Safety Sabbath 2022

Protecting vulnerable populations is essential to both risk management and the gospel message. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 26 percent of U.S. adults live with a disability, and our church communities are no exception. Emergency situations are dangerous, chaotic, and overwhelming for all people, regardless of ability, and these emotions can be more intense for individuals with a disability. Therefore, disability awareness and planning are crucial to ensure that the most vulnerable among us are protected.

This year Safety Sabbath is dedicated to disability awareness and inclusive emergency preparedness. Since first launching as an avenue to practice fire drills, Safety Sabbath has served as an opportunity to ensure churches are prepared for fire, earthquake, tornado, and active shooter situations. Disability awareness and inclusive emergency preparedness are useful tools for churches to better identify, communicate with, and safeguard persons with disabilities if and when emergencies unfold.

Safety Sabbath 2022

Safety Sabbath launched in 2016, ensuring emergency preparedness and giving churches the ability to practice a fire drill in real time. Over the past seven years, ARM has developed actionable resources, checklists, and activities for a variety of safety-related topics, including active shooter, earthquake, and tornado drills, as well as online safety.
 
Many of the issues addressed by these resources require consistent updating, and it is our job to ensure that industry experts provide the most accurate, helpful information.
 
This year, Safety Sabbath will be held in March 2022 and will focus on:

• disability awareness and why it matters
• inclusive emergency preparedness considerations
• youth resources and activities on disability awareness.

Disability Awareness and Inclusive Emergency Preparedness

Persons with disabilities face barriers—including communication barriers, physical barriers, and negative attitudes—that may expose them to increased risks in churches and schools. Without awareness of the types of disabilities, churches are left in the dark and may neglect key safeguards. There are many ways to categorize different disabilities, and it is helpful to understand the variety of ways that churches can better protect the most vulnerable.
 
The CDC defines a disability as “any condition of the body or mind (impairment) that makes it more difficult for the person with the condition to do certain activities (activity limitation) and interact with the world around them (participation restrictions).”[i]
 
This is a broad category, and 61 million people in the United States live with a disability. According to the Canadian Survey of Disability, 11 percent of adults experience a disability, and 40 percent of those experience all three disability types: pain, mobility, and flexibility.[ii] Some individuals have lived with a disability their entire life, while others develop a disability with declining age. Signing up and participating in Safety Sabbath can ensure that your church has the information it needs if chaos does ensue and the unique needs of others need to be met.
 
Disability awareness ensures that people understand the unique physical and communication barriers. Raising awareness of the risks and involving those affected will help make sure that necessary safeguards are in place. It also promotes the understanding of why this is important both for risk management as well as the gospel message.
 
Inclusive emergency planning provides concrete steps that decrease the likelihood that things can go wrong while minimizing the damages that result if the worst is to occur. This year’s Safety Sabbath info-sheet gives you concrete steps for assembling an effective committee and practicing the drills necessary for emergency preparedness.

Participate in Safety Sabbath 2022

To take part in the 2022 Safety Sabbath, log on to safetysabbath.com and sign up. By signing up, you will receive our free resources, including info-sheets and a checklist, as well as activities and discussion questions for youth.
 
Next, tell your church leadership about Safety Sabbath and share what they will gain if they participate. This will familiarize them with what Sabbath Safety offers so they can approve it with the church board and put it on the calendar. Encourage your church’s pastor and/or safety officer to register as well.
 
Safety Sabbath is held on the fourth Sabbath of every March, so it is important to plan this ahead of time with your safety officer. This will also give you time to appoint an inclusive emergency preparedness committee.
 
Signing up will allow you to receive new resources as soon as they are available. The website also includes a survey that can help you evaluate drill effectiveness and better serve your church in the future. These helpful, actionable materials give churches and members everything they need to ensure that the most vulnerable among us are protected if and when emergencies unfold.