Protecting Houses of Worship

Tuesday, Sept.26, 2023
9:00 am – 12:30 pm
Caribou Performing Arts Center

Faith-based events and houses of worship, such as churches, synagogues, and mosques, are inherently welcoming, with open access and publicly available schedules for services and events. However, this welcoming nature can pose risks. The past few years have seen a tragic increase in the number of hate crimes, and houses of worship have often been the target of those crimes. As leaders of Maine’s faith-based organizations and houses of worship, you can take steps to proactively reduce risks and provide safe, secure, and resilient places of worship and faith-based gatherings.

A Protecting Houses of Worship event will be held at the Caribou Performing Arts Center on September 26, 2023, from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Brought to you by Maine Emergency Management Agency (MEMA); Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA); Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Boston Field Office, Portland Resident Agency; U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) Community Relations Service (CRS); and U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Maine, along with the participation of local law enforcement, our goal is to provide practical information, tools and resources to help bolster emergency preparedness efforts and foster best practices to keep Maine’s faith-based events and houses of worship safe. Past events have taken place in Westbrook and Augusta, and we are excited to now bring the program to The County!

Topics discussed during the event will include:

• Security, Risk and Vulnerability Assessment
• Active Shooter Preparedness, Response & Resources
• Building Your Own Emergency Operations Plan
• Faith-Based Experiences with Public Safety Issues

To reserve your spot, please email the completed form no later than Friday, September 22. Participation is limited, and we encourage you to RSVP at your earliest convenience. There is no charge for this event.