ReadyTN Faith
When disaster strikes, Tennessee’s faith communities are often among the first to respond — offering care, comfort, and leadership when it’s needed most. ReadyTN Faith is a statewide initiative of the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency (TEMA) designed to help houses of worship of all denominations prepare for, respond to, and recover from emergencies. Our mission is simple: empower faith-based organizations to be ready, resilient, and responsive in times of crisis. Whether your congregation serves a few dozen members or several thousand, your house of worship can play a critical role in protecting lives and strengthening community recovery.
Why Faith Communities Matter in Emergencies
Houses of Worship are cornerstones of Tennessee’s resilience. They provide essential support before, during, and after disasters by:
- Offering shelter, food, and emotional support to affected individuals
- Serving as trusted communication hubs for their communities
- Mobilizing volunteers and resources in times of crisis
- Partnering with local emergency management and response agencies
By preparing now, faith leaders can ensure their congregations are ready to respond safely and effectively when emergencies occur.
How ReadyTN Faith Helps
ReadyTN Faith provides guidance, tools, and resources to strengthen your organization’s emergency preparedness and response capabilities. Participating houses of worship gain access to:
- Partner Checklist: A step-by-step guide to help faith organizations prepare to serve their congregations and communities before disaster strikes.
- Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) Self-Assessment: Evaluate your current preparedness efforts and identify areas for improvement.
- Emergency Operations Plan Template: A ready-to-use framework to create or update your house of worship’s emergency plan.
These resources are designed to be simple, practical, and customizable, no matter your congregation’s size, location, or faith tradition.
Join the ReadyTN Faith Network
Be part of a growing statewide network of faith-based partners committed to building a stronger, safer Tennessee. When your house of worship joins ReadyTN Faith, you’ll receive updates, training opportunities, and information about how to collaborate with local emergency management partners.
Get Started
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Using the steps below, you can navigate through the ReadyTN Faith Program. Together, we can ensure Tennessee’s faith communities are ready to respond, recover, and rebuild stronger than ever.
Connect with TEMA up by participating in the ReadyTN Faith Initial Survey. By participating in the survey, your house of worship will receive regular email updates featuring preparedness tips, planning resources, success stories, and important alerts—helping your faith community stay informed and ready for whatever comes next.
Resource:
ReadyTN Faith offers free, customizable tools and templates created for houses of worship to share with their members with the goal of providing preparedness tips and resources.
- ReadyTN Faith Emergency Operations Plan Self-Assessments
Begin your planning journey with the Emergency Plan Self-Assessments that help evaluate your current readiness. These tools identify strengths, gaps, and opportunities for improvement in areas such as facility safety, financial resilience, communication, and insurance coverage. - Customizable and Fillable Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) Template
Use the free fillable EOP template to build or update your emergency plan. Complete it in full or section by section—whichever fits your congregation best.
Resources:
After completing the EOP self-assessment and EOP, your house of worship can complete the Partner Checklist to be recognized as a ReadyTN Faith Partner. Partners may request an in-person presentation and share documentation with insurance carriers to demonstrate proactive preparedness.
Resource:
The following materials from other partners can help your house of worship enhance its preparedness and recovery planning:
Federal and National Resources
- FEMA: What Houses of Worship Need to Know About the Disaster Aid Process
A quick overview of the federal disaster aid process if a house of worship were to be impacted by a disaster. - FEMA: The Guide for Developing High-Quality Emergency Operations Plans for Houses of Worship
A comprehensive federal guide to help faith-based organizations develop tailored emergency operations plans. - Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA): Houses of Worship Security Guide
Practical guidance for improving physical security and safety for congregations. - CISA: Security Self-Assessments for Houses of Worship
A self-assessment tool to help leaders evaluate and enhance their current security measures.
- CISA Tabletop Exercise Packages (CTEP)
A comprehensive set of resources designed to help houses of worship conduct their own discussion-based exercises. CTEPs help congregations evaluate their ability to handle a variety of threats—from natural disasters to human-caused incidents. - Ready.gov
Federal guidance for organizations and individuals on how to prepare for emergencies.
Training Opportunities
FEMA offers free online courses to build preparedness and emergency management skills. To enroll, register for a FEMA Student Identification (SID) at training.fema.gov/is.
Recommended courses for Houses of Worship include:
- IS-235.c: Emergency Planning
- IS-360: Preparing for Mass Casualty Incidents
- IS-505: Religious and Cultural Literacy and Competency in Disaster
- IS-909: Community Preparedness: Implementing Simple Activities for Everyone
- IS-244.b: Developing and Managing Volunteers
If you have questions, need assistance, or are ready to get started on your ReadyTN Faith journey, please contact TEMA.ExternalAffairs@tn.gov.