Our Parish Safety and Security Workshop is designed to give parishes the tools and resources they need to implement a safety and security program tailored to their unique circumstances. The program was developed using Department of Homeland Security guidelines and best practices garnered from years of working with Catholic parish communities and first responders. Our aim is to help parishes remain open and welcoming while at the same time establishing and maintaining a culture of safety awareness.
There are two parts to our training: Parish Safety Planning & Active Shooter Response Training
The Parish Safety Planning portion of the workshop is approximately one hour in duration. This interactive session walks participants through the following steps to enhance safety and security:
- Establishing a safety and security team
- Conducting a safety self-assessment with the resources you have
- Designing a preparedness plan for your worship community
- Incorporating training and drills into your program
Special consideration is given to the roles of ushers and greeters, the importance of working with local first responders, and practical steps parishes can immediately take to enhance the safety and security of their facilities. We distribute a parish planning template to help participants get a jump start on putting their plans in writing.