Milk Not Meat

 

The church security threat level continues to increase exponentially . Multiple church attacks per week are now happening on a regular basis and even more attacks are imminent. Iran is calling on Muslims worldwide to attack “soft” civilian targets like public gatherings and places of worship.

This week, Christian Warrior Training is discussing tactics to handle complex church attacks. This is in response to the latest wave of church attacks that combine multiple threats, often a vehicle ramming, improvised explosive or incendiary devices and an active shooter all in a single event. A lot of church security people love to discuss tactics for these events the same way they enjoy watching over the top action/adventure movies. They like the thrill of talking about it but the reality just hasn’t sunk in.  Talk is one thing but we only truly believe what we effectively act upon.

Only a tiny proportion of the churches we talk to have anything close to an effective security ministry. I find myself in a similar position to the Apostle Paul writing to the Corinthians, “And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. 2 I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.

Churches need to be planning and training for complex tactical events and yet the vast majority lack even the basic tactical skills and/or capabilities required for the simplest of events. So once again, I am offering church security milk. What follows is a basic security checklist which assumes that your church, either has no program or has one that is not regularly trained to a professional level of readiness.

1. Do you have eyes on the parking lots at all times? Do you have either video surveillance or human surveillance on the entire property surrounding your building? Do these people have a way of communicating and is there a plan in place for handling external issues and threats? Do you have a way of instantly security your entrances if a threat is approaching?

2. Have you hardened your entrances against vehicle attack? Heavy planters and architectural obstacles are best but at minimum have you directed key personnel and regular attenders to park their vehicles in a way that would block a ramming attack on entrances?

3. Have you hardened access to the nursery and other spaces where children are present? Children are often the trigger for violent domestics and the softest target for terrorists.

4. Do you have eyes on the people entering the building? Are reliable, well trained people watching every person who enters and scanning them for weapons and explosives? Is there a plan to stop and evaluate every suspicious person and can your people execute it without being offensive or obvious? Is there enough depth in your coverage that this evaluation can take place without leaving the entrances unobserved?

5. Do you have eyes on the congregation at all times? Do you have a trained person watching the congregation from a place offering good observation looking for suspicious movements, groupings and activities?

6. Do you have physical protection for your pastor in place? Are there at least two good sized, well skilled men within two seconds from the pulpit who can block a physical attack against the pastor? The pastor is often the target of disruptive events and physical attacks.

7. Can all of the people above communicate in case of an incident? Can they call for backup or send a warning? Do you have trained external communicators in place? At every service are there at least two people present who habitually sit in locations most likely out of the line of fire that are sufficiently cool headed and trained to make a cogent 911 call giving the actual physical location of the facility and an accurate description of the situation?

8. Do you have well established, regularly practiced fire, explosive device and severe weather plans that will quickly evacuate the congregation to a safer place?

9. Are your staff and volunteers insured against civil action in case of physical confrontation?

10. Do you have CPR/AED equipment and a well stocked trauma kit on site? Do you have people present who are trained to use it and do they know how to access the equipment? Medical emergencies are the most common event churches face.

THIS IS NOT A CHECKLIST FOR A GOOD SECURITY PROGRAM. THESE ARE MINIMUM THRESHOLD STANDARDS FOR AN UNARMED HOSPITALITY MINISTRY. An effective security program actually capable of handling the threats that some of these measures may uncover requires months of professional level training and personal commitments by multiple people that too many churches just can’t or won’t achieve.

I had a short but profound conversation with a local deacon recently. He observed that “cognitive dissonance” often prevents effective church security. This is a point I drive home every training cycle. People who are not professionally trained or have not actually experienced security events tend to adjust their thinking and response to uncomfortable information to conform to their personal or group comfort level. The fact that a response at their comfort level is far below what is required for the actual safety of their flock is usually rationalized away.

In the hard, cold real word a church’s comfort level is irrelevant. The military and police departments assign their best officers to protection details with similar requirements to church security. These men and women have completed extensive training and after that continue to train constantly to maintain those skills and readiness. Refusal to plan and prepare for security events is nothing less than denial. Being confident that you have this thing covered because there a few unorganized, probably untrained armed people in the congregation is nothing short of hubris.

The Oklahoma Church Security Association provides free professional level security consultation and training at no charge. For further information respond to this email or contact Bill Kumpe at 918-381-9792.