Staying safe in church buildings
Public concerns about safety in public spaces, including churches, have increased, following terror attacks and numerous hate crimes. In light of recent violent attacks on individuals based solely on the colour of their skin, looting of businesses, and attacks on police officers, understanding the threat faced and the ways it can be mitigated can help keep everyone safer. It is essential that we get familiar with various resources that are accessible to the general public in order to prevent or minimise the effects of hate crimes and attacks.
Staying Safe: Run, Hide, Tell
Firearms and weapon attacks are very rare in the UK, but in the rare event of such an attack, it helps to be prepared.
Stay safe and remember the words:
RUN
Run to a place of safety. This is a far better option than to surrender or negotiate. If there’s nowhere to go, then…
HIDE
It’s better to hide than to confront. Remember to turn your phone to silent and turn off the vibrate. Barricade yourself in if you can. Then finally, and only when it is safe to do so…
TELL
Tell the police by calling 999
Please visit the ProtectUK website to learn more about what to do in the event of such an incident. There, you can view a video that goes over what to do in more detail and download a free advice leaflet.
Publicly Accessible Locations (PALs) Guidance
The threat we face from terrorism is significant. As we have seen in the UK and across Europe, attacks can happen at any time and any place without warning. Having better security for all these areas makes it harder for terrorists to plan and carry out attacks. It also helps reduce the risk of other threats such as organised crime. The PALs guidance from the National Counter Terrorism Security Office (NaCTSO), provides protective security advice in a number of sectors and scenarios. It covers the key forms of protective security: physical, personnel, cyber, and personal, and gives guidance on how different sectors can act to help make their businesses, institutions, or organisations safer. Staying vigilant in our buildings is an essential protective measure. Be alert to unusual behaviour or items that are out of place. Confidently report any suspicions and be reassured a report will be taken seriously by the Police.
Further information on how you can increase your church’s resilience against the threat of terrorism the PALs Guidance can be found on the ProtectUK website.
Action Counters Terrorism (ACT)
Each year, thousands of reports from the public help the police keep communities safe from terrorism. Trust your instincts, Act Now, and have the confidence to report any concerns or suspicious that you may have. Your actions can save lives. In an emergency, or if you need urgent police assistance, you should always dial 999. You can also report suspicious activity by contacting the police in confidence on 0800 789 321. Alternatively, you can make a report online via: ACT: Report suspicious activity | ProtectUK
Action Counters Terrorism (ACT): Awareness e-Learning
ACT Awareness e-Learning is a counter terrorism awareness product designed for all UK based companies and organisations – and now the general public. The course can be divided into short sections and is free to use. It takes just 45 minutes in total to complete, 45 minutes that could save lives. Deputy Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor, National police leas for Protective Security explains:
“Working in Publicly Accessible Locations comes with risk. This course allows anybody, not just security professionals, to learn how best to protect themselves, the public and colleagues. The training is available for everyone – for members of the public as well as those who work in Publicly Accessible Locations. Officers will still work closely with businesses but accessing this training will mean that awareness is improved, there are more ‘eyes and ears’ available to help us and ultimately will help everybody to save lives.”
You can sign up directly to the ACT Awareness e-Learning.
CitizenAID: A UK Charity Empowering the Public to Save Lives
CitizenAID offers resources for the general public to be prepared in the event of an attack. It focusses especially on how to respond to an incident in order to save the lives of those impacted as well as protect yourself. You can get CitizenAID in paper format, through an app on your smartphone as a free download, or online.
The app is a step-by-step guide on how the public can act to stay safe and save the lives of the injured. There is clear and simple direction on how to prioritise the injured, how to deal with life-threatening bleeding, and how to communicate with the 999 services in a structured way using the mnemonic MIST.
Further information can be found on the citizenAID website.
Counter Terrorism Security Advisors (CTSAs)
The primary role of Counter Terrorism Security Advisors (CTSAs) is to provide help, advice and guidance on all aspects of counter terrorism protective security to specified industry sectors. In addition, CTSAs are responsible for the provision of protective security advice to Publicly Accessible Locations (areas where there may be large crowds who could be vulnerable to terrorist attacks) for example shopping centres, sporting stadiums, pubs and bars or transport hubs etc.
CTSAs also work with local authorities and businesses, organisations and professional bodies to identify and assess sites that may be vulnerable to terrorist attack. They advise about counter terrorism protective security and the guidance available that should be incorporated into their general crime prevention plans, advice and guidance.
Local Churches may wish to reach out to their local CTSAs for tailored guidance and advice, when for example large events are planned. Contact details for CTSAs can be found under the CTSA contact list dropdown list.