The Archdiocese encourages all parishes to develop a parish emergency response plan and to train parishioners how to protect their families, homes, and pets in the event of a major disaster. To assist parishes in these efforts, the Deanery Outreach Commission formed an Emergency Preparedness Working Group to help:

• Assure adequate preparation by families and parishes for emergencies,
• Encourage families to have a family emergency plan, and complete a site survey (walk-through) for each Parish,
• Perform a needs analysis using completed site surveys and to ensure each parish has an emergency response plan,
• Train families to develop a family emergency plan and perform basic emergency techniques, and to
• Begin Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training with the goal of having a Catholic presence during emergencies and disasters so the Deanery and parishes are able to assist in disaster relief effort.

The working group also developed the following information to help families prepare their family emergency plans and to easily build their emergency kit over a 25-week period.