National Church Safety and Security Month
Although safety and security in places of worship are practiced throughout the entire year, we focus more closely on raising awareness about the importance of safety protocols and security procedures during the month of October, in observance of National Church Safety and Security Month. It is surprising to note that many houses of worship have not developed proper security and safety measures to help mitigate risks to their congregants.
Congregants have an expectation of safety when on the premises.
Houses of worship, by design, are intended to be a place of refuge and a safe haven for everyone, where the doors swing on “welcome hinges.” As such, they may also be viewed as unprotected places or soft targets, which increases the vulnerabilities to the congregants. It is vital to plan for the unexpected through preparation and education. Houses of worships that have taken protective measures to reduce the risks to congregants are considered harder targets and may include the development of a well-trained security team, addition of surveillance systems and controlled access to the building, to name a few.
A Security Team for Congregation Safety
The role of the security team is to maintain a safe worship experience, while on the church grounds, by observing entry points, surveilling the internal and external areas, and enforcing safety protocols during services and other events. It is recommended that members of the security team pass a background check, orientation, and training prior to serving in this role. Willing to serve and capable of serving are two quite distinctive characteristics. Having an effective security team is vital for the growth of the congregation and helps to encourage attendance.
The Department of Homeland Security has prepared a document entitled, “Physical Security Performance Goals for Faith-Based Communities” designed to enhance security due to the rise in attacks on houses of worship, including churches, synagogues, mosques, and other faith-based institutions.
This guide focuses on five categories:
- Identify – selection a security team and identify risks
- Protect – improve security measures and technology, as well as partner with local law enforcement
- Detect – promote situational awareness training to detect threats and encourage congregants to report suspicious behavior
- Respond – develop comprehensive response plans and emergency communication notification system
- Recover – assess post-incident damages and create a timetable for services to resume
Conducting risk assessments help to identify potential hazards to people and safety breaches. Analyzing risks provide vital information that can be used in the development of a security plan or emergency response action plan. It is important to review the church’s history and any matters that may have involved local law enforcement to determine potential threats and weaknesses. The risk assessment process must be reviewed at least annually, and adjustments should be made accordingly.
Congregation Safety Plans
Developing a safety plan for places of worship must include a variety of scenarios, including but not limited to, natural disasters, medical emergencies, global health concerns and active attackers. To help ensure that your plan is effective, conduct regular training of staff and volunteers. It is also imperative that pertinent information, regarding what to do and where to go in the event of a safety breach, must be shared with the congregants and they should be encouraged to participate in safety workshop training, safety briefings and drills. Often these steps are overlooked or omitted from the best safety planning process. In addition, it is important to build relationships with local law enforcement and emergency responders to coordinate response efforts between all involved, should an emergency arise.
There are several areas of concern that should be considered when developing an emergency response plan and training for your place of worship, including fire drills, first aid/bleed control training, evacuation routes, emergency accountability contact lists and active attacker response plans, to name a few. Training that includes situational awareness and pre-attack indicators. The more eyes on a potential threat, the better the outcome.
Child Safety Plans
It is critical to include child safety policies to keep the most vulnerable safe. Anyone tasked with teaching and caring for children must be trained. They must also pass a background check. There must be a drop-off and check-out process, as well as restricted access to children, only releasing them to the appropriate parent or guardian. The fact that many children are caught in the middle of a domestic or custody dispute, the child safety policies must be very stringent.
Think about Safety During Worship
During National Church Safety and Security Month, it is the perfect time to revisit your safety protocols, conduct training and drills and reassess newly identified potential risks to ensure that your emergency response plan is still effective and accurate. Fear is reduced when education is provided and chaos can be minimized when everyone knows their role and acts accordingly, until help arrives.
Read more articles from TBuzz: “Be SAFER in Life – Stop, Assess, Formulate, Execute and Review” , 9 Things You Can Do to Have Safe Worship
