With the growing security threats of all kinds currently prevalent, worshippers are likely to feel unsafe in a place they associate with safety, comfort and a sense of community – the church. Because no church wants its congregants to stay away because they fear for their safety, formulation of a church security plan is of utmost importance. Every church security plan should list possible situations, the procedures for handling each one, and the chain of command for doing so. Coming up are a few church security plan examples that you can use to get ideas for your church.
First, however, here are a few of the security concerns that exist within the church.
- The different programs and schedules going on in the church, involving several different people at each time.
- Churches should ideally represent an inclusive environment, not a maximum security facility.
- Most churches attract a huge number of people every week, with the highest numbers/traffic on days of worship.
- During the mass or service, congregants do not face the door, making it hard to keep an eye on the entrances and exits.
Example 1
In this case, the church chose to have a church security plan that includes:
- Laid out plans and procedures for reaction and response to every possible scenario
- Video surveillance all over the campus
- Access role policies – allowing or denying access to certain areas of the church
- Cooperation with law enforcement agencies – for training and backup security services
- Security training for church leaders and staff
- Separating public and private Wi-Fi use within the church compound
- Assigning patrol staff all over the campus, and within the church itself
- Locking away resources when not in use, and protecting material resources
Example 2
On the surface, this plan appears to be the most basic of the church security plan examples. It is composed of:
- Awareness – Making the church leadership and congregants aware of the risks that surround having large gatherings every Sunday, and what to look out for.
- Preparation – Here, the church security team comes up with procedures to follow for every scenario that may arise. They also source volunteers from the congregation to assist the security team.
- Rehearsals – Every possible scenario is acted out, and the procedures to follow rehearsed over and over until they become second nature to the security team.
The team should consist of:
- Grounds Engineer
- Building engineer
- Ushers
- Church administrators
- Pastors
- Representatives from the Fire Service and local law enforcement agency
- Medical/EMS personnel
- Public officials
Note: All the members of this security team must be trained before they start work and receive periodic refresher courses so that they stay up to date on the latest security threats and procedures.
Example 3
The following church security plan is based on reaction and response to different scenarios as follows:
- Worship service disruption – In this case, the security team acts swiftly based on the instructions that come from the pulpit. The pastor should have been trained on how to assess the situation and respond as fast as possible.
- Evacuation – This is initiated by the church leadership through designated exits. The congregants should be educated on where the emergency exits are, and how to move in an orderly fashion.
- Intruders – The security team is trained to handle the intruder with a firm and friendly approach, thus taking control of the situation and preventing further danger to the congregation.
To ensure that the procedures listed in the plan work well, it is important to have the right church security team in place.
- In-house church security assets, i.e. the church security team composed of staff and a few volunteers.
- A professional security firm – This firm should be able to observe, assess and monitor situations occurring around the church premises, and take the necessary action. This firm should report to the church leadership.
- Parking lot/vehicle security – Volunteers from the congregation should be able to handle this in conjunction with the professional security team.
- The congregation – An aware congregation will greatly reduce the security risks, as every member will be on the lookout for anything suspicious and out of the ordinary, and anything that may pose a threat to those in the church.
Example 4
This is the last of the church security plan examples, one that is simple yet effective.
- Make a list of all the possible situations that may arise, and then specify the actions that should be taken if they occur. The sequence of actions should also be included.
- Control access to certain areas of the church by using lockdown procedures, video surveillance, and 2-way radios. Also, restrict access to the children’s church, and strictly enforce operating hours so that there is always a member of the security team present.
- Assemble a security team that consists of members of the church leadership and selected staff members. Volunteers from the congregation who have experience in dealing with security threats should also be incorporated into this team.
- Build a relationship with the local police, public officers, emergency responders and private investigators in the community, and where possible, get them to train the security team.
- Let the congregation know what security threats exist, and how they can be involved in keeping the church safe. The members of the church should also know where the emergency exits and safe zones are. Lastly, take down the contact information of members and visitors.
If you make use of either or all of the church security plan examples listed above, you can be sure that your place of worship will be safe!