CEN Applauds DHS including Houses of Worship in Emergency Support
Posted by Mary Marr in ReadyChurch, Natural Disasters, Ministry Continuity Planning, Emergency Planning and Response, Emergency Operations Plan, Emergency Crisis, Disaster Preparedness Checklist, Disaster Preparedness, Crisis Response Plan, Community Response, Church Security, Church Safety, All Hazards Preparedness
In the President’s plan to reduce gun violence the statistics related to school risk and emergency planning mirror the same needs as those of houses of worship.
“A 2010 survey found that while 84 percent of public schools had a written response plan in the event of a shooting, only 52 percent had drilled their students on the plan in the past year. We must ensure that every school has a high-quality plan in place and that students and staff are prepared to follow it.”
In May of this year DHS will work intentionally to address this sobering statistic for schools and houses of worship. The Department of Education, Justice, Health and Human Services will be releasing model, high-quality emergency management plans for schools, houses of worship, and institutions of higher education, along with best practices for developing these plans and training students and staff to follow them. In addition, the Department of Homeland Security, in coordination with the Department of Justice, will assist interested schools, houses of worship, and institutions of higher education in completing their own security assessments.