Duty of Care

Sooner or later the local community is likely to be faced with an emergency situation. As members of a Christian faith community, we share Christ’s compassion in our ministries and with the wider community by being well prepared and well informed. In doing so, we minimize the impact of the disaster, including reducing the potential spread of disease and enabling our communities to return to a sense of normalcy as soon as possible.

The denominational plan for the General Council Office, Conferences, presbyteries, and congregations is now available. We encourage you to review and adapt these guidelines for your local context.

• The United Church of Canada Emergency Plan [PDF: 28 pp/200 KB]

In addition, the following flyers highlight some steps congregations can take proactively related to health-related concerns and emergencies:

• Are You Ready for a Health Emergency? [PDF: 2 pp/123 KB]
• Breaking the Chain [PDF: 2 pp/37 KB]
• Being Faithful during Cold and Flu Season [PDF: 2 pp/73 KB]

The following resources focus on pandemic preparedness and are relevant to the recent H1N1 influenza outbreak.

• Church Life amid H1N1
• Preparing for a Possible Pandemic
• Summer Programs and the Influenza Pandemic

Government H1N1 Influenza Websites

• British Columbia*
• Alberta*
• Saskatchewan*
• Manitoba*
• Ontario*
• Quebec*
• New Brunswick*
• Prince Edward Island*
• Nova Scotia*
• Newfoundland and Labrador*
• Yukon*
• Northwest Territories*
• Nunavut*
• Canada*

For more information contact

• Bev Oag
  Program Coordinator, Duty of Care
  Congregational, Educational, and Community Ministries
  Tel: 416-231-7680, ext. 4094
  Toll-free: 1-800-268-3781, ext. 4094
  E-mail: Duty of Care