Due to recent events involving churches and violent behavior, there have been questions about what we can do to protect our congregations. We would like to encourage our congregations to use reasonable precautions for all kinds of situations and to remember some of the more likely scenarios, which are not always in the news.
By The Rev. Paul Snyder, Diocesan Disaster Recovery Coordinator
From Our Diocesan Disaster Recovery Coordinator
The Rev. Paul Snyder
Email: PaulSnyder@epiok.org
Phone: (405) 232-4820
Due to recent events involving churches and violent behavior, there have been questions about what we can do to protect our congregations. We would like to encourage our congregations to use reasonable precautions for all kinds of situations and to remember some of the more likely scenarios, which are not always in the news.
Think more about safety than security. Some things to think about:
- Be welcoming to all visitors. Find out what brought them to your church. Avoid interrogation. If they seem stressed or upset about something, however, notify the clergy, a warden, or other designated person.
- Have someone do a walk-through of the rest of the church during worship services.
- Do you know who the key leaders will be in an emergency? It is helpful to identify several people ahead of time (clergy, wardens, ushers) to be trained in protocols for responding to various kinds of situations, including medical emergencies or fires.
If a member falls, has a heart attack, etc., who knows CPR? If help is needed, who calls 911? - Try to limit access through doors that are not frequently used or monitored. For fire safety, install crash bars on certain exterior doors to be locked during the service and place signs directing people to the front doors and other needed points of access.
- Contact your local fire and police department, ask them to do a walk-through and make recommendations.
- In case of evacuation, where is everyone to meet
- If possible bad weather is approaching, have someone stay weather alert.
Not somewhere in the way of responding vehicles.
Click here to download this resource as a PDF
The best thing to do is to be aware of your surroundings,
actively welcome all newcomers, and see if you can help them.
I am also available to meet with congregations or walk around your campus and make suggestions.
Feel free to contact me!