Houses of worship plan active shooter response
Mass shootings and gun violence constantly in the news have spurred efforts to secure and protect points of community gathering. These efforts can save lives, said Bob Winters, a protective security adviser for the Department of Homeland Security.
With the frequency of such events in recent years, keeping worshippers safe while they practice their faith has been a priority. This includes preemptive measures and decision making in the midst of crisis.
“If you’re ready for the worst, then hopefully you’re able to prepare for any kind of potential threat you face,” Winters said.
Pastors, priests, rabbis, clergy, Sunday school teachers, ushers, greeters, custodians, deacons and all kinds of faith and emergency service professionals gathered Monday, Feb. 2, at Butler Global Church on East North Street to learn how they can make their churches and parishioners safer through active shooter response and preparedness.
While acts of violence aren’t frequent at churches, they do happen. From 2000 to 2024, 487 people have been killed and hundreds of others injured in houses of worship in the United States, according to The Violence Project, a database that tracks homicides in places where people gather.
One of the most notable examples happened in Western Pennsylvania — 11 people were murdered at the Tree of Life Congregation, a synagogue in Pittsburgh’s Squirrel Hill neighborhood. Other examples can be found across the country.
Winters, whose position includes working with county agencies and first responders in Western Pennsylvania, said he has given presentations on active shooter training and preparedness for houses of worship in 18 different counties.
“There’s a demand in the community for this kind of information, to be able to know best practices and to be able to keep their parishioners safe,” Winters said. “We try to give this information to those who need it and given the opportunity to present with a church, we get together with the county and open it up to all the churches around here to give good information.”
Though the topic is dreadful, something acknowledged by attendees, there was a theme of ensuring safety through teamwork and a desire to protect one another from danger in a place of peace and faith. The introductory prayer focused on warmth and being a welcoming community.
“Somebody posted on my social media that it’s really sad that we even have to have active shooter preparedness,” said Laura Saffell, pastor of Butler Global Church. “We have so many incredible people across emergency medicine, emergency services. I am just so grateful they are including us so we can handle things in our houses of worship in a way that is going to be best and safe and proactive.”
In addition to staying proactive and paying attention to observations, such as who is lurking around the building or noticing when something seems off, it’s important to both plan out a response and prevent a worst-case scenario.
An emergency action plan could include evacuation policy and procedure, escape procedures, identifying persons holding key roles in an overall response and communication through team radio use, Winters said.
Pre-planning could include communicating with emergency responders to see if the emergency plan checks out, deciding on a location to meet somewhere away from church and having proper first aid and CPR resources.
Winters said the presentation is meant to give comfort to those who have to consider potential emergencies at their congregations.
“After the pandemic, it really slowed down. Before that, we were really doing a lot of presentations. But this is probably the first one in a year or two, so demand has slacked, which I hope means people are more comfortable in their parishes,” Winters said. “But when there is an interest we meet it.”
