Jeanie Garrett has been leading safety and security teams in houses of worship since 2018. She began this work at St. David's Episcopal, Austin where she was the Director of Communications for 10 years. Jeanie built her consulting business, Grace Communications & Consulting, LLC, on the core belief that effective and strategic communication is vital when implementing safety policies and procedures. Jeanie guides churches on how to strike the important yet practical and faithful balance of being prepared for emergencies while also ensuring a place of worship is welcoming to all who enter. Author of the book, Open Arms, Safe Communities: The Theology of Church Security, Jeanie approaches safety and security planning with experience, institutional knowledge, and awareness that every place of worship has its own unique challenges.

In this 2-3 hour session, Jeanie Garrett will discuss and lead conversations on our theological call to do this work, fear of a mass shooting, and the most likely emergency scenarios we should be prepared to handle; how being safe and welcoming are both possible and, when done well, benefit each other; a step-by-step process for completing a plan that is practical, financially feasible and faithful.

Jeanie Garrett is a certified trainer in the Civilian Response to Active Shooter Events course. This presentation was developed as part of the Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training for law enforcement officers to take into their communities. Its primary goal is to provide guidance and strategies for surviving a mass shooting attack. Supporting content includes a general profile of attackers, case studies of actual events, including shootings at houses of worship, and the importance of creating a culture of safety where everyone plays a part in keeping your church community safe.

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