and rescue planning, size-up, search techniques, rescue techniques, and
most important, rescuer safety.
Maintaining Involvement
When participants have completed this training, it is important to keep them
involved and practiced in their skills. Trainers should offer periodic refresher
sessions to reinforce the basic training. Teams can sponsor events such as drills,
picnics, neighborhood cleanup, and disaster education fairs which will keep them
involved and trained.
Members should receive recognition for completing their training. Members will
receive official ID cards.
Conclusion
The Groves Disaster Response Program is about readiness, people helping people,
rescuer safety, and doing the greatest good for the greatest number. It is a
positive and realistic approach to emergency and disaster situations where
citizens will be initially on their own and their actions can make a difference.
Through training, citizens can manage utilities and put out small fires; treat the
three killers by opening airways, controlling bleeding, and treating for shock;
provide basic medical aid; search for and rescue victims safely; and organize
themselves and spontaneous volunteers to be effective.
The sessions will include classroom training at the Precinct 2 Community Room,
7964 Viterbo Rd, in Mid-County by the airport. In order to obtain certification,
volunteers must attend all training sessions. Anyone interested in attending this
FREE training should contact the Jefferson County Emergency Management
Office at (409) 835-8757 and submit an application.
Community Response Teams
Due to the scope of their duties, police officers do not have the time to provide
sufficient emotional support to victims. Members of can be beneficial in
attending to the emotional needs of victims. Members can assist with providing
services and emotional support during tragic events, such as missing children,
serious accidents, mass disasters, house fires, homicides, hurricane evacuation
operations, repetitive domestic violence calls, drug and alcohol related calls that
can be particularly challenging. There are such times when victims may be
hesitant to reach out to law enforcement officers. Overall, the MRC can offer
substantial support to law enforcement’s response to victims.
A list of programs offered by our local organizations will be provided to victims.
The list of programs will include marriage intervention, drug and alcohol
intervention programs, troubled teen intervention programs, food and clothing
banks, etc. The programs are available to victims, their families, and other
individuals who are victims of crime or traumatic events.
In some cases, MRC members may be called to provide on-site crisis intervention
to highly traumatized victims. Members will offer support to victims who may be
experiencing fear, confusion, or emotional trauma as a result of an incident.
It is essential that members have the right temperament and competencies to
perform their duties. It is essential that members have a clear understanding of
the program.
Each applicant will have to receive approval from his/her organization to
participate. Criminal background checks, as well as child protective services
checks are conducted on all applicants. All members will be required to go
through a training program.
Requirements to Serve
 Corps members will be volunteers
 Corps members will be sought from the religious community
 Corps members will be recommended by his or her religious community
leadership
 Corps members will undergo a criminal background check
 Corps members will be required to be on call
 Corps members will complete a Basic Training Course (some cost involved)
 Corps members will attend a monthly training session after completing the
Basic Training Course
 Corps members will work under the supervision of a Community Chaplain
 Corps members will be required to provide personal liability insurance
(minimal cost)
 Corps members will be required to have proof of health insurance coverage
 Corps members will initially receive a one year appointment that may be
renewed thereafter
CHAPLAINCY PROGRAM
Police Chaplains
Police Chaplains, whether paid or volunteer, provide support to officers, first
responders and the department’s family. Chaplains serve in a nondenominational
capacity regardless of their individual faith. Some agencies utilize chaplains to
provide support and assistance to officers, while others extend the reach of the
agency by chaplains assisting crime victims. Ultimately, law enforcement
chaplaincy is a ministry of presence.
In addition to an on-going ministry of presence, chaplains assist officers at the
request by attending serious accidents, suicides, homicides and comforting
victims and families, if requested. Police Chaplains respond whenever an officer is
shot, injured or is involved in a shooting. Additionally, Police Chaplains visit sick
officers in the hospital or at home and have also at times been asked to conduct
police officer funerals.
Police Chaplains are on-call 24 hours a day to respond to the needs of officers and
are commonly called out to assist with death notifications, suicides and threats of
suicides, and for extreme domestic violence situations. Police Chaplains may also
be called to assist for missing children officers or any tragedy in the community.
Police Chaplains make themselves available to officers to provide counseling or
simply just to talk. Often these conversations begin during a ride-along and can
continue in a neutral location. Although Chaplains have a minimum of hours they
have to maintain per month, the department recognizes that depending on their
demands in their full-time ministry, minimum hours during some months may be
difficult for some chaplains to obtain.
The police chaplains are viewed as a benefit to the officers. They and command
staff rely on chaplains’ comforting voices and ability to listen in their time of need.
The hardest call one chaplain has had to attend to was notifying the wife of an
officer that her husband was killed in the line of duty.
Chaplains wear clothing that identifies them as a chaplain. Most shifts are
uneventful, but when urgent situations demand the assistance of a police
chaplain, a chaplain will be called and is expected to respond any time, day or
night.
The Chaplains attend training sessions provided by the International Conference
of Police Chaplains.
Requirements to Serve as a Police Chaplain
 Hold at least a Bachelors Degree from a nationally accredited college or
university.
 Have a minimum of five years of chaplaincy experience (e.g. police, military,
hospital) with additional consideration for law enforcement related
experience.
 Have a minimum of five years experience in providing human services (e.g.
Pastoral care, counseling).
 Be ordained, licensed or commissioned by a recognized religious authority
to function in a ministry of spiritual care.
 Be endorsed by their recognized religious authority to serve as a Police
Chaplain.
Community Chaplains
Community chaplains occasionally work alongside of police chaplains, however
their primary responsibility is on the supervision and ongoing work of the local
Mercy Response Corps. Community chaplains are an additional resource to Corps
responders whom determine the need for additional assistance and or expertise
in a particular event. Community chaplains, like police chaplains, are subject to
being called out anytime day or night. The focus of community chaplains and the
Mercy Response Corps is on “victim assistance.” Unlike police chaplains,
community chaplains are not required to work a minimum number of hours per
month.
Requirements to Serve as a Community Chaplain
● Be ordained, licensed or commissioned by a recognized religious authority to
function in ministry of spiritual care.
● Serve a Christian congregation located within the corporate city limits of
Groves, Texas.
● Have a minimum of five years of experience in a Christian congregation.