Adirondack Emergency Community Chaplains

(L to R) Rev. Bruce Hersey, Executive Director of the Open Door and coordinationg chaplain for AECC; Rev. Joseph Manerowski, Priest of St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church in Glens Falls; Imam Abdulkadir Elmi of the Masjid As-Salam in Albany; Dr. William "Bill" Davidson, Pastor of Church of The King in Queensbury; Rabbi Yaakov Kellman, Executive Director of Jewish Educational Resources of New York in Albany

Adirondack Emergency Community Chaplains

The geographic area of responsibilities for the Adirondack Emergency Community Chaplains (AECC) include the following counties in New York: Hamilton, Essex, Clinton, Franklin, Fulton, Herkimer, St. Lawrence, Warren, Lewis, Oneida, Saratoga, and Washington, in partnership with The American Red Cross and Salvation Army’s Disaster Services in the Empire State.

The Adirondack Emergency Community Chaplains do some or all of the following:

Spiritual counsel for participant agency’s members
Spiritual counsel for the families of participant agencies and other department personnel
Visit sick or injured officers and departmental personnel in homes and hospitals
Make death notifications
Provide assistance to victims
Teach agency members about areas such as Stress Management, Ethics, and Family Life in classes and courses
Serve as part of the agency’s Crisis Response Team
Assist at suicide incidents
Serve as liaison with other clergy in the community
Provide for the spiritual needs of victims
Furnish expert responses to religious questions
Offer prayers at special occasions such as awards ceremonies and special services
Serve on review boards, award boards, and other committees
Deal with transients and the homeless

The Adirondack Emergency Community Chaplain is a clergyperson with a special interest in and training for providing pastoral care in this high powered and dangerous world. The pastoral care is offered to all people, regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, creed, or religion. It is offered without cost or the taint of proselytizing. No one is confronted with more situations that demoralize and create emotional, mental and spiritual burdens than today's disaster readiness teams. These burdens also affect the team’s family and other members of his or her department or agency. Participant agencies need this specialized guidance, counseling and assistance for their members, families, and communities. The Adirondack Emergency Community Chaplain is led in his or her own faith to be available and ready to serve those in need. The chaplain's ministry provides a source of strength to disaster readiness teams and their families, other related department members or agencies, the community, and those affected by the disaster. The disaster readiness team member’s personal clergyperson or religious advisor in private life, although trained in ministry, is not necessarily abreast of the particular problems and dangers faced by this disaster response team. Chaplains listen and participate in the workplace of participant agencies with empathy and experience, advising calmly in the midst of turmoil and danger, and offering assistance when appropriate or requested.

Contact information: Bruce Hersey, Chaplain Coordinator for AECC; NYSDOC Chaplain; Executive Director The Open Door Mission

email: aecc.ny@gmail.com

Be A Ready Congregation:

During Hurricane Irene the American Red Cross Northeastern NY region has been feeding, sheltering and supplying people with clean up kits. This operation looks to last for quite a while but with wonderful staff and volunteers and working with our partner agencies like the Adirondack Emergency Community Chaplain’s we will help the area recover from this historical storm.

Cheryl A Murphy

Regional Response Manager

American Red Cross

Adirondack Saratoga Chapter

74 Warren Street

Glens Falls, NY 12801

Office: (518) 792-6545

Fax: (518) 792-8586

Continue in prayer for those hurting in our region

and be sensitive to help.

The following "Tip Sheets" are from the National Disaster Interfaiths Network | 4 West 43rd Street - Suite 407 | New York City | NY | 10036. Please seriously consider how you as a faith community should respond to a disaster.
View or Download: Disaster Tip Sheets for U.S. Religious Leaders
TIPS SHEETS:
01 - Disaster Basics for Faith Communities
Download PDF
(161kb)
02 - The Disaster Lifecycle: Where Do Religious Leaders Fit In?
Download PDF
(212kb)
03 - The Role of Faith Communities in Disasters
Download PDF
(182kb)
04 - How to Use Your House of Worship in a Disaster
Download PDF
(198kb)
05 - Disaster Backlash: Bias Crimes & Mitigation
Download PDF
(155kb)
06 - Continuity of Operations Planning
Download PDF
(143kb)
07 - Self-Care for Religious Leaders
Download PDF
(219kb)
08 - Disaster Spiritual Care
Download PDF
(148kb)
09 - Faith Communities & Disaster Mental Health
Download PDF
(148kb)
10 - Trauma Resilience and Harm Reduction in the Community
Download PDF
(154kb)
11 - Faith Communities & Evacuation Planning
Download PDF
(146kb)
12 - Faith Communities & Disaster Sheltering
Download PDF
(139kb)
13 - Faith Communities & Disaster Volunteerism
Download PDF
(150kb)
14 - Faith Communities & Donations Management
Download PDF
(153kb)
15 - National Faith-Based Disaster Service Organizations
Download PDF
(136kb)

Traffic and Flooding

511NY for Road and Traffic Conditions

Resources for Businesses

For any questions about disaster relief, please contact Empire State Development at 1-800-STATE-NY or via email HERE.

GENERAL CONTACT INFORMATION:

Governor Cuomo's Office WEBSITE

Latest information on state and federal disaster recovery efforts.

FEMA Disaster Assistance WEBSITE

1-800-745-0243

Centralized website and phone number for 60 different federal programs for disaster relief for businesses, individuals and homeowners.

Empire State Development WEBSITE

1-800-STATE-NY

ESD will be posting information about programs for small business assistance as it becomes available.

CLEAN-UP AND PERMITTING:

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation GENERAL INFORMATION WEBSITE

General information on safety and clean up and permit waiver program

STORM DEBRIS & DISPOSAL

Information on Storm Debris and Disposal Guidelines

INSURANCE

New York State Insurance Department WEBSITE

Department's disaster hotline: 800-339-1759

Tips for what to do following a loss and help with working with your insurance company

FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE FOR BUSINESSES AND HOMEOWNERS

Small Business Administration Disaster Loans WEBSITE

800-659-2955

Disaster loans up to $200,000 are available to homeowners to repair or replace disaste- damaged or destroyed real estate. Homeowners and renters are eligible up to $40,000 to repair or replace disaster-damaged or destroyed personal property.

Businesses and private non-profit organizations of any size may borrow up to $2 million to repair or replace disaster-damaged or destroyed real estate, machinery and equipment, inventory, and other business assets.

TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE FOR SMALL BUSINESSES

New York State Small Business Development Center WEBSITE

(800) 732-SBDC

Through a network of 24 regional centers, the New York State Small Business Development Centers delivers high quality business counseling and technical assistance. SBDCs have developed specialized programs to assist businesses impacted by Hurricane Irene.

APPLIANCE REBATE PROGRAM

New York State Energy-Efficient Appliance Rebate Program WEBSITE

1-877-NYSMART

New York State residents can receive a cash rebate of $350 by purchasing energy efficient refrigerators or $250 by purchasing energy efficient washers. This is eligible to any NYS resident regardless of hurricane damage.

Disaster Assistance & Recovery Resources:

American Red Cross "Safe & Well" (Missing Persons): (Click Here)

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Rev.Bruce D. Hersey, Coordinating Chaplain
Adirondack Emergency Community Chaplains
C/O The Open Door

PO Box 3306
Glens Falls, NY 12801
(518) 792-5900 (OD)
(518) 222-7889 (cell)

As you are aware, there have been an increasing number of suicides in our region. Please note the following resource.....

Suicide Crisis and Prevention Guidebook

Below, you can find links to upcoming AECC events, past AECC forums, as well as current members of AECC

AECC Upcoming Events

Christianity, Islam, Judaism trait comparison chart

Previous AECC Forums