The recent tragedy that is the New Zealand church shooting opened our eyes once more to the fact that no one is completely safe wherever they are. New Zealand is generally known as a peaceful country yet one misguided soul managed to break that notion and hurt a whole nation in the process.
The recent terrorist attack targeted a couple of Christchurch mosques. An Australian white supremacist broadcast on Facebook Live as he opened fire killing 50 people and injuring about 50 more. If someone can just barge in a church, a school, or even an army base and shoot the lights out, then you definitely should always keep an eye open for such travesties before they happen. That’s actually the job of the government, particularly the Department of Homeland Security and other such agencies. However, it wouldn’t hurt if you take the necessary steps to ensure you and your family will survive a church shooting and similar terrorist attacks.
Run
Security experts are now agreeing that the best course of action during an active shooter situation is to get away as fast as you can. There was a time when authorities suggested that you should stay where you are and hide. If you’re in the office, for example, the protocol then was to hide under your table. This is no longer applicable.
Once you are alerted to the presence of an active shooter or terrorist, you’re first instinct should be to find the safest way out of there. As you try to get away, be wary of where the shooter or shooters might be. You don’t want to be running into them, right? Pay attention to the sound of gunshots and to the direction other people are running from. However, this mainly applies to bigger structures such as schools and office buildings.
In the case of a church, it may be a little difficult to run away immediately. Usually, a church has one main entrance and exit while some have side doors. Simply put, there are few options to run to. If the shooter enters through the main door, then you’re primary escape is already compromised. Still, running away to escape is your best option to survive a terrorist attack on a church.
You should be aware of the exits in your church. If you’re new to a church, look immediately for the exit points. This information will come in handy not only during a terrorist attack but in cases of fire and other emergency situations.
Some churches also have rooms inside. If running outside is no longer an option, go for one of these rooms.
Hide
If there’s still time, close the doors of the church and barricade yourselves inside. In some cases, the shooter starts their murderous intent while outside their intended target. If they start shooting while still outside and the congregation immediately notice the commotion, then there should be enough time to act.
In the 2017 Sutherland church shooting, the perpetrator killed two people in the parking lot of the First Baptist Church before entering the building and killing 24 more. If someone saw or heard what was happening outside, the people inside the church could have acted accordingly.
In case the shooter is already inside, everyone should run into the rooms and barricade themselves. The church itself should make the necessary adjustments to have a panic room or safe room.
Fight
You can’t run. You can’t hide. What do you do? Your last option should be to fight.
In 1998, Kip Kinkel shot his parents to death before going to Thurston High School from which he was expelled. He killed two students and injured 25 others. When he tried to reload his rifle, an injured Jacob Ryker along with six other students tackled him. He was able to fire a shot from his Glock before he was completely subdued. If the seven students did not fight back, the shooter could have reloaded and killed more.
If you’ve decided that fighting back is the only option, you must wait for the right opportunity. Like the Thurston High School students, they ganged up on the shooter while he was reloading. Wait until the shooter is preoccupied before attacking him.
As you prepare for your attack, you should look around for possible weapons. It’s also better if you’re not alone. Encourage others to help out. It’s easier to subdue the shooter if there are more than one of you. Each of you should be targeting different parts of the shooter. Some will go for the legs, the body, the head, and the arms. It’s also important that someone grabs the gun.
Keeping the Church Safe
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The secret to surviving a church shooting is to be prepared and know what to do even before the attack happens. The church has the responsibility of keeping the congregation safe, especially from such a cowardly act as a church shooting. Police visibility is just one of the things that can prevent a church shooting. However, the local police department simply can’t assign a cop in each church, mosque, school, department store, and other public places. Their resources are likely limited.
Hire Security
One option is to hire security to keep them safe. Even the presence of an armed guard can deter a church shooting. Aside from that, the church can also fortify its property. Install a security system around the perimeter so you can see who or what’s coming.
Lock Up
Turn the rooms in the church into panic rooms. Make sure all the doors have locks. If possible, change the doors into bulletproof ones.
Assign Roles
Each member of the congregation should know what to do in case of an emergency such as a church shooting. Assign some of them to be in charge of the doors to the entrance. Once the service is about to start, the assigned person should lock the door. The exit doors, meanwhile, should remain unlocked from the inside. There should be people who are constantly monitoring these unlocked doors.
Get at least a couple of volunteers who will monitor the parking lot. They should have two-way radios on them. Make sure some members of the group are assigned to call for help once trouble brews. They should be able to relay the details clearly so law enforcement officers and medical teams know exactly what to expect.
Ideally, the people who will be give roles in keeping the church safe should be trained in some way. Identify the police officers, military people, and others in the congregation who have security backgrounds. People with training in martial arts, self defense and first aid could also be of use.
Communication
Speaking of, those who are assigned roles should have a way to communicate. Everyone should have their own phones so they all have a way to communicate. However, it’s wiser to use two-way radios instead. They’re easier to use and only requires batteries to work. Keep extra batteries handy.
Practice Your Plans
Remember, a stressful situation such as a church shooting may cause one to freeze in their seats. The best way to prevent such a situation is to have everyone practice what to do. This way, they’re instincts will kick in once a church shooting actually does happen.
Arrange an emergency evacuation plan for the church. Make sure t’s clear to everyone where they should run. Before the start of each service, remind everyone of the exits as well as the panic rooms.
Arrange for experts to discuss with the group what to do in the event of a church shooting or any other emergency situation. Ask police officers, fire marshals, and someone from emergency medical services to give talks about their respective fields.
Hold basic medical training for your congregation. They should all know how to do first aid and treat bullet wounds in case of a church shooting.
Finally, make sure everyone knows how to defend themselves. It’s quite difficult to fight of the perpetrators if they are holding a machine gun. However, if you do get the chance to attack, you should at least know how. Besides, it would be fun for everyone to do some basic training together.
It’s also better of you have something to use such as pepper sprays, stun guns or tasers, and blunt weapons. Invest on some and keep them somewhere safe but easily accessible, especially by the volunteers. Some churches, meanwhile, have taken to arming themselves.
It’s sad and crazy that we now live in a world where children in school are thought how to fight off shooters. They practice barricading themselves in the classroom and to throw anything at the perpetrators to at least distract them. It’s horrifying to think of our children going up against mad adults with guns with nothing but books, pencils and staplers. And then there’s the church shooting. Even a place of peace and worship is not exempted from white supremacists, racists, and terrorists.
If you know more tips on how to survive a church shooting or an active shooter situation, in general, please share them with everybody else. You may also visit The Gentleman Pirate for more information on how to survive mass shootings and other dangerous situations.
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