Houses of Worship

Communities across Maryland rely upon religious institutions not only to exercise their religious beliefs but also as community gathering places and hubs of secular activities.
A selection of references, training, and videos has been compiled below to assist clergy and members of houses of worship in understanding how to prevent, prepare for, and respond to an active assailant incident. Those affiliated with houses of worship are encouraged to utilize these resources as a starting point.
Preparedness & Planning
Faith Based Community Emergency Plans | FEMA.gov
Fires, tornadoes, floods, hurricanes, earthquakes, arson and active shooters can all affect houses of worship. With incidents occurring with little to no warning, many houses of worship are developing and updating plans and procedures to ensure the safety and security of their congregations, staff, and facilities. This site offers training, tools, and video links for specific information on active shooter preparedness.
Guide for Developing High-Quality Emergency Operations Plans (EOPs) for Houses of Worship
https://www.fbi.gov/file-repository/developing_eops_for_houses_of_worship_final.pdf/view
This guide provides information for houses of worship with information regarding emergency operations planning for the spectrum of threats and hazards they may face. It discusses actions that may be taken before, during, and after an incident in order to reduce the impact on property and loss of life, and it encourages every house of worship to develop an EOP.
Protecting Houses of Worship
https://www.cisa.gov/topics/physical-security/protecting-houses-worship
In partnership with the Department of Homeland Security Center for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships and the Faith-Based Information Sharing and Analysis Organization, CISA provides resources that assist houses of worship in securing physical and cyber infrastructure. The resources include a guide, a self-assessment tool, trainings, exercises, and other materials focused on a wide range of man-made threats (e.g., bombing, active shooter, vehicle ramming, etc.) that could be used against the FBO-HOW community.
CISA Perimeter Protection
Protecting Places of Worship: Six Steps to Enhance Security
Security Planning Workbook
Training & Exercises
You Are the Help Until Help Arrives
https://community.fema.gov/until-help-arrives
Training video and web-based training course created because life-threatening emergencies can happen fast, and emergency responders aren’t always nearby. These injuries can require immediate action to prevent an injured person from dying, so those nearest to someone are best positioned to provide first care.
Stop the Bleed®
https://www.stopthebleed.org/
One of the best ways to increase a person’s likelihood of survival when severely injured during active assailant incident is to quickly stop severe bleeding. Coworkers can provide initial life-saving measures. The Stop the Bleed® site provides resources on how to organize an in-person training, life-saving strategies and posters, instructional videos, and aid kits to place in common areas.