FBI hate crime statistics show that incidents in churches, synagogues, temples and mosques increased 34.8% between 2014 and 2018. Houses of worship need to be prepared to respond to and mitigate these threats.
The First Congressional Church of Hampton, United Church of Christ is doing just that by procuring specialized active shooter preparedness training from The Power of Preparedness for 29 houses of worship in Rockingham County, New Hampshire. The introduction to the training includes a video from New Hampshire Governor, Chris Sununu.
“Unfortunately, we’ve seen an increase in incidents of violence taking place across the United States, with far too many occurring in our houses of worship,” says Governor Sununu in the introduction.
Governor Sununu’s endorsement and involvement in the project shows that preparedness training is important and a critical step in the right direction for the safety and security of houses of worship and their clergy, staff, and congregants.
“This training is an investment in the safety and security of all New Hampshire worshippers,” Governor Sununu says.
The training is designed specifically for house of worship employees and congregants and includes key skills such as identifying early warning signs and behavioral indicators, situational awareness, conflict de-escalation techniques, and active shooter readiness using Run, Hide, Fight.
To learn more about this partnership, visit: https://thepowerofpreparedness.com/2021/09/08/houses-of-worship-active-shooter-response/