The Bladen County Sheriff’s Office is inviting area clergy to attend a security and safety training program overview Monday, Feb. 8 at 6:30 p.m. at Elizabethtown Baptist Church.
As a result of attacks at community gatherings and in places of worship in the United States and abroad, the N.C. Sheriff’s Association developed training materials that will help places of worship create security plans.
“This is something we need to provide to our citizens,” Bladen County Sheriff James McVicker said. “I wish this was not necessary, but in light of the world and national situation, we cannot afford to just hope it will not happen here.”
The training is designed to teach church personnel and members how to attempt to prevent critical incidents and how to react if a critical incident occurs during worship services.
Topics to be discussed in the training materials include:
** Conducting a Security Risk Assessment
** Developing a Place of Worship Security Plan
** What to do during the Critical Incident
** What to do immediately after the Critical Incident
** The need to provide Crisis Intervention Stress Management afterward
“This is an initiative I have supported from its inception,” McVicker said. “Even before the Sheriff’s Association began developing this training I had met with my training staff and we were working on a safety program for our churches. Now, we can take this training and get it out there sooner. I urge all churches to consider allowing us to help with security in their places of worship.”
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