There are a lot of factors to consider when addressing church safety. Safety protocols look different based on the size, accessibility and location of a church. Safety protocols should also look different based on the type of threat.
Church safety doesn’t only include the worst-case scenario of an armed intruder. It could be as simple as addressing the angry visitor yelling during the service or the confused stranger walking the halls.
On Thursday, April 27, church staff and lay leaders from across the Birmingham Metro area and beyond gathered at Samford University for a church safety seminar. The seminar was led by Dan Graeber, vice president of faith-based initiatives for the Center for Personal Protection and Safety, and was sponsored by CPPS, Counter Threat Group, TAB Media Group and the Samford Ministry Training Institute.
Among other strategies and tips, Graeber discussed two aspects of church safety that aim to be preventative, rather than reactive: de-escalation and situational awareness.
Reason instead of emotion
De-escalation is needed when you encounter someone in a distressed state. Emotions rather than reason will control this distressed person’s behavior. The conflict that this person brings may not be able to be resolved, but it must be managed. To manage it, Graeber gave three principles:
- Calm: Control what you can control: your response and your behavior. Remain calm and give him or her your undivided attention. Listen to the distressed person.
- Connect: Empathize with him or her and remain calm. Empathy can absorb tension between two parties. Try to see through the eyes of the other person.
- Capitalize: Now you’ve got open and honest dialogue and the other person doesn’t feel more threatened than they did when they came in. Validate their feelings and look for areas of agreement. Then look for a solution.
Situational awareness is about paying attention to your surroundings. You want to recognize potential danger and respond reasonably without falling into the trap of extremes: paranoia or oblivion. Oftentimes violent behavior is preceded by warning signs, such as prolonged anger, obsession or hypersensitivity, that are left unaddressed.
“The best predictor of future behavior is past behavior,” Graeber said.
The best response in high-intensity, dangerous situations is an organized, planned response. Make sure your church or business already has procedures in place and make sure your staff, safety team or volunteers know what the procedures are. Best procedures are different for every group based on a number of factors including building size, staff size, and building layout. Assessing your location, current security plan and potential weaknesses is the first step to developing safety protocols.
Learn more about Counter Threat Group and how your church can get a threat assessment at counterthreatgrp.com.
To learn more about CPPS and its resources for churches, visit cpps.com/houses-of-worship-overview.
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