Safety Team Manual
Updated February 20, 2024
ROLE OF A SAFETY TEAM
Team:
The goal of the Safety Team is to protect and preserve the safety and wellbeing of all congregation members, staff and leadership.
Individual:
Each member of the Safety Team must be willing and able to fulfill the responsibilities of their specific role, as well as have knowledge of and assist in the roles of other team members.
OVERVIEW OF POSITIONS
The Safety Team is made up of three positions: Medical Responders, Threat Responders, and Building Responders. All members must be able to carry out their respective responsibilities, enlist help from congregation members when needed during emergencies, and stay calm. The responsibilities of each category are outlined below.
Medical Responders:
Medical Response team members must be able and willing to immediately respond to emergency situations with appropriate action, according to training provided. This may include but is not limited to:
In the event of a Medical Emergency:
Threat Responders:
Threat Response team members must be able and willing to immediately respond to any situations initiated by people that threaten the safety of congregation members, staff and leadership in or around the church premises. Responsibilities may include, but are not limited to controlling and mitigating incidents involving:
Major Threat Emergencies - Include major incidents involving multiple people where someone is doing deadly harm or there is imminent threat of deadly harm, i.e. intruder, active shooter or bomb threat situations.
In the event of a Minor Threat Emergency:
Threat Response team members, as well as church leaders, should be made aware of anyone displaying warning signs including but not limited to the following actions:
Building Responders:
Building response team members must be able and willing to immediately respond to any situations that pose a threat to the building and people inside. This may include but is not limited to:
Minimize or neutralize the threat as much as possible and follow up with the Safety Team leader to ensure that the hazard is resolved.
In the event of Fires/Smoke:
In the event of Tornadoes and/or Severe Weather Conditions:
INCIDENT REPORTS
In the event of any emergency or incident described herein, an incident report must be filed by the responding party and recorded with the Safety Team Leader.
Updated February 20, 2024
ROLE OF A SAFETY TEAM
Team:
The goal of the Safety Team is to protect and preserve the safety and wellbeing of all congregation members, staff and leadership.
Individual:
Each member of the Safety Team must be willing and able to fulfill the responsibilities of their specific role, as well as have knowledge of and assist in the roles of other team members.
OVERVIEW OF POSITIONS
The Safety Team is made up of three positions: Medical Responders, Threat Responders, and Building Responders. All members must be able to carry out their respective responsibilities, enlist help from congregation members when needed during emergencies, and stay calm. The responsibilities of each category are outlined below.
Medical Responders:
Medical Response team members must be able and willing to immediately respond to emergency situations with appropriate action, according to training provided. This may include but is not limited to:
- Providing first aid to minor incidents, as well as those incurring a medical emergency until professional help arrives.
- Conducting a primary assessment of the medical emergency situations, and reporting this assessment to appropriate personnel.
- Providing medical assistance and support until professional help arrives, including but not limited to CPR, …
- Be able to immediately identify themselves to persons being helped and any personnel responding to the incident.
In the event of a Medical Emergency:
- Call 911 or other appropriate emergency response activation numbers. Be prepared to give the following information:
- Name and phone number
- Location
- Number of people involved
- Nature of injury or illness
- Stay on the line until help arrives
- While waiting for professional help to arrive, do not move ill or injured persons, unless safety considerations necessitate movement or transportation to a safer location.
- When professional help arrives:
- Allow responding units to take control of the situation
- Stand by to further assist as needed
Threat Responders:
Threat Response team members must be able and willing to immediately respond to any situations initiated by people that threaten the safety of congregation members, staff and leadership in or around the church premises. Responsibilities may include, but are not limited to controlling and mitigating incidents involving:
- Disgruntled/disruptive persons
- Intruders
- Active shooters
- Bomb threats
Major Threat Emergencies - Include major incidents involving multiple people where someone is doing deadly harm or there is imminent threat of deadly harm, i.e. intruder, active shooter or bomb threat situations.
In the event of a Minor Threat Emergency:
- Move all involved persons to a private location, and separate, if necessary
- Call 911 for the police help if situation escalates beyond control
- Isolate involved persons until professional help arrives
- Call 911 as soon as possible and stay on the phone until the situation has resolved
- Lock all interior doors
- Turn off all lights and audio equipment
- Keep people away from doors and windows. Close all blinds, curtains and lock windows if possible
- Keep people calm and as quiet as possible until professional help arrives
- If there is an opportunity to evacuate people safely and quietly, do so
- DO NOT: Make noise or set off the fire alarm as it may indicate your location to an intruder/active shooter
- Once professional help arrives, obey all commands to resolve the situation.
- Immediately call 911 and be prepared to give the following information:
- Your name and phone number
- Location of the building
- Describe the situation and any known or presumed location of a bomb
- Remain on the phone until professional help arrives
- Follow the evacuation procedure, in respect to any known location of a bomb or potential bomb
Threat Response team members, as well as church leaders, should be made aware of anyone displaying warning signs including but not limited to the following actions:
- Threatening harm or talking about harming others
- Constantly starting or participating in fights
- Losing temper and self-control easily
- Swearing or using vulgar language often
- Possessing or drawing artwork that depicts graphic images of death or violence
- Frequently initiating domestic violence
- Becoming frustrated easily and converting frustration into uncontrollable physical violence.
Building Responders:
Building response team members must be able and willing to immediately respond to any situations that pose a threat to the building and people inside. This may include but is not limited to:
- Minor hazards that may cause minimal harm or injury
- Fires and/or smoke
- Flooding, leaks, broken or burst pipes
- Tornadoes and/or severe weather conditions
Minimize or neutralize the threat as much as possible and follow up with the Safety Team leader to ensure that the hazard is resolved.
In the event of Fires/Smoke:
- Assess the situation to determine whether it requires evacuation
- If yes, activate the manual fire alarm and immediately follow evacuation procedure
- If no, use the fire extinguisher on site to put out the fire, without risking injury
- If major fire, call 911 from a safe location and be prepared to give the following information:
- Your name, telephone number and location of the building
- Describe the situation
- Stay on the phone until professional help arrives
- Assess the situation to determine whether it requires evacuation
- If yes, immediately follow evacuation procedure
- If no, minimize damage due to the building and follow up with the Safety Team Leader to ensure that the hazard is resolved
- If necessary, call 911 from a safe location and be prepared to give the following information:
- Your name, telephone number and location of the building
- Describe the situation
- Stay on the phone until professional help arrives
In the event of Tornadoes and/or Severe Weather Conditions:
- Calmly instruct all persons to shelter in place by crouching down as low as possible in interior rooms or hallways, away from windows and doors and avoid large rooms with unsupported roofs
- Assist disabled personnel in your area
- If moving to a safer location in the building is not possible, get under a desk or table and protect your head and face as well possible and instruct others to do the same
- Remain in place until the “all clear” signal is given
- Calmly instruct all persons inside the building to move to the nearest exit according to the evacuation map and congregate in designated areas
- Assist disabled personnel in your area
- If evacuating during fire/smoke:
- Remain as close to the ground as possible while you evacuate and cover your nose/mouth to reduce breathing in smoke
- Feel all doors with your hand before opening. If hot, do not open. If cool, open slowly and only proceed when you are sure there is no threat of additional harm.
- Once outside the building, move upwind of the building, at least 75 feet away and do not attempt to get in your vehicle or drive away
- Do not reenter the building until an “all clear” signal is given
- If evacuating during flooding/leaks/broken or burst pipes:
- Evacuate personnel in the affected area as quickly as possible and contact any appropriate utility companies:
- Water Leaks: Clearfield Municipal Authority (814) 765-9609
- Gas Leaks: UGI (800) 276-2722
- Evacuate personnel in the affected area as quickly as possible and contact any appropriate utility companies:
INCIDENT REPORTS
In the event of any emergency or incident described herein, an incident report must be filed by the responding party and recorded with the Safety Team Leader.