During the Hawk Fire, Washoe County officials believed emergency alerts were reaching local radio and television stations. They were not. The county reportedly did not learn about the failure until KUNR investigated weeks later. The incident is a serious reminder: during a fast-moving wildfire, we cannot depend on one alert, one app, or one communication system.

After the Hawk Fire, it got me thinking about St. Paul’s and Carson City’s vulnerabilities. Disaster preparedness is part of creation care, and part of our call to love and protect our neighbors.

WHAT SHOULD CONGREGATIONS PLAN FOR?

1. Know how warnings will be received

• Register church leaders for county emergency alerts.
• Keep a weather radio available.
• Monitor local radio, television, and official emergency channels.
• Designate at least two people to verify alerts during an emergency.

2. Create a communication tree

Decide who will contact:

• Older adults and homebound members
• People with disabilities or medical needs
• Families with children
• Members without reliable internet access
• People who may need information in another language
• Staff, volunteers, tenants, and community groups using the building

Keep printed contact lists available in case internet or cloud-based systems are unavailable.

3. Make an evacuation plan

Congregations should identify:

• More than one exit from the building
• Two evacuation routes from the neighborhood
• An outdoor meeting location
• Who will check classrooms, restrooms, offices, and fellowship spaces
• Who will bring attendance lists, medications, first-aid supplies, and emergency contacts
• How children and vulnerable adults will be reunited with caregivers

Practice the plan before it is needed.

4. Plan for people who need additional help

Ask now:

• Who may not be able to drive?
• Who uses oxygen, refrigerated medication, or mobility equipment?
• Who needs transportation during an evacuation?
• Who may not receive cellphone alerts?
• Who could become isolated during a power outage?

Preparedness must include everyone—not only people with smartphones, vehicles, money, and flexible schedules.

5. Prepare the building

Congregations should maintain:

• First-aid kits and an AED
• Fire extinguishers and clearly marked exits
• Flashlights and backup batteries
• Bottled water and basic emergency supplies
• N95 masks for wildfire smoke
• Printed evacuation maps
• Emergency contact information near every telephone
• A plan for shutting off utilities when necessary

Churches considering serving as shelters, cooling centers, smoke-relief spaces, or supply-distribution sites should coordinate with emergency officials before a disaster.

6. Protect important information

Keep secure backups of:

• Insurance documents
• Property records
• Emergency contacts
• Building-use agreements
• Membership and staff information
• Financial records
• Vendor and utility contacts

Congregations should also know who has authority to make decisions if the pastor, council president, or property leader is unavailable.

7. Build community partnerships now

Introduce your congregation to local emergency managers, fire officials, nonprofits, food banks, disability advocates, and neighboring faith communities.

A congregation should know both what it can offer and where it must refer people for professional assistance.

WHAT SHOULD PUBLIC POLICY PROVIDE?

Preparedness cannot rest entirely on individual households or congregations. LEAN supports:

• Reliable emergency-alert infrastructure
• Real-time confirmation that alerts were delivered
• Regular system testing and public reporting
• Multilingual and accessible communications
• Strong oversight of private alert-system vendors
• Adequate funding for rural and under-resourced communities
• Plans that include older adults, disabled neighbors, unhoused people, and households without reliable technology

When systems fail, the people with the fewest resources often face the greatest danger.

Faith communities can prepare, communicate, and care for their neighbors—but government remains responsible for maintaining dependable public-safety infrastructure.

Preparedness is not fear. It is faithful care.

Make the plan. Practice the plan. Check on your neighbor.

Read KUNR’s reporting: https://www.kunr.org/local-stories/2026-09-18/hawk-fire-alert-failure