Churches serve as safe havens for congregants and community members alike. Unfortunately, sanctuaries have been frequent targets for those with ill intentions, demonstrating the rise in religion-based hate crimes. With active shooter attacks occurring anytime and anyplace, pre-planning is crucial to protect your members. Let’s dive into the United Methodist Insurance Program’s five-step mini guide on preparing for active shooter situations:
Assemble a Safety Team: An on-site safety team can help prevent all types of criminal activity – not just active shooters, providing peace of mind and reducing avoidable crimes such as arson, vandalism, etc. Ideal candidates for your response team include military veterans, medical professionals, and law enforcement officers.
Provide Training and Resources: Properly trained safety team members form an essential layer of protection for your church. Educate them on a variety of scenarios—not only active shooter situations but also smaller crimes like arson and vandalism.
Make a Comprehensive Plan: Develop a step-by-step plan to prevent and respond to an active shooter scenario. For detailed guidance on actions to take, read our article “Navigating Active Shooter Situations: Run. Hide. Fight.®️”
Collaborate with Law Enforcement: Arrange a walkthrough and risk assessment with local law enforcement to identify and address vulnerable areas of your property. Your on-site safety team can then make any necessary improvements.
Communicate and Plan: Once a safety plan is established, communicate it first to church leadership and then to your congregation. Ensure everyone understands the necessary steps to take in the event of an active shooter.
For more insights into navigating active shooter situations, download the full Crime & Violence Handbook for Churches from United Methodist Insurance today!
This content has been prepared by United Methodist Insurance Company (UMI) for informational purposes only. No article or document may accurately contemplate all possible scenarios or church resources. As such, this information is meant to foster discussion by the individual church and its members to develop a plan tailored to its own circumstances. UMI is providing this information with no warranties or guarantees of any kind and it should not be viewed as legal, financial, or other professional advice. All liability is expressly disclaimed. Any claim examples described herein are general in nature, may or may not be based on actual claims, and are for informational purposes only. Any coverage available for a claim is determined from the facts and circumstances of the claim as well as the terms and conditions of any applicable policy, including any exclusions or deductibles. In the event of a conflict with the content herein, the terms and conditions of any issued policy will control. Individual coverage may vary and may not be available in all states.
The commercial insurance coverages for United Methodist Insurance are sold and serviced directly or indirectly by Sovereign Insurance Agency (CA Lic. No. 0B01380) ("Sovereign") and underwritten by various available insurance markets. Sovereign pays United Methodist Insurance a royalty for the use of its intellectual property.
Comments