Church Security Plan Template

• Currently, security threats to churches are of many different kinds and may come from any direction. As such, churches must be ready to deal with any form of emergency through the formulation of a church security plan that identifies risks and potential points of danger. This plan also helps the church security team to look at the church through the eyes of an intruder, and strategize accordingly.
• Below are the basic components of a church security plan template.

1. List of emergency telephone numbers

• If there is an emergency in your church, the first number to call should be 911. If 911 does not serve your local community, call the local emergency number for your area.
• Other essential numbers that should be in service 24 hours a day are:
• The Building Maintenance/Trustees
• The Pastor/Minister(s)
• The Building Coordinator
• The Incident Coordinator
• Medical Response Team Members
• Safety Response Team Members
• Other emergency contacts

2. Creation of a safety response team

• Several people (church members) should be trained and designated for the positions listed below so that each position is represented at every service or event.

Building Coordinator

• The Building Coordinator is a staff member or volunteer who is trained to know the building floor plans and the emergency evacuation procedures for each one, depending on the type of emergency. This individual should also be involved in long-range church security planning.

Responsibilities of the Building Coordinator include:

• Receiving status reports (when there is an emergency) from the Incident Coordinator
• Relaying status reports and relevant information to the emergency agencies involved (paramedics, police, fire department, etc.)
• Coordinating with the emergency agencies when they arrive on site (evacuations, etc.)
• Working with the emergency response team to:
  • Schedule staff safety training
  • Recruit emergency team members
  • Coordinate emergency planning activities
  • Communicate ongoing church security plans to the church leadership

Incident Coordinator

• According to the church security plan template, the Incident Coordinator has the responsibility of implementing the building emergency plan at the time of an incident. This individual also provides leadership until emergency services arrive on the scene.

The Incident Coordinator’s key responsibilities should include:

• Delegation of necessary emergency actions to other members of the response team
• Ensuring that the safety response team members are assigned duties, and are conversant with emergency procedures
• Ensuring that there is proper communication during an emergency –both internally and externally
• Working with the other emergency response team members to evaluate an emergency

Note: The Incident Coordinator may also be asked by the external teams to assist with evacuation and crowd control

Medical Response Team Members

• The members of this team are church members who have been trained to handle medical emergencies.

Their key responsibilities include:

• Conducting a primary evaluation of the medical emergency situation and reporting to the external emergency teams
• Providing medical assistance and support (e.g. giving first aid) until qualified medical personnel arrive on the scene
• Taking charge of medical emergencies until help arrives

Note: The members of the medical response team should always identify themselves when the paramedics arrive.

Safety Response Team Members

• The members of this team are either staff members or volunteers who understand the importance of and are prepared to facilitate an adequate response to any emergency situation within the church compound. This group of people know the location of safe areas and storm/tornado shelters within the church buildings.

Their key responsibilities include:

• Building evacuation – ensuring that everyone in their assigned section is moved to a safe area and the section is clear
• Conducting shelter/lockdown procedures as well as other intervention procedures where required
• Coordinating with the Building Maintenance/Trustees to minimize hazards within the facility
• Communicating with the Incident Coordinator and other team members using hand-held radios (where available)

Note: The members of the safety response team should always identify themselves when the paramedics arrive.

Church Security Plan Template

3. An Outline Of All Building Emergency Procedures

• The church security plan template should list emergency procedures for the teams to follow in the event of an emergency. Within this template should be instructions for the team leaders, listed as follows:

The team leaders should:

• Know how to report a fire/smoke emergency using 911
• Know the locations of all the fire extinguishers and how to use them
• Know where all the manual fire alarms are located (especially in their area)
• Know how to respond to a medical emergency, and when to call for help
• Know how to respond to a fire alarm without causing a panic
• Know where all the designated shelters are, and how to respond during a tornado emergency
• Know where all the primary and alternate exits are, in case evacuation is required
• Close all open doors as each area is cleared during an evacuation

Coming up is a list of the most common emergencies that may occur in a church, and how to handle them.

Medical Emergencies

• Call 911 or the local emergency response number
• Give the relevant information to the person who answers – location, number of people involved/injured, and the extent of the injuries
• If possible, stay on the line until help arrives
• Attend to minor injuries using the first aid kit
• Do not move the injured/ill person until help arrives, unless it is absolutely necessary
• When the emergency response teams arrive, let them take control

NOTE: Regular first aid/CPR training should be mandatory for all leaders in the church, especially those in charge of preschool and Sunday school.

Fire and Smoke Emergencies

If you detect fire or smoke on the premises:

• Activate the manual fire alarm
• Initiate evacuation
• Call 911
• Attempt to put out the fire (consider if this is the best course of action first)
• If you are unable to put the fire out, isolate it

If you hear the fire alarm go off:

• Do not use the elevator
• Initiate evacuation
• Be sure to assist people who cannot move quickly, like physically challenged/injured/ill persons

Building Evacuation Emergencies

• All leaders should be well versed on the building plans and the emergency evacuation routes and procedures for the premises. They should also be in charge of a designated assembly area outside the building.

When a building evacuation is ordered, do the following:

• Remain calm
• Follow the instructions of those in charge, specifically the Incident Coordinator and the Emergency Response Team
• Close the door after you leave a room
• Use the stairs, not the elevator
• Do not go back to get personal effects, etc
• Do not smoke
• Do not go back to your area until the all-clear signal is given

Note:

• Evacuation plans for physically challenged persons should be laid out in advance
• All members of the church should be made aware of the emergency evacuation procedures

Severe Weather Emergencies

• Emergency procedures for churches in areas that experience severe weather, specifically tornadoes and hurricanes, are crucial.

Tornado Warning Emergency Procedure

• Tornado warnings are usually issued in advance by the National Weather Service after an approaching tornado has been detected on radar, or seen by weather watchers or members of the public.
• Once a tornado develops, the emergency response team members should initiate procedures to notify, safeguard and secure all staff, members and visitors within the facility.

Once the warning is announced:

• Take shelter in one of the designated tornado shelters (the facility should have one or more of these, depending on its size)
• Do not use the elevator
• Assist all physically challenged individuals in your section
• Remain in the shelter until you get word from the leaders that it is safe to come out

Active Shooter/Intruder Emergencies

• A hostile individual on the church premises, either causing or threatening to cause deadly harm within the facility, or who barricades him/herself inside the facility, poses a threat to the members, visitors and staff.

If an intruder accesses the church premises:

• Lock yourself in the room you are in
• Call 911 or the local emergency numbers
• Do not stay in open areas
• Do not sound the fire alarm – the intruder may panic
• Lock the windows and close the blinds/curtains of the room you are in
• Keep away from the windows
• Turn off the lights and audio equipment in the room
• Stay calm and quiet
• If you are caught in an open area, decide quickly what action to take. You can either hide, run (not in a straight line), or play dead. If the intruder catches you, obey his/her instructions.
• When the law enforcement officers arrive, be sure to follow their instructions.

Finally, what reference documents should the template contain?

• Threat checklist
• Emergency evacuation maps
• Injury/Incident report template
• Building emergency systems
• Hazard analysis report/template

Though coming up with a church security plan template may seem like a laborious process, the result is that everyone within the facility can feel safe knowing that if an emergency occurs, there are procedures in place to handle it.