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Emergency preparedness for churches used to mean having a plan for responding to reports of fires and severe weather.

Today, churches must also be prepared to deal with crises created by violent people, such as a Wisconsin man who killed seven people and himself during a March 2005 church service.

While such events seem unthinkable, they're happening with increasing frequency in business, schools, and churches. There are things you can do to prepare for the unexpected and reduce the stress you may feel if such an emergency were to arise.

Creating a violence response plan involves assessing your individual situation, determining how to respond, and practicing what to do if it happens.

In many ways, it's identical to creating a disaster response plan for weather-related events. The only difference is the type of threat you face.

You'll need more than one person to help you plan for a mass casualty event. Enlist a broad cross-section of people, including staff, volunteers, and church members, who can contribute their expertise to the plan. Have your team determine where your ministry is vulnerable.

Consider what could happen during service times or on weekdays when only a few staff members are present. Also think about what could happen at a school, preschool, or day care center you operate. For example, could a gunman easily enter a children's wing and threaten those in classrooms? This is a time to imagine worst-case scenarios. Developing your response will come later.

There are basically three threats to prepare for, according to school safety expert Michael Dorn, executive director of Safe Havens International.

* The report of a weapon. Someone claims to be armed in the building. (This is the most common.)

* The use of a weapon. Someone is brandishing a gun, knife, or other threatening object.

* A hostage situation or barricaded gunman. Someone with a weapon is prepared to harm another person if his or her demands are not met.

After listing your vulnerability to such threats, determine the probability of each event happening and its impact on people, property, and the ministry. Then, determine how you will deal with them, keeping in mind that your response on a Sunday morning might differ drastically from what you would do on a weekday morning.

Security equipment that could help prevent or reduce the impact of violent situations is a key consideration. Consider modifying your building so that it can be locked in zones to provide secure havens for the people inside.

For example, allowing visitors access to a lobby area while the office suite and remainder of the building are securely locked provides time to determine a visitor's intentions before allowing him or her access to other parts of the facility. Placing the nursery and Sunday school areas behind a set of security doors allows teachers to quickly secure the area without evacuating the children.

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