Faith-based communities are often the unfortunate victims of theft and vandalism, as well as a growing threat of violence or acts of terror. This is why it’s becoming more and more important to make sure that your house of worship is protected with proper, thorough security elements to make sure your community can feel safe.
However, not all religious institutions are the same, and each one poses their own set of security risks and protection challenges. There are many different systems and solutions that could be right for your institution, and finding the right one for your community is what we do at LaMarco Systems. We cover everything from access control to security cameras to fire systems so that your house of worship can be as prepared as possible for any situation.
Know How to Respond to Threats
When there is a situation that threatens the safety of your congregants, seconds matter. If you know that man-made incidents or threats are possible in your safe space, it’s important to know how to respond to them.
Being prepared and understanding your security plan and systems inside and out is the first step in threat prevention. By knowing that all of your security systems are operational, how they work, and having a comprehensive safety plan, you can be better prepared to effectively tackle any unforeseen events.
Always Ask for Help
It’s not always easy to develop these plans and integrate these systems. Luckily, there are many governmental partners that want to support you at the federal, state, and local levels. Many of these partners are looking for opportunities to provide you with the resources and support you need. Collaborating with law enforcement or using your Department of Homeland Security Protective Security Advisor can also make a big difference.
The DHS Center for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships is another federal entity that helps faith and community leaders improve the safety and security of their facilities. It connects organizations to the resources they need to prepare for, respond to, and recover from emergencies. It also recognizes the important role your organization has in emergency response, and the ways that it can help protect the whole community and help them on the road to recovery.
While organizations like these are a great place to start when researching ways to protect your community, the team here at LaMarco has decades of experience working with various houses of worship to ensure that they are considering and implementing everything they can to protect their community.
Take Preparedness One Step at a Time, Year Round
Whether you are preparing for disasters or keeping your space safe from acts of violence, it is essential to be ready at any moment with an emergency preparedness plan for religious institutions.
When you work with a specialized partner like LaMarco, there are many ways you can protect your space.
Access Control
Access control is the first line of defense in any security system. Whether it’s a door entry system, card access, turnstiles, gate, or other barriers, LaMarco’s access control solutions provide the technology you need to make sure that you know who is inside of your facility at all times. We partner with the industry’s leading manufacturers, like Salto Locks and Allegion, to ensure that we are always on the cutting edge of access control solutions. Integrated access control systems like these allow for simple visitor management and even integrate with other surveillance and security systems.
Intrusion Detection
Religious institutions are, unfortunately, oftentimes the targets of theft and vandalism. This is why having intrusion detection systems are a vital part of security systems for your facility.
LaMarco’s intrusion detection solutions use advanced technology to ensure the highest quality system available from world-renowned partners like Bosch. From small applications to large, high-security programs, a full range of products that guard against intrusion are evaluated, implemented, and can be managed seamlessly. You can learn more about how we approach the specifics of intrusion detection in this article here.
IP Cameras
Security cameras are at the forefront of most security systems. No matter the size of the building or space being monitored, LaMarco’s CCTV-IP solutions ensure clear, high-resolution images with incredible zoom capabilities and full 360-degree panoramic views with easy-to-use software, analytics integration, and remote viewing from any device. One of our partners, Avigilon, leverages advanced AI and video analytics that enhance the quality and impact of what’s captured on these cameras. Regardless of manufacturer, though, all of our CCTV-IP solutions enable remote viewing to ensure that administrators and law enforcement officials can access footage from anywhere.
Mass Notification Systems
Mass Notification Systems (MNS) are simultaneously broadcasted real-time alerts and information to large numbers of individuals. For a religious institution, this may prove to be a valuable part of any security system due to the large numbers of worshipers that may need information regarding their safety quickly.
The primary function of mass notification systems is to quickly alert people to potential threats or emergency situations and direct them on how to respond to those situations.
The Outcome – More Peace of Mind
Your faith, congregation, and community deserve the best protection possible. LaMarco Systems’ seamless end-to-end security platforms can be integrated across your entire facility, enabling faster and more effective emergency response. Learn more about what LaMarco can do for your faith-based community and house of worship. Call us today.