Across the United States, Americans congregate in faith-based venues to worship, learn, play, and bond as a community. However, public gatherings are vulnerable, and adversaries may perceive houses of worship as attractive targets where they can inflict mass casualties, cause substantial psychological impacts, and draw extensive media coverage.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) offers numerous resources to assist faith-based and community organizations with their efforts to prepare for all types of hazards, whether natural or man-made. Technical assistance is provided through presentations, workshops, training, webinars, tabletop exercises, and training.
In coordination with interagency partners, the DHS Center for Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) established a website for faith-based organizations that serves as a “one-stop shop” for information on available Federal tools, resources, and assistance: www.fema.gov/faith-resources.
This webpage includes a collection of information on:
- At-A-Glance Guide for Protecting House of Worship Venues
- Trauma, Resilience and Stress Management Resources
- Webinars
- Trainings
- Playbooks to test emergency operations plans for six hazards
Leave a Reply