House of Worship Security: 5 Suggested Gear Items for your Security Team

House of Worship Security: 5 Suggested Gear Items for your Security Team

According to the FBI's Active Shooter Incident twenty year review report there were 15 active shooter events at Houses of Worship from 1999-2019. During these 15 incidents there were a reported 80 deaths and 147 casualties. Fortunately, Houses of Worship are not targeted as often as business open to pedestrian traffic. On the other hand however, we find our Sanctuaries are not immune to violence. Taking proactive steps to safeguard your House of Worship can significantly reduce the likely hood of a major act of violence happening at your facility. In the second article in the House of Worship Security series, I discuss five suggested gear items for your security team to possess while they are acting as the watchmen of your House of Worship.

1. COMMUNICATION GEAR

Communication gear is a vital piece of equipment all members of your security team should possess. Cell phones are nice, but they are not adequate or as efficient as other forms of communication equipment. If your House of Worship is on a limited budget as many are, investing in a few standard Family Radio Service (FRS) walkie talkies is an option. Many of these can communicate with each other for 1-2 miles. The upside is they do not require any type of special license to operate, and they are user friendly. The downside is the channel is not secure or encrypted so any communications can be monitored by others on the same frequency.

Whether your House of Worship decides to use an FRS style two way radio or some other form of secure FCC licensed radio it is essential team members utilize surveillance ear and microphone kits on the radios. These kits allow team members to place an earpiece in their ear to allow for privacy when transmissions are made over the radio. These also prevent radio transmissions to not distract congregants as they attend your House of Worship. Team members might be assigned to a fixed security post, or they may be on a roving post. The last thing any security team working security at a House of Worship is to be a distraction to the worship experience. Surveillance kits allow your security team members to sit in the congregation and covertly observe the service and to listen to any security radio transmissions without alerting anyone to the business of the security team. The surveillance kits can be purchased to low cost as an add on to the radio system your security team decides to use.

We suggest buying or requesting a few radios to evaluate at your House of Worship to ensure they work properly inside your facility and on your facilities grounds. Purchase one for every security team member and have a couple of spares on hand for radios that might get damaged or batteries that might not get charged. Remember, Murphy's law. Anything that can go wrong will go wrong! Be prepared for Murphy to appear!

2. ARMED SECURITY IDENTIFICATION GEAR

If you decide to carry a firearm while serving on a House of Worship security team you should also consider carrying some form of identification in the event of a use of force incident occurring while you are on duty.

Imagine if you will a situation at your House of Worship that requires you to display or discharge your firearm to defend yourself or other congregants at the facility. The police will surely be called to respond to the incident. When emergency services and 9-1-1 is called to report the incident, a detailed description of what the armed security team member is wearing is essential to avoid confusion and a friendly fire scenario when law enforcement arrives.

In addition to the verbal description given to police dispatchers, those that serve on armed security teams for Houses of Worship should have a visual and distinct way to readily identify themselves when law enforcement arrives. We recommend using a product like the banners and sashes produced by DSM Safety Products. DSM produces belt pouch sashes that come in reflective materials with wording indicating police, security, medical, and the like. The product is secured and concealed in the belt pouch until it is deployed and made visible by the team member. DSM vets all orders for police, security, and medical themed banners to protect their products from landing in the wrong hands. One of their products is shown in the cover photograph of this article. DSM Safety Products can be ordered at https://dsmsafety.com/.

3. PERSONAL LIGHTING GEAR

I have discussed carrying a flashlight anytime you carry an everyday carry (EDC) defensive firearm. When you are assigned to work on a House of Worship security team this piece of gear is just as important as your other equipment. There are many options on the market. At a minimum, a good flashlight will be able to fit in a pocket and be at least 60 lumens. A higher output of lumens over 120 is preferred. Having a flashlight on you can accomplish the following:

• Help illuminate a dark area which may reveal a potential threat hiding in the shadows before you enter a danger zone. A separate flashlight should be used for searching areas or looking for non suspect related items. Do not use the weapons mounted light a security team member may have for searching or other illumination needs. Remember when you firearms is out of the holster and visible it counts as the use of force even if you do not point the weapon at someone. Unholster and make your defensive firearm visible only when there is a need.

• The light can be used defensively by shining the bright light into the eyes of the attacker giving you time to escape a dire situation.

• Some flashlights come with a bevel ring that is notched or has teeth. These can be used as an impact or striking defensive weapon.

• In an emergency, the power to your House of Worship may go out due to a weather event or a malfunction at a power sub-station. If your facility is not equipped with a generator, having your security team members in possession of personal flashlights will bring calm to the situation. The security team can help congregants exit the building safety, help maintenance staff check electrical breaker boxes for problems, or help to locate your stored emergency supplies without having people stumble in the dark while trying to mitigate the lack of power.

We do not recommend any particular brand of flashlight. As with two way radios the price per unit can vary. Purchase what is within your House of Worship budget as long as it meets the criteria discussed above. It is better to have a flashlight when needed than to not have one.

4. TOURNIQUE AND INDIVIDUAL MEDICAL GEAR

If you serve on a security team the threat of an active killer event is a possibility. These events will include gunfire. If you engage the shooter, expect gunfire to be returned in your direction. You should expect and prepare your mind for the fact you could be shot while serving on a House of Worship security team.

Just recently in 2024, Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas was attacked by a shooter who entered and began firing. Two off duty police officers who were working security at the church engaged in a gunfight with the shooter eventually stopping the threat. Another congregant was shot in the leg. Reports indicate the shooter was stopped approximately four minutes after entrance to the facility.

From my experience and training for active shooter responses, your local medical organization and EMT's will not enter an active scene to render medical aid until the scene is secure and the shooter is apprehended or confirmed as no longer a threat. During that time gunshot wounds will continue to bleed and the potential for an increased loss of life is expanded. This can be mitigated by having on-scene medical staff and supplies on hand at your facility that can be accessed by trained congregants to begin treating the wounded.

However, as an individual House of Worship security team member you should carry your own personal tourniquet at a minimum to treat any wounds you could receive in a gunfight. Bleeding out time from severe trauma like a gunshot wound is 3-5 minutes. The Lakewood church shooting lasted approximately four minutes from start to end. The average law enforcement response throughout the United States is often reported as 5-7 minutes. Upon arrival it will take law enforcement another 2-3 minutes to enter the building to begin their active shooter response. If a member of the House of Worship security team is injured during this time the only medical treatment they are going to get is treatment they administer themselves. An on person tourniquet could very well save your life in an incident like the Lakewood church incident.

We recommend each team member have a tourniquet, be trained in its use, and most importantly they carry the tourniquet when they are on duty serving as a House of Worship security team member. Purchase legitimate products as there are many knock offs and cheap imitation online and you do not want to bet your life on an inferior product.

5. MASTER KEYS OR ELECTRONIC KEYLESS ACCESS GEAR

As discussed in our last article on House of Worship security, we opined on controlled access on congregants to your building for services. This also applies to staff and other church members that have a requirement to enter your facility on a routine basis.

Your House of Worship security team members should all be able to open and access all major door and entrances to the building. In the event of an emergency, there will be little time to find a key box and retrieve any needed keys. Assigning a set of master keys or an electronic keyless card to each team member at the beginning of each shift is paramount.

In the Uvalde, Texas school shooting, it was reported early on that the shooter had barricaded himself in a classroom. Responding law enforcement officers believed the door the classroom was locked and treated the situation as a barricaded subject incident. It was reported there was a scramble to obtain keys to access the classroom. This problem can be avoided by your House of Worship security team having a master key or keyless access card that grants access to the entire building while they are on duty as a security team member. Time is of the essence and a rapid response to the shooting event will save lives. Do not be in a position where the security team or responding law enforcement officers cannot enter an area because they have to wait on a key to gain access.

CONCLUSION

Of course, there are many other gear items that can be carried by your House of Worship safety team. These five are our minimum suggestions. House of Worship security involves much more than simply watching doors and carrying a defensive firearm. We must have a preparation mindset, be proactive in our approach to protecting our House of Worship, and always carry the gear that will no doubt leverage our chances of success in the event we have to actively engage and react to a threat that enters your Sanctuary. Equipping the security team does not have to be a break the bank expense. Start with what your House of Worship can afford and make improvements as time and budgets allow. The important part is to develop a plan and begin obtaining the equipment that will make doing the job much easier.

If you are in our area, contact us at selfrelianceselfdefense.com to learn more about concealed carry license training, personal range coaching, House of Worship safety training, or how to be better prepared and self-reliant in your personal protection journey.