Preparedness
Security
Emergency Food & Shelter
Public Assistance Grants
DHS Nonprofit Security Grant Program
Emergency Managers
Training & Exercises
Preventing Human Trafficking
Fires, tornadoes, floods, hurricanes, earthquakes, arson and active shooters can all affect houses of worship. With incidents occurring with little to no warning, many houses of worship are developing and updating plans and procedures to ensure the safety and security of their congregations, staff, and facilities.
Training and planning exercises may enhance the disaster preparedness – and response and recovery capabilities and capacity – of the voluntary, faith-based, and community partner organizations, staff and volunteers.
This page's resources may support your faith-based and community-based organization.
Partner Resource
The DHS Center for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships seeks to build bridges across the whole community and to help overcome coordination challenges among FBOs, emergency managers and other stakeholders engaging a broad cross-section of FBOs in all stages of the disaster cycle.
Preparedness
Stay prepared with the most updated information on how to protect your community .
Additional Guides and Resources
Guide for Developing High Quality Emergency Operations
Plans for Houses of Worship
This guide provides houses of worship with information regarding emergency operations planning for the spectrum of threats and hazards they may face. It discusses actions that may be taken before, during, and after an incident in order to reduce the impact on property and any loss of life and it encourages every house of worship to develop an EOP.
Protecting Houses of Worship Against Arson
The fire service can help communities reduce the occurrence of arson and reduce its devastating effect by making residents aware of the following measures to safeguard their church, mosque, synagogue, temple or chapel.
Security
Department of Homeland and Security (DHS)
Provides organizationally independent, strategic, timely, specific and actionable advice to the Secretary through the Assistant Secretary for Partnership and Engagement whom also serves as the DHS Faith-Based Organization Security Coordinator.
Is the Department of Homeland Security's official system for trusted sharing of Sensitive But Unclassified information between federal, state, local, territorial, tribal, international and private sector partners.
This discretionary committee is established in accordance with and operates under the provisions of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA), Title 5 United States Code, Appendix.
Supports the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) terrorism prevention mission by conducting applied research, evaluation, and integrating scientifically derived knowledge to inform policy and programs throughout the Homeland Security Enterprise.
Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA)
CISA has developed an interactive self-assessment Houses of Worship that FBOs can use to inform grant applications – based on their state guidance. In addition to this self-assessment, CISA provides security experts around the nation. Protective Security Advisors are available to assist with vulnerability assessments and recommendations/guidance for the grant process. The PSAs can be reached via email at central@cisa.gov (the FBO should provide their contact information and where they are located so they can be matched up to the nearest PSA) and their website Protective Security Advisors.
Additional CISA Resources
Emergency Food and Shelter Program
The Emergency Food and Shelter Program (EFSP) supplements and expands the ongoing work of local social service organizations, both nonprofit and governmental, to provide shelter, food and supportive services to individuals, families and households who are experiencing, or at risk of, hunger and/or homelessness. Learn more about the EFSP.
Public Assistance Grants
You can also view our Houses of Worship Applicant Fact Sheet or take an online training to improve your knowledge on how FEMA delivers Public Assistance grant funding to private nonprofit organizations: IS 1026 Eligibility of Private Nonprofit Organizations.
Learn about Availability and Eligibility of Public Assistance Grants
DHS Nonprofit Security Grant Program
The Nonprofit Security Grant Program provides funding support for target hardening and other physical security enhancements to nonprofit organizations. This funding is available to promote emergency preparedness coordination and collaboration between public and private community representatives. See all FEMA preparedness grants.
Emergency Managers: Resources to Engage Faith-Based Communities
- Engaging Faith-based and Community Organizations: Planning Considerations for Emergency Managers
- Religious and Cultural Literacy and Competency in Disaster (Training)
- Tip Sheets and Additional Resources (PDFs)
- Religious Literacy Primer to Improve Engagement with Faith Communities (PDF)
Training and Exercises
Training
No-cost resources provide faith and community leaders and employers information and education on how to prepare for and mitigate against an emergency or disaster, including an active shooter incident.
Understanding the Insider Threat
This DHS video uses security and behavior experts to discuss how insider threats manifest in a variety of ways including terrorism, workplace violence, and breaches of cybersecurity.
Mobilizing Faith-Based Community Organizations in Preparing for Disaster: 8-hour, planning and management-level course.
Mass Attacks in Public Spaces -2017: Analysis of 28 mass attack incidents against public places within the U.S. that occurred during January and December 2017.
Preparedness for Child Care Providers: 2-hour course to identify, assess, and plan for hazards at a childcare site.
Exercises
Create an exercise toolkit account in the Preparedness Toolkit portal.
Join a FEMA virtual table top exercise where faith-based organizations can participate with other organizations in their community.
Emergency Planning Exercises for Your Organization help build preparedness for threats and hazards by providing a low-risk, cost-effective environment.
Preventing Human Trafficking
The DHS Blue Campaign is a national public awareness campaign, designed to educate on how to recognize the indicators of human trafficking, and how to appropriately respond to possible cases.
Additional Partner Resource
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Center for Countering Human Trafficking (CCHT) oversees the DHS mission to combat human trafficking and the importation of goods produced with forced labor.
Center for Countering Human Trafficking (CCHT)
Faith-Based and Community Toolkit
This toolkit helps recognize and respond to human trafficking and build stronger partnerships with social service agencies, advocacy groups and law enforcement to provides actionable steps in the development of trauma-informed approaches in houses of worship.
Download English Toolkit
Download Spanish Toolkit
Video Campaigns and Webinars
Download DHS' human trafficking awareness videos
These videos provide an overview of human trafficking and the Blue Campaign. Human trafficking victims are often invisible because we do not recognize indicators of human trafficking. Identifying signs of human trafficking and reporting a tip may save a life.
Webinar
In March 2018, FEMA hosted a webinar on preventing human trafficking in disasters. It goes over what you need to know and what you can do.
Watch the Recorded Webinar