Michigan houses of worship beef up security amid surging threats

Places of worship learn what to do in case of emergency

With religious institutions among those targeted by violence like mass casualty attacks, faith groups are learning the tools to better prepare and defend oneself when incidents happen.

(FOX 2) - In the wake of the Grand Blanc mass shooting, other faith groups both in Michigan and abroad are preparing for the possibility they could be next.

The harsh reality was on display at a training session hosted by Michigan State Police on Wednesday.

Local perspective:

The Plymouth First United Methodist Church is looking to boost its security.

Right now, all they have is Sandy Goga. 

"Just myself," she said. "Definitely a little unprepared. I do carry a baton — a police baton."

Unfortunately, batons are sometimes not enough. In the case of Grand Blanc and Wayne, it took armed security guards with loaded weapons to neutralize the threat.

Other congregations like Our Lady of Loretto have started planning for the worst.

"We just started a safety security team back in July and we’re not really prepared how to set this team up," said Ron Elam.

Zoom out:

The training sessions on Wednesday were held by state police with the goal of equipping faith groups with the tools needed to avoid incidents or reduce their severity.

"I think that education is the key for you to develop a plan to keep you and the members of your place of worship safe," said Col. James Grady. 

Grady leads the Michigan State Police. 

Between knowing the vulnerabilities of the building or understanding where medical kits are housed, there is no limit to what can be of assistance in the moment of an emergency.

"We just saw it here in Grand Blanc," Grady said. "It takes everybody working together to provide the proper response and recovery from an incident."

What you can do:

The training sessions hosted by Michigan State Police are not new. MSP have hosted the sessions for years before taking a slight pause because of the Covid pandemic.

These days, law enforcement also take part in training as well.