The Emergency Rest Center Guide for Faith Groups and Municipalities is a part of the Faith Community Partnering in Emergency Preparedness project, initiated and funded by the Western Region Homeland Security Advisory Council and supported by the four county Public Health Emergency Preparedness Coalitions of Western Massachusetts. While this project was built with a focus on Faith Community agencies, this guide is intended as template for anyone interested in establishing an Emergency Rest Center plan as part of their overall emergency plan.
An Emergency Rest Center (ERC) provides emergency shelter during the day. No overnight accommodations are offered. ERCs may provide heating or cooling centers, charging stations, food, restrooms, etc.
These documents are meant as guides and templates. You are free to adjust them as you need for your specific purposes. The PDF of the documents are posted below. If you would like the documents in Word format, please contact Raine Brown, Homeland Security Program Manager.
The Emergency Rest Center Guide is the overarching tool to understand what an Emergency Rest Center (ERC) is, personnel needed to support an ERC, recommended equipment and supplies, resource guide and more.
The ERC Standard Operating Guidelines is a suggested “To Do” checklist of tasks, requirements and the sequence of events that need to be considered and/or accomplished to successfully and safely open, operate and close an Emergency Rest Center.
The ERC Mutual Aid Agreements is a template agreement between the ERC host agency and its community. It outlines the roles, reimbursements, legal liabilities and other important considerations in opening an Emergency Rest Center during a declared emergency.
The ERC Brochure is an outreach document to inform your community of what your ERC offers.
The ERC Flyer is a single page poster to publicize your ERC operation.
And the ERC vs Shelter Poster provides a visual description of the difference between and ERC and overnight shelter.
A Training Guide and accompanying PowerPoint have been developed to help those who are interested in training a team to operate an Emergency Rest Center.
Emergency Rest Centers Informational Video