Training and Workshops Help Build Resilience

By William Flynn, Partner & Chief Content Officer, The Power of Preparedness (TPOP) and FB-ISAO Advisory Board Member

Freedom of religion is one of the fundamental liberties enshrined in the First Amendment of the United States Constitution. Yet acts of targeted violence against houses of worship are a real—and potentially growing—problem in the United States.

To mitigate these threats and enhance the preparedness of clergy, staff, and congregants, the First Congressional Church of Hampton, United Church of Christ took a creative, innovative and cost-effective approach to train 29 houses of worship, of all religious denominations, throughout Rockingham County, New Hampshire.

The secret to success for this effort was accomplished utilizing FEMA’s Nonprofit Security Grant Program and teaming with The Power of Preparedness (TPOP), a Michigan-based, veteran-owned, e-learning company specializing in Workplace Violence and Active Shooter Preparedness training. The comprehensive course has been customized for houses of worship to reflect the unique environment and response protocols for faith-based organizations. Underscoring the importance of this initiative, the training is introduced by New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu.

TPOP’s team of subject matter experts are nationally recognized thought leaders, educators, mental health professionals, and digital learning design experts. The training can be accessed on any internet enabled device, providing a customized 1:1 experience that provides the knowledge and tactics for anyone to mitigate workplace violence where possible, and, when necessary, survive an active shooter event.

Since 2019, FB-ISAO, along with Government and Law Enforcement partners, has offered Hostile Event Preparedness Workshops across the country. The workshops help faith-based organizations consider their preparedness initiatives. Specifically, the workshops:

• Use a hostile events scenario to provide participants an opportunity to interact with one another and discuss issues, concerns, best practices and other salient points regarding physical security preparedness, coordination and response (these exercises do not focus on recovery) among participants to help inform organizational preparedness, security & resilience. 
• Use a hostile events scenario to provide participants with greater awareness of USG and local government resources, guidance and best practices relating to hostile events and physical security to help inform organizational preparedness, security & resilience. 

After each workshop, FB-ISAO prepares a report that highlights best practices, preparedness gaps, and opportunities for improvement that were identified during the workshop discussion to help inform organizational and community security preparedness.

Houses of worship face unique challenges as they strive for the right balance between security and accessibility. They should tailor the knowledge gained from this active shooter prevention training to meet the needs of their communities while maintaining the open and welcoming atmosphere that makes houses of worship a critical part of our social fabric. 

TPOP provides discounts to FB-ISAO members and is available to assist with the grant process. For more information: https://thepowerofpreparedness.com/FBISAO.