Implementing church security procedures needs weeks and months of planning. The chances of incidences taking place within the church compound grow daily, and as such, the church security teams need to have procedures in place as soon as possible. Below is a list of 10 easy church security procedures to implement this week, procedures that will help keep the congregation safe as a more detailed plan is formulated.
10. Assign roles
- First, the security team needs to establish who makes the distress calls and to whom. Designate a point person to make the calls, ensuring that the information is passed swiftly, and in the correct manner.
- If everyone is responsible, no one is responsible
9. Identify trained personnel from among the members
- There may be current and former law enforcement officers in the congregation, as well as medical personnel and members with a military background. Identify these individuals and seek their counsel on church safety.
- Also, encourage them to offer their help to the church using the phrase “if everyone is responsible, no one is responsible!”
8. Increase the knowledge of the security team
- Get professionals from different fields related to safety and security to visit the church compound, and identify any possible risks in the area around and within the church campus.
7. Invest in church safety technology
- Next on the list of 10 easy church security procedures to implement this week are safety devices such as security cameras and two-way radios.
- Security cameras should be placed at different points from which they will cover the whole church compound, as well as inside the church buildings.
- Two-way radios come in handy when cell service is interrupted. Ushers, office staff, children’s church workers, and security staff should all have two-way radios.
6. Create a single entrance
- Once the church service has started, all the doors should be locked, leaving only one entrance available. These doors should be locked from the inside.
- Also, the single entrance and any other unlocked door should be monitored throughout the service.
5. Monitor parking lots, entrances to the campus and unlocked doors
- Assign trusted volunteers to help monitor activity within the parking lot, as well as at the entrances to the church campus and all unlocked doors.
- Volunteers should be issued with two-way radios to ease communication if an incident occurs.
4. Draw the congregation’s attention to exits and designated point persons
- At some point in the service, let the congregation know where the exits are, and how they should use them in the event that anything happens in the course of the service.
- Also, remind the congregation that in safety matters, if everyone is responsible, no one is responsible! Each person should take it upon themselves to follow instructions from the designated point person.
3. Make child safety a priority
- Another of the 10 easy church security procedures to implement this week is securing the children’s area. Have volunteers specifically assigned to keep watch over the children’s section, with two-way radios.
- In addition, the children’s section should have a single entrance and a strict sign-in and sign-out policy.
2. Ask the ‘what if’ questions
- Begin to ask the hard questions relating to church security. Talk about potential situations that could pose danger to the church and its congregants. Identify the weak areas with regard to security.
1. Come up with a plan for emergency situations
- Have a plan ready to tackle any possible situation that may come up. Who is the designated point person to handle it? What roles should the different categories of volunteers play? How fast can the plan be executed?
These 10 easy church security procedures to implement this week are simple enough to be implemented before your next church service. Take action today, and keep your church safe!