According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI), of the 5,250 fatal workplace injuries that occurred in the U.S. in 2018, 453 were workplace homicides.
Recently, a shooting took place in a church where 2 parishioners were killed and others were injured when an armed gunman came in and sat down, then got up, pulled out a shot gun and opened fire on worshipers. More than 240 parishioners were inside. Within seconds, he was shot by one of the church’s volunteer security team.
The Texas Church shooting is the latest of many attacks at US houses of worship in recent years.
Our Churches and places of worship are vulnerable for numerous reasons. Some of the factors that make them so open to attack are there is routine attendance (large numbers), scheduled services / classes, open acceptance of visitors, limited entrances / exits, and the American perception of safety regarding our religious freedoms. Churches and places of worship are targets for hate and discrimination.
Church security experts have stated, “Times are serious for churches and faith-based organizations around the world. In America, we let our guard down in an ideology that God was different here from in the rest of the world; that evil would never invade our sanctuary. The time for denial is gone; evil has invaded our sanctuaries and will continue to do so. It is time to take individual ministry readiness to the next level.”
That’s why we’ve created the Active Shooter & Workplace Violence Response Program; a proactive method to detect and reduce the risk of violence, based on OSHA required Standard of Care. As part of this program, we will visit your facilities and create a detailed, tailored plan to ensure all employees/occupants feel safe. Our staff is comprised of highly trained instructors which include current and former law enforcement and Homeland Security experience.
We would welcome the opportunity to review your current plan or develop a plan specifically for your location(s). Please contact us at 904-880-5150 for more information.