.jpeg)
Jim Richards | |
Violence at houses of worship is on the rise across North America, as are religiously motivated hate crimes, according to the FBI’s most recent data. In just the last few months, we’ve seen headline-grabbing attacks with perpetrators targeting synagogues and mosques, and a mass shooting at a Detroit church during a funeral service. Many congregations understandably have reservations about adding a visible security presence due to personal beliefs, conscientious objection, or public perception.
For decades, Total Security Solutions has helped nonprofit organizations, including churches, synagogues, mosques, and other sacred spaces, improve safety and physical security while keeping these facilities’ welcoming atmosphere.
We recommend focusing on these four key areas:
- An honest threat assessment
- A secure entryway
- Thoughtfully layered security
- Staff training that complements physical measures
How should places of worship conduct a threat assessment?
If you don’t understand what you are trying to prevent, you can’t make good decisions about the type of protection you need.
Most grants, including the Nonprofit Security Grant Program, require a documented Threat, Vulnerability, and Risk Assessment (TVRA).
That may sound daunting, but don’t let it intimidate you. A TVRA documents the threats you face and unique vulnerabilities of your community, highlighting gaps in existing safety and security measures while identifying areas for improvement.
You can do a TVRA yourself. We wrote about how to conduct a physical security risk assessment, and our Ballistic Education Center includes this free template to guide you through the process. Most communities also have resources and trained consultants who can help you prepare your TVRA at little or no cost. (More on this below.).
A threat assessment will help you determine where you’ll want to deploy ballistic-rated materials as opposed to forced-entry-rated ones.
Forced-entry-resistant glazing and doors won’t stop bullets, but they will mitigate prying, hammering, sustained blunt force, even some blasts. This is most important at secondary access points like service doors and when adding internal layers of security.
TSS’s SchoolDefender® Glass, originally engineered for K-12 schools, is designed to offer cost-efficient, forced-entry protection to classrooms, meeting spaces, and offices.
Rated and tested bullet-resistant glazing is designed to stop bullets from specific firearms. For example, UL Level 3 ballistic material has been independently tested to stop at least three bullets from a .44 Magnum handgun. In practice, those materials often stop more bullets of higher calibers, as you can see in the video below showing a Level 3 ballistic door shot at over 100 times.
Unfortunately, the term ‘bulletproof’ is used loosely and often in a way that’s misleading. If a material doesn’t have a UL rating, it has not been tested under rigorous lab conditions, and it should not be trusted.
Why begin with the main entrance?
The biggest security boost comes from reinforcing the main entrance and directing visitors, staff, and congregants through that secured entryway. This gives greeters a chance to see who’s coming before that person reaches any occupied portion of the building. In a threat landscape where delaying an attacker by minutes can and will save lives (and potentially avert an incident outright) this is critical.
A secure vestibule as a cost-effective way to help schools and workplaces significantly improve security.
Because most buildings already have a vestibule, reinforcing it with ballistic materials provides safety that’s nearly invisible when handled properly. Elements of a secure vestibule system typically involves:
- Leaving exterior doors as they are
- Adding an interior set of ballistic doors that are kept locked at all times
- Adding a receptionist or system to manage access control on the secure side
Researchers have found most violence in houses of worship involves handguns; in response, most congregations opt for Level 1 through 3 ballistic materials for their entryway.
Secure vestibules are always custom, which creates many design opportunities, both aesthetically and functionally.
We recently completed such a project for a Jewish community center in Wyoming. They were looking for a large, bright, Level 3 secure entryway system. That’s a lot of glass and metal framing in what can be a harsh climate, with winter lows hovering around 0ºF and sunny summers in the 80ºs.
With our Michigan roots and experience working extensively in regions known for seasonal temperature extremes, we’ve developed insulated ballistic glass and thermally broken ballistic frames deal for handling such wide seasonal swings.
The result was an attractive, secure, and energy-efficient building entrance.
What is a “layered defense” approach to building security?
Most congregations approach physical security in layers and phases over time, starting with their entryway, then hardening the building perimeter, such as the exterior windows and secondary doors, and working their way in from there.
For example, we recently completed a project adding ballistically rated doors to a faith-based preschool. That project began with their exterior double doors, and then grew to include classroom doors. All had windows, and the new bullet-resistant doors needed to be indistinguishable from the previous unrated doors.
Because we fabricate all of our doors in-house, that was no problem. In addition, since we worked with them from the start of the project, our team was also able to support their facilities manager through the budgeting and grant application process.
For a synagogue in New York, we replaced several exterior doors and added a hinged backglazing system to their exposed exterior windows, all in Level 3 laminated acrylic polycarbonate and glass-clad polycarbonate.
Next, they’ll add further interior layers of security.
In most cases, sanctuary and classroom doors are the next logical step after the entryway and perimeter. Some congregations elect to convert a section of their building to a safe room, retrofitting an existing reception hall or gymnasium, or even the sanctuary itself, with bullet-resistant fiberglass wall panels and doors with bullet-resistant or forced-entry rated windows.
In areas prone to extreme weather like tornadoes, these upgrades can serve double duty.
Forced-entry windows and security window films are often rated against standards like ASTM E1886, which measures how well windows, doors, and curtain walls perform under the forceful winds and flying debris of intense weather.
What type of security training do faith-based communities need?
Any security system is only as good as the training people receive. We like to say that the greatest enemy of a $10,000 bulletproof entryway is a $0.99 rubber doorstop, and the leading source of security failures are people being too polite at the wrong time.
Physical security matters. So does the habit of unlocking a door that’s supposed to be locked. The people staffing your entrance are part of the security system, with the added benefit that they are the foundation of the welcoming environment you seek to cultivate. They set the tone when people enter and leave and ensure everyone is safe in an emergency.
If you’re looking for an active shooter training response program, there are several worth considering, including:
- The Standard Response Protocol
- ALICE Training
- Run, Hide, Fight
- CRASE (Civilian Response to Active Shooter Events)
Start with a conversation with your local law enforcement to determine what training they may already have in place. This will make it easier for them to support you if an incident occurs because they’re familiar with the protocol.
What grants are available for houses of worship?
Most congregational security projects are supported at least in part by grants.
The major source of federal funds for securing houses of worship is FEMA’s Nonprofit Security Grant Program.
This year, the program made $300 million available to houses of worship, community centers, and other nonprofits vulnerable to attack. There is a lot of competition for these funds, which have always covered building improvements like ballistic glazing and bullet-resistant barriers, and have recently expanded to potentially include contracted security personnel, training exercises, and more.
In addition to FEMA’s Nonprofit Security Grant Program, many states operate their own standalone security grant programs, including:
- California
- Connecticut
- New Jersey
- Maryland
- Ohio
- Florida
- Illinois
- Pennsylvania
- New York
- Massachusetts
These are usually administered through the state police or homeland security offices.
Organizations can apply to both state and federal programs to support their security projects. In many cases, the state application process is very similar to the FEMA NSGP, making it easy to apply to both at the same time.
At the local level, specific communities and religious denominations may offer resources. In many communities, your local sheriff’s office, mayor’s office, emergency managers, or a first responder task force can help you complete a rigorous threat assessment and can host emergency response training exercises.
Jewish houses of worship and organizations should look to both their regional Jewish Federation and the Jewish Federation of North America, which offers grants through LiveSecure.
The Jewish Federation’s Secure Community Network offers a range of security resources that are broadly applicable to any faith-based organization, including a TVRA risk assessment tool.
Similarly, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) can help Muslim communities navigate the grant application process through their Mosque Safety Initiative.
In many cases, insurers who specialize in churches and other faith-based organizations, like Church Mutual or Brotherhood Mutual, can offer support, including providing free certified, professional property risk assessments to ministries.
Talk to an Expert About Your Congregation’s Needs
You don’t have to choose between making a house of worship feel both welcoming and secure. With a mindful and informed approach to your security, you can make choices that improve security and expand what you can offer to your community without casting an imposing shadow over everything you do. At TSS, we’ve dedicated ourselves to making sure safety, aesthetics, and functionality are brought together in everything we do.
Ready to talk through your needs? Schedule a consultation with our team. We look forward to speaking with you and helping you maintain the peace and safety you want for your congregation’s sacred spaces.
