Protecting Houses of Worship class

Mods, please move if this is better suited for somewhere else, thanks.

OK, so I attended a 'Protecting Houses of Worship' seminar recently that was put on by the FBI. If you are involved in security for any such building, I would suggest you get to one if at all possible.

This class is legit. Put on by the FBI, the US Attorney for the area attended and answered questions, as did reps from DEA, DHS, and both our local PD and Sheriff's office.
The information is incredibly eye opening. The presentations covered a large amount of data in a short time, but the handouts are amazing. Worth the time for that alone. FYI, there is no cost, but you will need to sign up ahead of time, we had dozens of people trying to get seats that didn't register.

I've posted in a couple of church security threads, and had a pretty good understanding of it... or so I thought.
The reality of it is sobering. Too much info to go into in depth here, but suffice it to say that the threat is real, it's multi vectored (white supremacist's are as big a concern as anything else), and also involve more than just the active gunman scenario.

Easiest things I can suggest:
1. Have a plan. You'd be amazed at how many churches leave this stuff to casual volunteers and there is no actual plan for what to do when.
2. Have med treatment equipment and material, and know how to use it. Get an AED. Get a good stocked first aid box. Train your volunteers/staff how to use it. Your local FD is usually more than happy to help. Stuff like heart attacks, chokings, etc... are far more common than anything else. Don't rely on professional attendees, as it's a crap shoot.
3. Utilize the resources around you. A little legwork will produce immense dividends. Call you PD/SO, maybe even DHS. Have them do a walkthrough and ID the issues. Call your FD and do the training. Actually train and keep up with it.

We spent a lot of time talking about active shooter scenarios. The stats are eye opening. They're quick, they're unexpected, and they're usually effective unless met with resistance. That being said, make sure you have people actively watching. You have to notice something in order to address it.
Also, don't underestimate the DV/custody battle/disgruntled lover, employee, etc... angle. I'd suggest someone trustworthy interfacing with clergy staff to get heads up on potential issues before they boil over. Proactive, not reactive.

The class was incredibly well done. Had attendees from all faiths as far as I could tell. The folks from a mosque asked some really pointed questions, and as it turns out, Jews and Muslims are more likely to be targets of violence than any other belief system in our neck of the woods.
While violent crime has fallen over the last several decades, the rate of mass shootings has gone up, and has taken a real uptick since 2007. Also, the number of injuries per mass shooting has taken a big upswing. LE has changed tactics to address this more actively, but the problem is that most are still over in less than five minutes. Real hard for LE to respond in that amount of time, even with a perfect plan. Time and space have limits...

Understanding the aftermath was also discussed. The actual way things are processed, etc... was an eye opener. I know I'm saying 'eye opener' a lot, but that's because it scared me a little. The stats aren't a joke, and knowing what we do as a church, and where we are in the security/prep arena has me thinking that it's by the Grace of God that we're where we are...
Might be a cognitive bias, but I'm certainly focused on this now. I'd also humbly suggest anyone doing this for their house of worship seek out the training and materials, and educate yourself.

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Protecting Houses of Worship class