Two recent church fires in metro Atlanta have even State Insurance Commissioner John Oxendine talking about church security this week.
In response to the two recent Metro Atlanta Church fires, Insurance Commissioner John Oxendine is urging churches to organize watches for churches during unoccupied times according to the Atlanta Journal Constitution, as well as “install outdoor lighting and alarms.” http://www.ajc.com/news/oxendine-metro-churches-should-203447.html.
Securing churches and other places of worship can be very challenging. The buildings are often empty for long stretches of time, when they are in use they have many people coming and going needing access, and limited to non-existent funding for security. And then add in the economy. Locally, we’ve talked to several churches that have seen a marked increase in people on church property since last fall’s economic downturn. People are accessing the many services places of worship provide like soup kitchen’s, clothes closets and counseling. So you have a lot of different people using the facilities for many different reasons, an increased need for security and controlling access and with this economy, less money to do it with.
So depending on your budget here are the good, better, best suggestions we make when we consult with churches and other places of worship about keeping both their facilities and their people safe:
Good:
- Outdoor lighting is a must. Cover the parking lot, the walkways and the entry points. Make sure they are on timers and don’t forget to adjust as the seasons change.
- Keep bushes trimmed around windows and doorways.
- Have a MONITORED fire alarm system. Smaller churches often use converted buildings and often do not have a sprinkler system, so it is important to make sure your fires system is monitored. Smoke detectors going off in an empty building do no good if there is no one there to hear them.
- Have an alarm system with a cell backup. Make sure your alarm system is programmed to send a daily test timer. This enables your system to check in every day and if there are any problems, such as a low battery, it will send a signal to the station and a service ticket will be generated. If your provider says they need to charge you extra for that, it’s time to find a new provider as this only costs pennies a day to provide. In the past an alarm system with a cell backup was a more expensive option, but now there are systems where these products are integrated greatly reducing the installation and the monitoring costs.
Better:
- Install a security system with an integrated access control system. Places of worship tend to have a lot of different people using the building and needing access at different times. This means many keys and many alarm codes that need to be handed out. An access control system will eliminate the need for codes and cut down on the need to rekey if someone loses their key. It will also make it more likely that the security system will actually get turned on. We find over and over again that people stop using their systems because it is too hard to keep up with multiple codes. Again their are some new products on the market that are allowing even the most limited budget to include access control in their security plan.
- Cameras are useful as a deterrent. Placing signage that you are under surveillance, as well as a few carefully placed cameras, even if they are dummies, can make a potential arsonist/vandal/thief think twice about making your building their target. Your local big-box store often have inexpensive, low quality cameras that can work well for this.
Best:
- Cameras that are monitored. If vandalism is an on-going concern, then a motion-activated live monitoring system is the answer. When a motion detector is activated in an area of concern, video begins streaming to an operator at the monitoring station. If the operator sees something of concern, they can dispatch the proper authorities. Although pricing on cameras drops every month, you still need a high quality NIGHT-VISION camera in order to stream those images to a monitor. Your local discount big-box store is not going to be able to give you the camera that you need.
In the end though, the best security system is the one that is used. Good outdoor lighting on timers, monitored fire and a basic security system that is consistently used will go a long way towards deterring and preventing vandalism, theft and arson.