Increased Threats
Over the last decade, there has been an increase in violence at mosques, churches, synagogue, temples and other places of worship around the world. The only trend that remains constant is that these acts of violence are not going away any time soon.
- March 15, 2019 – At least 50 people were killed in an attack at mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand.
- Jan. 27, 2019 – Suicide bombers killed 23 people and wounded more than 100 others during a Catholic Mass in the southern Philippines.
- Oct. 27, 2018 – A gunman killed 11 people and wounded several others at the Tree of Life Congregation synagogue in Pittsburgh.
- Nov. 5, 2017 – A gunman opened fire at the First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs, Texas, killing 26 people and wounding about 20 others.
- June 17, 2015 – Nine African American worshipers and their pastor were killed by a 21-year-old white supremacist, in Charleston, S.C.
Once believed to be “safe havens”, religious leaders now understand how vulnerable these places really are and that there needs to be something done to ensure that a house of worship is not a “soft target” anymore.
In fact, many places are taking a very proactive approach to the ongoing threat with the implementation of armed staff members, emergency action plans and the integration of emergency notification systems for mass communication and alerting.
Be Prepared
It all starts with the preparation and planning before an event ever arises. The best thing you can do is to have the appropriate action plans in place and configured before ever needing to initiate them, followed by repeated training.
If you plan to have armed staff members, it is crucial that they are well trained and understand what is needed of them. There also needs to be an understanding of the proper use of force.
Lastly, you should also have a plan in place that involves your local first responders so that you can be on the same page with what to expect.
Our Solution
Vigilance Software takes emergency preparation a step further with our emergency notification platform and system integration capabilities.
With complete customization, your emergency action plans can be configured to cover nearly any situation, giving your organization members a true sense of ease. Not to mention the deterrent factor it can inflict on any potential offender(s).
Thanks to automation and system integration, you can control your facility and notify pertinent points of contact with just a push or click of a button. Vigilance provides the capabilities to initiate these multimodal notifications through our Desktop Client, Web Client, and Mobile Application.
Click the “Request Demo” button to see our solution in action. Although you may never need it, you’ll be glad you have it in place if the moment ever occurs where you need it.
