FEMA COORDINATION & CHAPLAINCY AUTHORIZATION STATEMENT

 AUTHORIZATION STATEMENT

Harvest Christian University (HCU), through the International Association of Licensed & Commissioned Chaplains (IALCC), is authorized to educate, credential, and deploy chaplains who coordinate and operate alongside FEMA and emergency management agencies in disaster and emergency settings, consistent with federal law, regulation, and established emergency management doctrine.

The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution permits governmental and institutional accommodation of chaplaincy services. Federal courts have affirmed chaplaincy as constitutionally lawful when services are voluntary, non-coercive, and non-enforcement in nature (Katcoff v. Marsh, 755 F.2d 223 (2d Cir. 1985); Cutter v. Wilkinson, 544 U.S. 709 (2005)).

The Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. §§ 5121–5207) expressly authorizes FEMA to coordinate with private nonprofit, faith-based, and voluntary organizations providing disaster-related human services (42 U.S.C. §§ 5154a, 5170a). FEMA regulations recognize religious and faith-based entities as eligible Private Nonprofit Organizations (44 C.F.R. § 206.2(a)(25)).

Under FEMA’s National Response Framework (NRF) and Emergency Support Function #6 (ESF-6 – Mass Care, Emergency Assistance, Housing, and Human Services), spiritual and emotional care is recognized as a legitimate component of disaster response delivered by nongovernmental partners. The National Incident Management System (NIMS) and Incident Command System (ICS) further authorize participation of non-governmental, non-law-enforcement personnel operating under an Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) in support roles during incidents.

Federal civil rights law permits such coordination provided services remain voluntary and nondiscriminatory (Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, 42 U.S.C. § 2000d), a standard consistently reflected in FEMA faith-based partnership guidance.

Accordingly, chaplains educated and credentialed through HCU and IALCC may lawfully provide spiritual care, crisis intervention, responder support, victim and family assistance, and community recovery services in coordination with FEMA and emergency management partners, while remaining independent, non-law-enforcement emergency support personnel.

• Scope: Immediate deployment during disasters, floods, hurricanes, fires, or other emergencies.
• Function: Provides spiritual care, emotional support, trauma stabilization, and moral guidance to affected communities.
• Partnership Potential: FEMA, state emergency management, NGOs, VOAD/NVOAD.
   

• Scope: Participation in shelters, evacuation centers, and community support hubs.
• Function: Offers counseling, prayer services, grief support, family reunification assistance, and basic human needs guidance.
• Partnership Potential: FEMA, Red Cross, local public health departments.
   

• Scope: Response to deaths, injuries, and loss during disasters or critical incidents.
• Function: Provides death notifications, emotional stabilization, bereavement support, and long-term family follow-up.
• Partnership Potential: FEMA, law enforcement victim assistance units, hospitals, and disaster relief organizations.
   

• Scope: Support for first responders, emergency personnel, and volunteer teams during and after critical incidents.
• Function: Delivers counseling, stress management, spiritual guidance, and peer support programs to maintain mental and emotional resilience.
• Partnership Potential: Fire departments, EMS, police, FEMA task forces, hospitals.
   

• Scope: Long-term post-disaster recovery initiatives, community rebuilding, and resiliency planning.
• Function: Provides spiritual guidance, community workshops, trauma-informed care education, and coordination with recovery NGOs.
• Partnership Potential: FEMA, local and state emergency management, VOAD/NVOAD, faith-based networks.
   

• Scope: Academic and professional chaplaincy training programs for emergency deployment.
• Function: Prepares chaplains in NIMS/ICS, crisis intervention, trauma response, ethical standards, and disaster protocols.
• Partnership Potential: FEMA, state emergency management academies, hospitals, NGOs.