The Salvation Army
in the United States of America, and
Southern Baptist Disaster Relief
of the North American Mission Board, Southern Baptist Convention
Statement of Understanding
Addendum: Standard Operating Procedures
Purpose
These procedures support and further detail the Statement of Understanding
(SOU), enacted February 7, 2002, between The Salvation Army in the United
States of America and Southern Baptist Disaster Relief of the North American
Mission Board (NAMB) Southern Baptist Convention (SBC). This addendum
establishes a set of standard operating procedures and financial guidelines that
will better enable the two religious organizations to work together during a
disaster.
Ministry
Orientation
The foundation of the SOU between the Southern Baptist Disaster Relief and
The Salvation Army is our Lord Jesus Christ. We believe and affirm that when
brothers and sisters in Christ work together for the common good of mankind, in
the love of Christ, that we can work out any difficulties and problems that may
arise in the course of a disaster operation. The foundational principle is that we
must show the love of Christ to those in need. Furthermore, we covenant with
each other to work through any problem or situation and work hard at turning
those problems or situations into a ministry opportunity.
Activation
During a disaster response, The Salvation Army may call upon Southern Baptist
disaster units for assistance. The process of making this request is termed
“activation.”
In State Activation
s
For in-state activations, Salvation Army divisions may contact their Southern
Baptist state convention (through the SBC state disaster relief director) directly
to request assistance and activate appropriate disaster relief units.
Out of State Activations
If Southern Baptist support is needed from outside state boundaries (or if no
relationship exists between state-level Salvation Army and Southern Baptist
personnel), then a Salvation Army division may request out-of-state Southern
Baptist support by contacting their respective territorial disaster coordinator.
The Salvation Army territorial disaster coordinator shall contact the SBC
national disaster relief director who will activate the appropriate SBC disaster
relief resources.
Any time Southern Baptist disaster units are deployed across state convention
boundaries, the SBC National Disaster Relief director and the respective
Salvation Army territorial disaster coordinator must be notified.
Any Salvation Army activation of a Southern Baptist disaster unit implies
providing support, both material and financial, as described in this document.
This may include purchasing supplies, supporting deployed personnel, and
paying approved expenditures. Whenever a Southern Baptist disaster unit
accepts an activation request from The Salvation Army, it agrees to support The
Salvation Army incident command team and be accountable to its commander.
Southern Baptist Self-Activation
The Salvation Army recognizes that a Southern Baptist disaster unit may also
“self-activate” to respond to a disaster within its jurisdiction. Travel and
maintenance costs associated with Southern Baptist disaster units that self-
activate are the responsibility of the Southern Baptists.
Planning
Considerations
for Effective Use
of SBC Feeding
Units
The most common way The Salvation Army and the Southern Baptist Disaster
Relief will together is in the area of mass care and feeding.
A Southern Baptist feeding unit is a self-contained field kitchen that will be
deployed to a disaster site with the necessary equipment, food, fuels, LP gas and
human resources to begin service. Feeding units may be deployed to serve food
directly to disaster victims (
see Front Line Service
) or may be used to prepare
meals that will loaded into Cambro food containers and served off Salvation
Army mobile feeding unit (e.g. canteens).
Any activation request for an SBC feeding unit should include an estimate of
how many total meals per day
will need to be prepared. If multiple servings are
to be prepared each day (e.g. breakfast, lunch, and dinner), add the totals for
each serving together to come up with the total meals per day
.
A standard SBC feeding unit meal includes one 8 oz entrée, one 6 oz side; one 6
oz. dessert; and drink.
From the time of activation, Salvation Army incident commanders should
assume it will be 24 to 36 hours before the SBC disaster unit arrives on-site.
This time may be shortened where pre-deployment is possible, such as during a
hurricane.
SBC feeding units are typically ready to begin food service 3 to 6 hours after
arrival on-site, assuming essential infrastructure is in place (
see Specific
Responsibilities of The Salvation Army
).
SBC Feeding
Site Locations
The Salvation Army incident commander (or other appropriate staff) will work
in conjunction with the Southern Baptist feeding coordinator (and/or state
disaster relief director) to select appropriate sites for the placement of Southern
Baptists feeding units. These sites shall:
•
have sufficient parking for vehicles and related support equipment;
•
have adequate water, sanitation, and drainage systems; and
•
have a surface strong enough to provide adequate support for the weight
of the kitchen and support vehicles.
In agreement with The Salvation Army, Southern Baptist feeding units will be
placed as close as possible to the disaster area. Both organizations realize that
this will mean that some of the kitchen site locations may be more limited in
terms of available infrastructure, but that this will allow greater flexibility in
ministering to those in need.
Specific
Responsibilities
of The Salvation
Army
The Salvation Army Incident Commander (or other appropriate personnel) shall:
Logistics
•
Establish accounts and a supply system for food and paper products.
•
Arrange for an ongoing supply of potable water and ice.
•
Arrange for garbage disposal.
•
Establish accounts and a supply system for fuel (including gasoline and
propane) for cooking and the operation of vehicles and generators.
•
Arrange for appropriate on-site storage (dry/reefer/freezer).
•
Ensure access to on-site sanitation (bathrooms, port-a-potties).
Cambros
•
Provide sufficient number of food and drink cambros to support the
operation.
•
Load and unload cambros from Salvation Army mobile feeding units
(canteens).
•
Clean the cambros after use. Salvation Army feeding teams have the
final responsibility for cleaning cambros; however the Southern Baptist
feeding unit may offer to participate or assume responsibility for this
activity.
The Salvation Army will develop menus and a meal schedule in collaboration
with the Southern Baptist feeding coordinator (and/or liaison). The Southern
Baptists may be asked to provide technical guidance in planning these menus
and determining the quantities needed.
Specific
Responsibilities
of the Southern
Baptist Disaster
Relief
A Southern Baptist feeding unit, deployed in support of The Salvation Army,
will:
Staff the feeding unit with a sufficient number of trained disaster workers to
prepare the quantity of meals requested by The Salvation Army incident
command team.
Provide to the Salvation Army incident command and territorial headquarters the
names of staff and units they have activated, their estimated time of arrival, and
location
Assist in Locating a feasible site for the feeding unit in coordination with the
Salvation Army Incident Commander (or other appropriate staff).
Be willing to cook breakfast as requested by the Incident Commander of The
Salvation Army. The rational for this is that The Salvation Army often feeds not
only the victims of a disaster, but also the emergency response workers who will
need a hot breakfast.
Determine, in coordination with appropriate Salvation Army personnel:
•
Menus.
•
Meal quantities.
•
Schedule for feeding, including when food will be ready for pick-up by
Salvation Army mobile feeding units (e.g. canteens).
Will be expected to have a fixed serving line at the kitchen. This will allow
Southern Baptist disaster workers the opportunity to directly minister to disaster
victims and rescue workers. Feeding units supporting The Salvation Army
should bring extra volunteers if necessary to support both the feeding line and
supply food to the Salvation Army mobile feeding units (e.g. canteens).
Provide the Salvation Army Incident Commander (or other appropriate staff) an
arrival inventory, maintain a daily inventory, and submit a closing inventory.
Provide or a rent a supply truck if needed to transport supplies and equipment.
The Salvation Army incident commander shall approve the rental, and The
Salvation Army will reimburse the SBC unit for the cost of renting the truck and
the actual cost of the fuel/oil. SBC disaster workers are not authorized to drive
Salvation Army vehicles (and vice versa) due to insurance and liability issues.
Provide Southern Baptists replacement staff as necessary. The Southern Baptist
Disaster Operations Center at NAMB will coordinate staffing requests for
replacement staff for southern Baptists feeding units. If any costs related to
replacing staff are to be charged to The Salvation Army, authorization must be
obtained in advance in writing through the appropriate division or territorial
headquarters.
Deactivating the
Feeding Unit
The deactivation of a feeding unit is a coordinated effort between the Southern
Baptist feeding crew and The Salvation Army incident command team.
To insure that there is a smooth closing, the Southern Baptist crew unit be
notified 72 hours prior to the close of operations. Closing procedures such as
restocking the unit (warehouse unit) and reimbursement of initial food supplies
(supplied unit) must be resolved before the Southern Baptists feeding unit leaves
the site. Outstanding expenses, the return of rental equipment, and departure
inventory must be turned into the Salvation Army Incident Commander before
the feeding unit leaves the site.
Any final expenses incurred in the returning the unit home or restocking it
should be submitted to The Salvation Army within two weeks after the unit has
returned from the site. (
See Financial Procedures
).
Other SBC
Disaster Relief
Units
The other types of disaster units that are available to The Salvation Army are:
Recovery Units (chain saw/mud out/repair), Child Care, Communication, Water
Purification, Shower, and Chaplains. Each unit will have basic resource and
volunteer housing needs that will need to be met.
Interagency
Liaisons
The SBC national disaster relief director may assign a Southern Baptist liaison
to work directly with The Salvation Army incident command team at the disaster
site.
The Southern Baptist liaison will be responsible for assisting in the coordination
of inter-agency services, providing technical guidance about the operation of
Baptist units and resource support needs, and for helping SBC disaster units
fulfill their ministry and mission.
It is especially important for the liaison to have initial conversations with The
Salvation Army Incident Commander (or other appropriate personnel)
concerning the scope and length of the disaster relief operation. This is vital for
the smooth operation of the relief unit(s) and especially important for a feeding
operation.
The NAMB and Salvation Army territorial headquarters may also assign liaisons
to their respective operations centers during a disaster to improve the overall
coordination of resources when deemed necessary.
Apparel /
Signage
While serving together, Southern Baptist and Salvation Army disaster workers
shall maintain their own organizational identity. Each group shall wear their
own authorized disaster apparel and display their own logo.
Whenever feasible, the Southern Baptist and Salvation Army poster
“Ministering Together” shall be displayed in areas where the two organizations
are partnering.
Financial
Procedures
The agreement between the Southern Baptist Disaster Relief and The Salvation
Army is a cooperative agreement in which each organization contributes to the
relief effort. This includes sharing costs incurred.
Accounts and Invoices
Each organization assumes financial responsibility for merchant accounts
opened in the name of their organization. Thus, The Salvation Army assumes
responsibility for charges to Salvation Army accounts and the Southern Baptists
charges to accounts under The Southern Baptists.
Any bills and expenses associated with the operation of a disaster relief unit
must be submitted to the Incident Commander of The Salvation Army for
payment.
Travel and Mileage
If the Southern Baptist disaster relief unit is deployed across state lines, then a
standard mileage rate of $1.00 per mile will be paid for one (1) feeding unit.
This reimbursement covers fuel costs, depreciation, and mileage for the kitchen
crew. Additionally, a mileage reimbursement rate of $1.00 per mile will be paid
for one (1) food transport vehicle deployed in support of the kitchen.
Reimbursement shall be limited to a maximum of two (2) vehicles per kitchen.
(A sample mileage reimbursement request form is attached)
The Salvation Army will also reimburse expenses for the meals of the initial
team and housing en route to the disaster site
Rentals, approved by the Salvation Army incident commander, will be
reimbursed the cost of the rental plus the cost of the fuel
SBC disaster workers are not
authorized to drive Salvation Army vehicles (and
vice versa) due to insurance and liability issues.
Volunteer Travel and Maintenance
Under certain circumstances with prior approval, The Salvation Army may
assume travel expenses for Southern Baptist disaster workers who are traveling
in support of Salvation Army disaster relief operations. Such deployments must
be authorized by the appropriate Salvation Army division (for in-state SBC
volunteers) or territory (for out-of-state volunteers).
Air travel must be approved and scheduled through the appropriate Salvation
Army territory.
Southern Baptist disaster workers traveling under the circumstances described
above should be prepared to initially cover incidental expenses, such as meals,
lodging, and rental car costs. Business-related expenses, such as those described
above, are eligible for reimbursement by The Salvation Army (
see
Reimbursement below
). Personal expenses, such as film, personal telephone
calls, and clothing, are the responsibility of the disaster worker.
Southern Baptists disaster relief workers are responsible for providing their own
health insurance coverage.
It is strongly recommended that disaster workers traveling under the
circumstances described have access to a personal credit card to cover potential
expenses.
Housing
Southern Baptists volunteers assigned to support a feeding unit are normally
housed at a Southern Baptists church or other facility close to their work
location. If a suitable (safe) church location is not available to house the
workers, the National Director (or appropriate state disaster director) of the
Southern Baptists may request lodging assistance from The Salvation Army.
The Salvation Army may provide hotel/motel rooms to house these volunteers.
Reimbursement
Requests for reimbursement may be made to The Salvation Army by invoice or,
in the case of individuals, by submitting a Salvation Army traveling expense
report (
see form attached
).
All invoices must be itemized and include the name and address of the payee as
it is to appear on the check; a mailing address; a contact name and telephone
number; the total amount due; and identify which disaster (by event and state)
the expenses were incurred.
Traveling Expense Reports must be filled out completely and original
receipts
attached for all expenses claimed.
Whenever possible the original reimbursement request and all receipts should be
presented to The Salvation Army Finance & Administration Officer or designee
prior to departure from the disaster relief operation. A copy should be retained
by the Southern Baptist organization submitting the request.
To submit requests for reimbursement after the close of the disaster, mail the
invoice or traveling expense report to the appropriate divisional headquarters or
territorial headquarters.
Standard Operating Procedures
The Salvation Army and Southern Baptist Disaster Relief
Roles and Responsibilities
THE SALVATION ARMY
JOINT
SOUTHERN BAPTIST DISASTER RELIEF
Determine need and request activation.
Determine location for feeding unit
and stocking needs.
Develop, manage, deploy and maintain
stocked feeding units.
Estimate total meals per day to be prepared.
Assess need and deploy Southern
Baptist liaison to Salvation Army
incident command team.
May self-activate units in home states;
associated costs remain responsibility of
Southern Baptists.
In-state activation of SBC units is made through
Salvation Army divisions to SBC state conventions;
out-of-state activations through Salvation Army
territorial headquarters to NAMB.
Salvation Army activation and
Southern Baptist acceptance implies
acceptance and adherence to the
terms of this SOU and SOP.
Recruit and deploy sufficient crew to operate
the feeding unit. Provide crew names and
arrival dates to The Salvation Army.
Arrange for delivery of:
Food;
Paper products;
Potable water;
Ice;
Fuel (gas/propane);
On-site-storage;
Garbage disposal.
Stock sanitation and washing supplies.
Arrange for delivery of adequate number of
cambros to support feeding operation.
Secure / rent supply truck with Salvation
Army approval.
If requested, provide lodging assistance for
Southern Baptist disaster workers.
Travel to site.
ACTIVATION
Coordinate food purchases with venders.
Obtain lodging for disaster workers.
Communicate daily operation plan for disaster relief
operation. Use daily feeding statistics to adjust
meal orders, schedules and routes.
Plan:
Menus;
Meal quantities;
Schedule for feeding.
Provide initial feeding unit inventory.
Load and unload cambros into canteens.
Assess the need for deployment of
other Southern Baptist disaster
units: Recovery Units (chain
saw/mud out/repair), Child Care,
Communication, Water Purification,
Shower, and Chaplains.
Prepare food.
Clean cambros.
Pre-condition, fill, and label cambros.
Process invoices and vouchers for payment.
Serve food at fixed serving lines.
Receive new inventory, forward invoices to
Salvation Army.
Conduct daily inventory of onsite
food/supplies.
OPERATIONS
Rotate crews as necessary.
Process Southern Baptists reimbursement
requests for unit travel, rentals, supplies,
incidentals.
Plan for closing (72 hour advance
notice).
Create closing inventory of food, paper
goods supplies.
Restock feeding unit.
DEACTIVATION
Submit reimbursement requests with original
receipts within 15 days of departure from
operation.
LETTERHEAD
REQUEST FOR MILEAGE REIMBURSEMENT
Requested by:
Name:
Address:
City, State, Zip
Contact
Name:
Phone # and/or email
Disaster ...........................
Departure City ………
Unit # ………………..
Dates of Service …......
Location of Service ….
Items to be reimbursed
:
#..........................................
DESCRIPTION
………………………………………..
Amount
1… Example …………….. Mileage (vehicles X miles roundtrip X $1) ……………$.00.00
GRAND TOTAL ………………………………………………………………………$00.00
CR-38 - TRAVEL VOUCHER / REV. 6/93 PDB
THE SALVATION ARMY
TRAVELING EXPENSE REPORT
I.D. NO.
DATE:
PAY TO:
ADDRESS:
THE SUM OF:
DOLLARS
PURPOSE AND PLACE OF TRIP:
DATE:
INTER-CITY TRANSPORTATION - EXPLANATION:
DATE
NO
BRKFST.
NO.
LUNCH
NO.
DINNER
NO.
SNACK
HOTEL
CAR /TAXI
TRANS.
TIPS
SUNDRY
EXPLANATION
TOTAL
$0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
TOTALS
$0.00
ACCOUNT AUTHORIZED
LESS AMOUNT CHARGED ON:
CREDIT CARD (COPIES ATTACHED)
OR S.A. CHECK #
NET AMOUNT DUE IN CASH
$0.00
PAID
RECEIVED THE ABOVE
CHECK
DATE
