Calgary churches are working with municipal authorities to create an integrated emergency response plan in anticipation of a full blown H1N1 pandemic this fall.

With the World Health Organization predicting a second and more lethal wave of the virus, churches can be mobilized to provide food, shelter, information and volunteer care.

The Regional Faith Community Emergency Preparedness Coalition (RFC-EPC), comprised of church leaders with training in emergency response, is creating an organized network of resources to coordinate with Calgary’s Emergency Management Agency.

"Our aim is to have an integrated approach to Emergency Management," said coalition member Marg Pollon of Bridges of Love Ministries, an organization dedicated to connecting churches with community. "If we are uncoordinated with government framework, we could run the risk of hindering instead of helping."

"Our hospitals are already extended. We won’t want contagious people sitting in our hospital waiting rooms," she said. "We’re going to have to look at alternate facilities. We’ll need people to look after children, drivers and food banks. I don’t want to create fear, but we want churches to start thinking about it now because if it hits, we won’t have time to do anything. We want to build relationships of trust so people won’t be afraid to call churches."

Fred Friesen, pastoral care pastor with Bonavista Evangelical Missionary Church, has emergency response training from his days as a mining engineer. When he joined the RFC-EPC, he saw how serious local government was about preparing for emergencies of any kind, he realized churches need to examine their own readiness.

"We have buildings, a network of people, our own communication systems and awareness of neighborhoods," said Friesen. "At Bonavista, we have a kitchen, we have space. Since we host Inn from the Cold, we have 20 beds with bedding. We could step forward and be a coordination centre. We’re ready for that sort of thing."

He believes churches need to pay attention since, historically, pandemics have started with a primary, less serious wave and then resurgence with the coming of colder weather. He, too, doesn’t want to get into fear mongering but realizes that if the WHO is correct, the next swine flu outbreak could affect as many of one third of our population.

"When people in community are connected with each other, they look after each other. I know elderly neighbors; I’d be there to look out for them tonight," said Friesen. "Churches have to be more than a building in the community."

In a letter to members, Calgary Evangelical Ministerial Association president, Brent Trask, urged churches to take some appropriate level of action now.

"There is great wisdom and need for us as community leaders to use this season as an opportunity to deepen our understanding of the situation," Trask said. "One of those actions would be to plan and prepare how each of our ministries will respond should an emergency crisis of some sort hit our city."

Pollon said even if a pandemic never comes, it’s still important to get to know people in the community.

"So much more can be accomplished if we work collaboratively with others," she stated.

She is collecting a data base of all churches in the city, cataloging their space capacity and on-site resources such as kitchens, sleeping facilities, washrooms and access to medical personnel. The coalition is currently compiling a list of churches willing to be quadrant leads, key subdivision churches or willing to take part in the emergency plan. Churches are requested to complete a resource questionnaire on her website at www.bridgesoflove.net.