You want to create a culture of safety at your church. The question is how do you do that? Prayers and petitions to God for protection are great. However it is your job to create a culture of safety at your church. Creating culture is a result of the values, beliefs and habits that are practiced. Talking about safety, putting it at high value and adjusting when needed will create the culture of safety you want at your church. Strong leaders and invested people will maintain this culture.
Create a culture of safety at your church
Train leaders
High level training sets a standard for the safety of your church. A short meeting with the promise of free donuts won’t cut it. Training leaders to use emergency response solutions. Recognizing risks before they occur. Training on specific tasks required for each assigned role. These all require specialized training. Pre and post service protocols must be consistent and disciplined. When everyone is trained properly security increases.
Assign Roles
Any well functioning organization has clear and defined roles. Blurred lines create confusion. Lack of communication about who is to do what allows for gaps in safety. Specific roles assure that every task will be completed. It is important to assign roles to create a culture of safety. Some roles to assign may include who is in charge of doors.
Locking doors and having eyes on all entrances is a major factor in safety. Knowing who is in charge of contacting first responders or executing lockdown procedures are all a crucial part of a successful emergency response.
There are many layers of roles at a church. There are the full or part time employees: Senior Pastors, Assistants, Youth and Children’s pastors. Office administration and other varieties of paid employees.
Another layer of leaders are the numbers of people who serve as deacons, prayer partners, coffee and donut attendees. Nursery workers and youth workers. As a result, this wide range of volunteers make it is ever more important to have assigned roles, proper training and effective communication.
Be aware of vulnerabilities and risk
Before assigning roles and training leaders you must be aware of areas of vulnerability at your church. Every organization will have built in risks that can occur at any public place. Weather or medical emergencies are an example.
Each building will have risks unique to their location. The amount of doors or entry points impacts risk. Knowing every possible risk allows for plans that proactively promote safety. You can’t prepare for something you are ignorant of. Proper planning requires comprehensive risk assessment.
Update and upkeep safety procedures
Times are always changing. Division among people with different beliefs and lifestyles are at a highpoint. Safety in church is no longer a guarantee. Assess and update safety plans regularly. Doing so is a crucial step in an overall culture of safety at your church.
Security cameras that track every entrance to the building. Emergency response solutions that allow for real time communication within your organization but also directly to emergency response. If someone has any ill will against your church it is a guarantee that they will have plans and technology to execute evil. You must combat that with a more thorough response with higher level of communication and technology.
Why use Alert Protection Services to create a culture of safety at your church?
The answer is simple. Their lives are worth it. Alert Protections Services has everything you need to make protecting your congregation a priority. Connect with one of our dedicated professionals for a safety assessment today.