Environmental safety is an important aspect that can be overlooked in a place of worship. Ask yourself what environmental barriers are on your property and how can they can hinder or help you? To help you identify your barriers and how to address them, we have provided 6 best practices.

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6 TipsTO HELP IDENTIFY & ADDRESS
ENVIRONMENTAL BARRIERS IN YOUR PLACE OF WORSHIP
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Environmental safety is an
important aspect that can be
overlooked in a place of worship.

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Can you identify
what environmental
barriers are on your
property and how they
hinder or help you?

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Adequate Lighting

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Adequate Lighting
Make sure your parking lots are well lit at night. It not only
gives those walking to and from their vehicles peace of mind,
but people are less likely to be violent or take part in illegal
activity if they know they can be seen. For areas that are not
accessed often, consider installing a motion censored flood
light.
01

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Responder Access

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02 Responder Access
How easily first responders can access your facility is critical
during any emergency. Precious time can be lost if your
entrance is hard to navigate, or if there isn’t enough space for
their large vehicles to park. Consider removing shrubbery, or
re-painting parking spaces to make more room for your first
responders.

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Safety Teams
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03 Safety Teams
Utilize your safety team to provide an extra rung to your safety
ladder. Your safety team can patrol your grounds before your
congregation arrives and after they are dismissed, during
afterhours meetings, and assisting securing your childcare
areas. Have them check less accessed areas that could be used
for hiding places.

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Entrances & Exits

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04 Entrances & Exits
Have well marked entrances and exits to help with navigation.
Painted arrows and evacuation lights will increase the flow of
foot and vehicle traffic and help prevent accidents and delays
during an evacuation or when emergency vehicles need to
enter.

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Shrubbery & Fencing

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05 Shrubbery & Fencing
Landscaping not only provides an aesthetically pleasing and
inviting place to worship, but it can also be used for your
religious center’s safety. It can help direct the flow of traffic
and also keep outsiders from crossing boundaries. Some
landscaping that you might consider is fencing, shrubbery and
slightly taller bushes.

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Building Maintenance

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06 Building Maintenance
Stay up to date on maintenance for your temple grounds. If a
place looks disorderly, it tends to attract more disorderly
behavior that can turn into violent acts. Graffiti, broken
windows and doors, and old lights should be taken care of in a
timely manner. Visible graffiti can give the impression that the
building is not occupied and old lights that no longer work
provide a hiding spot for unwanted visitors.

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By identifying your environmental barriers, you are preplanning
for emergencies and taking the steps needed to quickly and
successfully respond to any type of emergency.
Have more questions?
Contact us at: 206.315.9851
info@preparedresponse.com