In response to a number of recent shootings in school and faith communities, the United States government released its first ever Guide for Developing High-Quality Emergency Operations Plans for Houses of Worship (38 pages). The practical booklet offers information, including:
- assigning congregation members to assess immediate threats,
- determining the best places for shelter and useful hiding spots
- identifying who should run, who should hide, and who should fight back
- planning effective evacuations in the event of an armed gun attack
- depicting “scenarios” and considering response options in advance
- developing survivor mindset to increase the odds of surviving
So What?
The church I serve now and the church I served most recently both are within a few blocks of the beach. For both faith communities, having thorough and actionable plans to deal with hurricanes is essential. While I can say with great assurance that severe weather will impact the operations of these congregations in the future, I don’t imagine that most congregations (or even most congregations sharing certain characteristics) will experience an active shooter incident. I do, however, believe that it is important for congregational leadership to adequately address planning for that and all emerging threats to the operations of the parish and the wellbeing of parishioners.
Does your church have policies and procedures that address active shooter situations? If so, are the appropriate leaders trained? If not, do you believe that this deficiency should be addressed in the near term future?