Is Your Church Prepared to Respond to an Active Threat?

The statistics are alarming – armed confrontations and active shooter incidents are becoming more and more common, even in churches. It’s evident that the days of churches being immune to the issues of society are over. To protect our congregations and families, we must have the uncomfortable conversation and decide what measures should be taken. Every church should be prepared to answer the question, “What would we do in the event of an active threat?”

Equip and prepare your congregation now.

When it comes to church safety and security, the key to successful critical incident resolution is proper planning and preparation. Don‘t wait until a crisis occurs to create your contingency plans – start now! While planning for every possible scenario may be impossible, having a core plan in place can be the difference between life and death. A lack of preparation is the greatest contributor to chaos and loss of life.

In order to effectively address active threats inside churches, preparation is essential. This includes educating staff and volunteers on proven response models and having strategies and measures in place. This level of preparation not only gives people the confidence they need, but also provides life–saving measures in the event of an emergency.

Unfortunately, there are over 100 fatalities and nearly 250 active threat incidents occurring on church-owned properties each year.

Every ministry should train its staff and volunteers to respond and assist the congregation during an active threat or critical incident. When crisis strikes, every second counts, and having a plan in place can mean the difference between life and death. Our active shooter congregational training kit helps you train your congregation using the Run – Hide – Fight model. This includes identifying available evacuation routes for your congregation, lock-down points, and potential safe room locations and discussing options to protect and defend your community from harm.

Every church, regardless of size, should have a safety/security ministry in place. This team should be comprised of vetted members who are trained to help the congregation, ensure daily operations are secure, and enhance the overall preparedness of the site. Our active shooter training kit is tailored to the safety/security team and will help them respond and support the church in times of emergency. This training includes additional response strategies and tactical considerations.

To reduce your risk, it is important to train your staff to quickly remove the congregation from the affected areas, isolate members from potential risk, and work to contain and quarantine any identified threat. You should also instruct the congregation to remember the RUN–HIDE–FIGHT response model. This free one-page congregational handout guide can assist.

During an active threat situation, the majority of injuries that are sustained can be contributed to two primary factors. First, the attackers’ tactical advantage and the element of surprise. Secondly, the victim’s delayed response or inability to properly recognize the immediate threat and withdraw or defend themselves.

When faced with danger, people naturally tend to run away or confront the perceived threat. This natural survival mechanism is commonly known as “fight or flight” and is a physiological response to a threat. However, when mentally overloaded, some people may tend to freeze or fail to even respond at all. This negative response to a threat is even more apt to occur when the person has no prior training or experiences to draw from. This is why it is essential to provide individuals with the RUN-HIDE-FIGHT model, which leans towards the bodies natural survival response.

For additional information on ways to increase your church safety, review our 10 Essential Steps for Church Safety.

Get Your Church Active Shooter Training Kit Today!

Our Church Active Shooter Training Kit comes with everything you need to help prepare your congregation and security team to respond during an active threat. This product contains TWO separate training modules: One for church congregations and the other designed specifically for church safety and security teams. The included Instructor’s guides provide concepts in risk mitigation and practical exercises and drills that can be used to increase your readiness to critical incidents. This material is a perfect training resource for larger multi-campus facilities and smaller church settings alike.

Our Full Armor Church material is crafted by law enforcement professionals, utilizing accepted critical incident response protocols and threat mitigation strategies. Additionally, we have included essential spiritual preparation and intervention components. Don’t forget, safety doesn’t just happen – it takes preparation.

Have Questions? Review our Frequently Asked Questions Page.