Emercgency Counselling Network

Feburary, 2009

During 2008, we at Scots' Church became aware that a programme existed which would allow ministers to become accredited with the Department of Human Services so that they could participate with the emergency services in response to any kind of public disaster. Once the police cordon-off the scene of an incident, no-one will be allowed in there unless they are accredited.

On behalf of Scots' Church, Richard O'Brien attended the accreditation course last year, which is not exactly onerous, and he has now been officially registered as a 'Community Chaplain'. He has an ID badge and a bright orange vest that says 'Community Chaplain' on it.

The scheme is authorised by the DHS but is run by the Victorian Council of Churches, who have employed Graeme Winterton, a retired Anglican priest, to manage it. Graeme has struggled for 18 months to get the scheme understood and accepted by the churches and to get a reliable network of regional and area co-ordinators in place to facilitate prompt and appropriate responses whenever necessary.

Obviously the bushfire tragedy has highlighted just how vital such a network is, but if and when it is properly set up, it will enable a pastoral Christian response to attend many different kinds of incidents, both large and small.

Kathy James has been circulating information about this and I believe several Presbyterian ministers have now attended the required one-day training programme and been registered, and I would commend it to others.