A rise in violent incidents at churches and faith-based organizations nationwide has prompted some Teller County congregations to take additional safety precautions.

In 2021, a few Woodland Park churches bonded to share information and training opportunities, establish safety/ security teams and emergency operation plans and develop security plans to protect their churches/faith based organizations.

{span}”Right now we are an informal group with no formal name,” said Mike Theimer, a member of the Mountain View Methodist Church Safety Team in Woodland Park.{/span}

{span}He said the other churches and organizations that are in the group prefer not to be named, due to safety concerns.{/span}

“A church/FBO safety team is responsible for identifying safety issues and potential threats in and around their facility. This includes fire emergencies, medical emergencies, weather emergencies, traffic control issues, suspicious persons/cars/activities and so on,” Theimer said.

“Safety team members are the ‘immediate’ responders to an incident until fire, medical and/or law enforcement can arrive. I personally have attempted to contact local churches with safety teams for the purpose of information-sharing and training opportunities.”

According to Theimer, many of these organizations didn’t think such a team was needed in the past, but in recent years have acknowledged their vulnerability to disasters and attacks.

“Some simply believe ‘It will never happen here’ or ‘God will protect us,’” said Theimer who helped launch the team at his church in May 2019.

Churches have a legal responsibility to protect those who attend their services, he said.

“Today we are faced with a significant number of hate groups acting out through violence, vandalism and disrupting worship services. Not to mention the rise in mental health issues and domestic violence that too frequently result in violence and death at houses of worship,” Theimer said.

Published by the Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency in March 2021, the “Power of Hello Guide for Houses of Worship” provides some guidelines for faith-based organizations to become more aware of potential threats.

“Simply saying ‘Hello’ can prompt a casual conversation with a new person, providing an opportunity to observe and establish a connection. The OHNO approach — Observe, Initiate a Hello, Navigate the Risk, and Obtain Help — enables staff to observe and evaluate suspicious behaviors, empowering them to lower risk and obtain help when necessary,” the guide states.

Houses of worship support staff can contribute to enhancing security by understanding how to identify behavioral indicators and taking precautionary actions to safely mitigate the impacts of a potential attack. Staff can do this by consciously observing and assessing others. For example, does this person:

• Study security measures in a house of worship?

• Avoid cameras?

• Leave their car idling?

• Ask about other members or leadership?

• Demand to speak with clergy or house of worship leadership?

• Repeatedly walk in/out the service/sanctuary?

• Attempt to get someone else to leave the sanctuary with them?

• Behave as a “lookout,” nervously glancing out of doors and windows?

A stranger’s clothing also can offer warning signs. Is the person wearing unusually inappropriate clothing for a house of worship environment? Are they wearing military style gear? Do they appear to conceal something under their clothing? Are they carrying anything unusual for the surroundings?

In a December 2020 “Mitigating Attacks on Houses of Worship” security guide, Scott Breor, acting assistant director for Infrastructure Security, said taking a holistic approach to security is the best way to of mitigate a potential attack.

“Although the COVID-19 pandemic has temporarily limited our nation’s ability to come together in person, one day soon the American people will be able to safely gather in their faith communities and should do so without fear of harm. Protecting houses of worship while preserving their welcoming and open environment is a priority for the agency,” Breor said.

Theimer pointed out that safety teams at faith-based organizations and churches have undergone training for first aid, CPR, de-escalation techniques, threat identification and self-defense.

“We have received valuable training through a partnership with Teller County Sheriff’s Office. Our email contacts with the FBI, current local and retired law enforcement officers have provided church risk assessments and reviewed our safety/emergency operations plans. Their involvement has been essential and we have developed very important working relationships,” Theimer said.

Theimer said church safety teams are not just training for a deadly attack, such as those that happened in 2007. The teams are also trained to become immediate responders for fire, weather and medical emergencies.

But the threat of an attack is one the teams take seriously, he said.

“We have provided law enforcement video files on suspicious persons, cars and criminal activities around our church building. From our security camera phone app we are able to check on what is going on around our church any time of the day or night,” Theimer said.

“We had an incident with a domestic disturbance call where law enforcement chased and discovered the person on our church property. Video files from our cameras provide law enforcement significant evidence for their investigation.”

The Teller County Church/ FBO safety teams meet quarterly to share information and for training opportunities, Theimer said. To learn more, visit mountainviewumcwp. com/safety-committee.