Whenever disasters strike, United Methodists respond with the knowledge that Disaster Response and Recovery is a vital part of our church mission. Response and recovery happen on five levels at once: our Conference-wide efforts, the work of the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR), district response and recovery, local church efforts, and community support.

There are generally three stages in disaster response.

• Response: Local Authorities (Police, Fire, Ambulance, Search and Rescue)
• Relief: UMCOR/Volunteers in Mission (trained in rapid response), Others
• Recovery: UMCOR/Volunteers in Mission

As a rule of thumb, we use what we call the 1-10-100 formula to estimate the three stages of disaster response. This means a 4-day RESPONSE calls for 40 days of RELIEF and 400 days of RECOVERY.

Historically, we, as a church, have taken an active leadership role in the Recovery stage of disasters. As you prayerfully discern how and what type of support you may want to give, consider the great need long after all the media hype of a disaster has ended.

Disaster Response Contacts

Domestic 
Dana and Kathy Bryson
Disaster Response Coordinators
c: (509) 539-2978 | Email

Kathy Bryson
Early Response Team Coordinator
c: (509) 539-2978 | Email

International 
Tracy Faulkner, UMVIM Coordinator
p: (509) 670-9904 | Email 
NOMADS Tom Hager, NWJ Project Coordinator p: (509) 493-2445 | Email | Web