From the HUH? files: My church needs an active shooter plan....

[Snake RAH]

Any place where one or more people congregate should have an active shooter plan.

Just like a fire plan, bad weather plan, etc.

[Jay Cunningham]

How about:

"Kill 'em all, let God sort 'em out!"

[One Shot]

Most local schools now have active shooter plans in place. You could contact one of the local schools, ask to see their plans (if they let you) and then use those plans as a guide for your church. You might also contact your local state police, local city police or sheriff's police to see if they would send a representative to help draft an active shooter plan too. Don't forget to search out the information on the internet too.

[macman37]

How about:

"Kill 'em all, let God sort 'em out!"

Heh, truly applicable in this instance!

[John_Wayne777]

I know it seems pushy from the insurance company, but many churches are playing ostrich about any type of threat. Natural or man made.

True.

Most people in churches are sheep. (Most people ANYWHERE are sheep, but especially so in churches.)

...which leads to the part of the factor for requiring a "plan"....Nobody is going to follow it.

If some o2 thief walks in the door, pulls a handgun, and starts blasting, nobody is going to be consulting the evacuation plan. They are going to be either trying to figure out what is going on, screaming, hollering, hitting the floor, running...etcetera. It will be pandemonium.

The building is one of those typical older church buildings that has been added on to several times creating a floor plan from hell. (Pardon the pun)

Right now the best idea I have is to mock up the floorplan of the church and highlight the "Emergency Evacuation Routes" and exits, along with detailing some sort of "procedure" which will mainly involve getting everyone to head to the nearest unobstructed exit and dialing 911.

Of course I can't include in the plan the idea of armed parishioners providing security because I have a feeling the mere mention of it would cause the insurance people to soak their bloomers.

[John_Wayne777]

Most local schools now have active shooter plans in place. You could contact one of the local schools, ask to see their plans (if they let you)

Merely asking would probably freak the school folks right out, and knowing some of the local school administration's behavior would most likely result in my having a nice chat with the Sherriff's office.

You might also contact your local state police, local city police or sheriff's police to see if they would send a representative to help draft an active shooter plan too.

This has real potential. I hadn't thought of calling my buddy on the local SWAT team and having him consult on the plan. One of the members also has a son-in-law on the local SWAT team.....

I think I will give that route a shot.

Getting a SWAT trained officer in on the planning would probably make the insurance people pretty happy.

[yasnevo]

Interesting! I would love to see the part of the insurance policy that covers this...

Heck yeah though... I think that every church should have a plan in place, together with more than one armed sheepdog in there keeping an eye on the flock...

Good stuff.

y-

[Matt in AZ]

So yesterday I am in my pastor's office and he hands me a letter from the insurance company. I start reading and to my surprise I discover that the insurance company wants us to develop an active shooter response plan for the church and file it with them.

>>>>>>>>>>>>

From the AP News Wire, and Drudge...

NEOSHO, Mo. (AP) - A gunman opened fire in the sanctuary of a southwest Missouri church Sunday, killing three people and wounding several others, a city spokeswoman said.

About 25 to 50 people were briefly held hostage at the First Congregational Church until the gunman surrendered, Neosho spokeswoman Desiree Bridges said.

Fewer than 10 people were also shot and wounded, Bridges said.

The shooter was being held at the Newton County Jail, but police were not releasing any information about him.

Bridges said he was related to someone in the church, but declined to elaborate.

Bridges said the shooter had three firearms, but wouldn't say what type. The shooting followed the 1 p.m. service.

>>>>>>>>>>>>

-- Matt

[John_Wayne777]

That's exactly the sort of incident that the insurance company is worried about...but there's nothing in an active shooter plan I can come up with that will make much difference, save for the "shoot the bastard" route.

[Matt in AZ]

That's exactly the sort of incident that the insurance company is worried about...but there's nothing in an active shooter plan I can come up with that will make much difference, save for the "shoot the bastard" route.

I thought of your post when I read this account, and it is why I wanted to post this AP story in this thread. My family attends a large non-denominational church which hosts numerous LEO types. The threat plan exists, but I am not read into it.