Mission Trailer Ministry Volunteers,
Unfortunately, we are moving into a time of the year when tornados and storms hit our area and our state. I wanted to go ahead and update you all before anything potentially happens.
This year, we are much more prepared than last year. Here are a few points in case of an emergency.
- Any response within the first hour to 8 hours of a disaster is handled by emergency first-responders such as fire/rescue and police. Any decisions you make to go help at that point will be up to you. Your best action will be to check on your property and help your next-door neighbors and family as needed.
- This is the basic line of priority for preparation. Your Home, Then Our County, Then Our State, Then The Remainder Of The Country. I will be communicating with Randy Young, who will in turn be communicating with Mississippi Baptist Convention Board Disaster Relief.
- Most everything we will be doing will either be through MBCBDR or in cooperation with them. We do not have to be officially dispatched by MBCBDR to work in our own county, but it is helpful for us and them if we cooperate with them. All jobs out of county are ONLY done with MBCBDR if they call us out.
- If you plan to help on any upcoming disasters in our county, please check your tools and saws now, as well as to make sure you have a pair of gloves, proper clothing, and boots. If your chainsaws have been sitting all winter, it is recommended to go ahead and get them out THIS AFTERNOON to sharpen them and run them for a little while. The mission trailer has a polesaw, chainsaw, chainsaw chaps, hand tools, and pre-mixed fuel; but you may want to bring your own fuel.
- Just FYI: There will be another training for Disaster Relief on April 6th in Grenada, MS.
If a disaster happens in Pontotoc,
-Please text or call Casey Russell (662-419-4859) to report any needs that come up. These may be your family, our church family, or other people in the community.
-Other Mission Trailer Leadership Team Members to contact in case of a report are David White, Joseph Maher, or J.P. Davis.
-As reports come in, they will be sent out to everyone through the main text communication like normal Mission Trailer Job alerts.
If the disaster happens outside of Pontotoc,
-We will be under the command of Mississippi Baptist Convention Board Disaster Relief and will only go if called out by them.
-If you do not have certification from MBCBDR (a badge), you will not be able to help in any efforts for at least the first week or two of a disaster recovery. Emergency personnel typically have check points and posts set up that require credentials to get in the zone.
-Lastly, we will not be sending any collected items (clothing, food, water) to the disaster zone unless requested by the MBCBDR. The state convention always request that money is sent instead of goods. If a disaster hits, a link will be sent out to send money to the State Convention that would be used directly for relief efforts. You will also be able to give in our church office. Our training has taught us not to send a bunch of collected items to the affected area because it gets in the way and goes to waste.