Church security plan and Sunday safety checklist

A church security plan names who responds to an emergency, how people leave or shelter safely, and how children reunite with authorized adults. Build it for the actual building with local emergency responders.

Print the checklist

Print the checklist and write the church-specific decisions beside each item.

Walk the building before writing the plan

Invite the fire department or local emergency planners to review exits, access routes and assembly areas. Include someone who knows the needs of disabled worshippers. An evacuation route must work from the children’s rooms, the balcony and the parking lot as well as the main doors.

Assign Sunday responsibilities

Write down who calls 911 and who meets responders at the entrance. Name backups for absent volunteers. Keep a current building address and the locations of first-aid equipment where the team can find them. Ask qualified responders to approve medical and fire procedures.

Protect children during an emergency

Prepare a reunification process using the church’s authorized pickup records. Train leaders to account for children without announcing custody details over a radio or public microphone. Preserve reports of abuse and follow state reporting requirements. An internal investigation must not delay a required report to civil authorities.

Rehearse and revise

Practice the plan with the teams who serve on Sunday. Record the time, blocked route or missing equipment discovered in each exercise and assign a person to fix it. Keep the complete plan in restricted staff records; publish the instructions visitors need to follow.

Security assessment and review

Source check: October 23, 2026. CISA recommends a site-specific assessment, defined responsibilities and practiced emergency plans. Use its houses-of-worship self-assessment with local responders. Have the insurer and counsel check proposed security policies, including any weapons policy, before adoption.

Sunday safety planning worksheet

Write the street address, emergency number, person who calls, and person who meets responders.

Mark exits, accessible evacuation routes, outdoor assembly areas and severe-weather shelter locations on the building plan.

Name trained first-aid responders and locate the first-aid kit, AED and fire extinguishers.

Set child check-in, authorized pickup and reunification procedures. Keep custody information restricted to approved staff.

Agree on clear spoken emergency instructions with local responders. Train every Sunday team and rehearse access needs.

Record an incident securely, preserve evidence and arrange pastoral follow-up. Review the plan after a drill or incident.

Use the checklist with your team

Print a working copy for the people responsible for this decision. Record the date, the person responsible for each action and the documents they need to review. Keep the approved version with the church’s records.

Use the free volunteer schedule template to assign follow-up tasks and training dates. Keep private incident details and legal advice out of a public schedule.

Sources and permission

Church Posting prepared this worksheet for churches to copy and adapt for their own use.