Basic Response Plan

Last week, I offered to share what our church did in response to a warning from the Office of Public Safety in Gainesville, FL, when the Dove World Outreach Center planned to burn a copy of the Koran. 

Please understand our preparations were very rudimentary and hurried.  They should serve as nothing other than a beginning point for any church wanting to enhance their security precautions.   I also would strongly advise seeking the advice of professional security consultant specializing in church security.  What we did can be summarized in three phases:

·      Communicate with your leaders.

1.     After I received word from the OPS, I contacted the senior leaders of the church.  Developing a security plan is NOT something the minister needs to do alone.  In fact, once the project is begun the minister’s role is minimal.  Unless you went to a very unusual Bible College, you most likely did not take a class in security issues in seminary.

2.     The biggest problem we had to wrestle with was how much to communicate and with whom.  We limited the information about the threat warning to a very small circle which included the elders, then to teachers, deacons, and volunteers on a need to know basis.

·      Upgrade existing systems.

Rather than attempting to install new systems or plans, we began with upgrading our existing services.  Situational awareness was the key of what we wanted to do.

1.     Like most churches we had greeters at the main entrance.  To this we added one of our leaders whose job it was to watch and pay close attention to any first time visitor that seemed ill at ease.  If someone who seemed out of place our leader would attack himself to this individual and offer to guide them around the building and to set with them during the service.

2.     Once services began all entrances to the building were locked so that anyone arriving late had to enter via the main entrance.  This was important to us because the design of our building allowed numerous entry points to areas of children’s ministry. 

3.     We also had a volunteer walk through the parking area during the service.  Again, he was looking for anything that seemed out of place and would react proactively unless there was an obvious threat. 

4.     Our church was in a state and community in which it is not uncommon for citizens to have “concealed carry permits”.  Members with CCP’s were in the loop concerning the threat.  We asked those persons, which included off duty police officers, to carry at church.  They were asked to defend the congregation if necessary. 

We were able to conduct all our services without any interruption to our regular practices. 

·      Construct an action plan.

I am thankful to report that we did not have to take any action in an incident.  However, we did have an action plan in the event that something happened. The best plans cannot prepare for every contingency, but a good plan is better than no plan at all.  Here are the plans we had in place if something were to happen.  In the event of an incident:

1.     We had a team of men designated to go and secure the children’s ministry.  One of our rooms was a secure room with easily blocked access.  In the event of a crisis, all the children would be taken to that room and kept safe till their parents could pick them up. 

2.     In the case of a person brandishing a weapon, armed members were to command the assailant disarm.  In the case of an active shooter, armed members were to engage if they could do so without danger to innocent people.

3.     All leaders not actively engaged in any other capacity were to call 911 for help.

4.     After the moment of crisis had passed, members were to be taken to the fellowship hall, reunited with children and were to be asked to wait for the police to speak with them before leaving. 

5.     Members with medical training would be asked to assist with any injured persons once there was a reasonable sense of security.

6.     One individual was designated to represent the church to the press and that was not to be the minister. 

A trained security expert would no doubt find numerous problems with this plan.  But we did put this together in a matter of a couple of weeks.  I do believe this is a good starting point and is better than no plan at all.

We did not have time for rehearsal or additional training.  We were also short staffed and had occasions in which we had no law enforcement in the congregation.  As Sunday, September 11, approaches, if you have no plan, please begin to prepare for a moment we hope never occurs.