Worship Facility Security in the 21st Century What Happened to Just Worshiping the Lord?  

Christopher  T.  Lloyd  September  22,  2016  

 

Active Shooters

Are they the biggest threat we face?

Houses of Worship •  The 6 incidents in houses of worship resulted in 21 people killed &

27 wounded (including 1 law enforcement officer)

•  The ages of the shooters ranged from 24-69

•  Most incidents occurred on Sundays (3), with the rest occurring on a Tuesday (1), Friday (1) and a Saturday (1)

•  In all, 3 shooters were apprehended (2 of whom were restrained by citizens until police arrived) and 3 committed suicide at the scene (2 before police arrived and 1 after)

Active Shooter Situations

21 Incidents (13.1%) ended after unarmed citizens safely & successfully

restrained the shooter

64 Incidents where the duration of the incident could be ascertained; 44 (69%)

ended in 5 mins or less, w/ 23 ending in 2 mins or less

Even when law enforcement was present or able to respond within minutes, civilians often had to make life and death decisions, and therefore should be

engaged in training and discussions on decisions they may face

60% ended before police arrived

Ransomware

Ransomware

Ransomware

Ransomware

Electronic Security •  Are your network servers secure? •  Is your website protected? •  Are your IT people skilled/trained enough to

protect your electronic assets? •  Do you have IT people? •  Are they aware of what’s out there? – Deep web – Dark web

“Hackables” •  I.P. camera systems •  I.P. card access systems •  I.P. phone systems •  Websites/website adverts •  Facebook •  Twitter (Zuckerberg) – “Twitoor” •  Pintrest (Zuckerberg) •  LinkedIn •  E-mail •  Apps •  And on, and on, and on…

   

How many of you have had an active shooter or other active/armed threat?

How many of you have had…

•  Medical Emergency •  Disruptive Individual(s) •  Theft •  Power outage •  Picketers/Demonstrators •  Computer “issues” •  Other emergency

 

So…

1.  Which are you more concerned about and

2.  Which are you preparing for?

Security is security!

(It is the same across the board…with nuances)

Preparation

All Hazards Planning

Preparation •  FEMA/DHS – NIMS/ICS

•  100, 200, 700, 800

•  “All Hazards Planning” –  Prevention/Mitigation –  Preparedness – Response – Recovery

Emergency Preparedness Plan •  Do you have one? •  Is it all “hazards”?

–  Hazards = any/all safety & security issues particular to church facilities/YOUR facility

–  Natural vs. man-made •  How often is it reviewed & updated? •  Who knows about it? •  Who knows it? •  How often is it practiced/drilled/trained? •  Does it differentiate:

–  Shelter in Place –  Lockdown –  Evacuation

Training & Assessment •  Who & how are you training?

–  Greeters –  Ushers –  Sunday school teachers/aids/helpers –  Security personnel –  Pastors/leadership –  Congregants

•  Drills •  Tabletops •  Are you utilizing “professionals”, or at least those w/ knowledge/

experience in providing training

Training & Assessment •  How are you assessing your needs? –  Physical site

•  Property •  Structures

–  Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats –  Policies/procedures/protocols/etc.

•  Are you utilizing “professionals”, or at least those w/ knowledge/experience in providing assessment(s)?

CPTED •  Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design

–  Lighting •  Types •  Location

–  Landscaping/Hardscaping •  Trees/shrubs/plantings •  Walkways, walls

–  Building design •  Blind spots •  Accessibility (to, around, on, etc)

–  Parking lot design •  Vehicle ingress, egress, speed restrictors, etc.

–  Sightlines •  In to & out off center of facility/grounds

Construction •  Do you include/involve a security “expert” in

your construction planning phase? •  Do you include/involve any type of security

person (expert or not) in your construction planning phase?

•  CCTV •  Access Control •  CPTED •  Emergency ingress/egress •  Much cheaper on the front end!

Medical Emergencies •  Are you prepared? – Trained medical personnel on hand during services?

•  Medical Ministry – How do you respond? – Who responds? – To where do they respond? –  Prepared for the “freak out” response?

•  Scared, anxious, crying – refocus (prayer) •  Redirect those getting in the way (good Samaritan response)

Externals •  Nearby railroad? –  What’s transported on it?

•  Do you have a derailment/hazmat response plan? •  How often/when?

–  Who owns the rails/who do you contact? •  Nearby hazmat facilities? –  Do you know which way the prevailing winds blow in your

area? –  What is the hazmat?

•  Evacuate, shelter in place?

Disruptive Persons •  External:

–  Special Interest Groups •  LGBTQ •  Abortion Rights •  Racists (individuals/groups) •  Atheists/Haters in general •  Other picketers/demonstrators

–  Media •  Do you know where public property stops and private property begins? •  Who is your “face” of the organization? Are they trained to address? •  How do you handle/address all of the above?

Disruptive Persons •  Internal –  Emotional vs. Psychological vs. the “look at me”

congregant –  In the sanctuary vs. in the hall/foyer/office –  Are your support staff trained to address & handle?

•  Do they know their roles/expectations? •  Who handles what? (type of incident, location, etc) •  Use of force continuum

–  Command presence –  Verbal –  Non-lethal –  Lethal

Criminals •  Predatory thieves

–  Offering –  Purses/electronics/other valuables (anything not bolted down) –  Offices

•  Locked? •  Staffed? •  Money safe

–  Retail areas •  CCTV? •  Security •  Staff trained on what to look for, how to detect, how to respond?

–  Unsecured vehicles – trying door handles

Criminals •  Opportunistic Thieves – Crimes of Opportunity

•  Would not normally steal something •  Opportunity presents itself, thief succumbs to temptation

– Unsecured vehicle (windows down wallet on seat, change in cup holder, etc.)

–  “Honor System” money/product –  “Sidewalk sale” items

Predators •  Sunday School

–  Everyone vetted? •  SS teachers F/T & P/T •  Staff/volunteers/helpers

–  Background checks? »  Applications »  Fingerprinted »  Criminal History »  Child Abuse »  Driver’s license/history »  Prior churches/ministries

–  Interviews? –  Adults w/ children policy (never 1-on-1)

•  Pastors

Predators •  Sunday School –  SS Security provided?

•  In addition to, or part of church/adults? •  Child check-in process •  Reclamation policy/procedure

–  Normal procedure vs. emergency aftermath •  Adult access to SS areas – who, how, when, where? •  Emergency response protocols

–  Do you have them, who knows them (parents?), are all SS personnel trained on them?

•  PFA’s

Hate Crimes •  Arson •  Burglaries/break-ins •  Vandalism

–  Graffiti –  Property destruction

•  Cross burning •  Personal attacks

–  Assaults –  Murders

•  Are you prepared to deal with: –  Media blitz –  Psychological aftermath

•  Fear •  Anger •  Delayed emotional reactions

–  Effects on the children

Power Outage •  Generator(s)?

–  Inspections/service •  Emergency lighting?

–  Inspections/service •  Systems affected

–  Computers –  Phones –  A.V. –  HVAC

•  Response protocols –  S.S. –  Sanctuary/Worship Facility –  Daytime vs. nighttime vs. time of year, etc.

Facility “add-ons” •  Day Care? School? –  K-12, Pre-K-6, etc. –  Are these part of church building? –  What is access during work week?

•  From outside •  From church

–  Do you have separate and distinct security & emergency response plans/protocols/policies/procedures?

–  Because K-12/daycare security has those pesky “nuances”

Communications

Waiting until there’s an emergency is no time to learn…

Communications •  What’s in your safety/security plan (does more than 1 person

know?) •  What’s in your emergency response plan •  Who is your:

–  Chief of police –  Fire Marshal, Fire Chief, EMS provider –  Crises counselors, crises counselling agency

•  Who in your congregation has expertise, knowledge, skills, or abilities in security/emergency response

•  Do the above agencies know who your “after hours” contact(s) is/are, and his/her/their contact numbers?

Communications •  2-way radio communications •  Who can communicate with whom? •  Mass notification system?

–  Text –  E-mail –  Phone tree –  Public address system (internal/external) –  Bullhorns

•  Panic buttons •  How do you signal all clear?

–  With SS workers –  With responding agencies –  With congregants

•  Alarm systems – Fire/Intrusion –  To whom do they ring?

•  PD/FD? •  Central Station •  On-call security

Communications •  Build relationships now!

–  Coffee and donuts go a long way ☺ –  Invite PD/FD/EMS to train in/at your facility –  Invite PD/FD/EMS to a dinner/recognition event (provide food/refreshments) –  Provide floor/building plans to PD/FD/EMS/County dispatch

•  Get contact names/numbers of any/all agencies who potentially could respond to your facility, or from whom you may require service –  Hospitals –  FAA –  Gas, water, sewer, electric authorities/companies –  Local/county emergency management agency –  Fire Marshal –  Red Cross –  FBI –  Media –  Mental Health agencies/professionals

Documentation •  Need to show due diligence –  “If it’s not documented, it didn’t happen” –  Document:

•  Pol/Proc; Emerg. Response Plans •  Any/all incidents

–  who, what, where, when, why, how –  Include victim/witness statements

•  After action reports –  SWOT

•  Training •  Assessments

–  Document, Document, Document…

To be, or not to be, that is the question…

Armed vs. Un-armed •  Security personnel •  Congregants •  Leadership/other staff

•  Factors –  Local/state laws –  Personal/corporate philosophy

•  Training requirements

•  Congregants –  Don’t ask, don’t tell? –  Expectations? –  Run, Hide, Fight –  “citizens have the potential to affect the outcome of the event based on their responses”

•  Should you, or shouldn’t you post “weapons/gun free zone” signs?

Resources •  ASIS International •  Secure Community Network (SCN) •  Dept. of State

–  Overseas Security Advisory Council (OSAC) –  Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP)

•  FBI •  DHS •  FEMA •  State emergency management •  Insurance company

–  Brotherhood Mutual •  Local PD, FD, Fire Marshal •  Other churches (remember communication?) •  Congregants •  Security personnel, S.S. teachers, custodians, etc.

Topics not covered?

Questions?