ANDERSON COUNTY, Ky. (LEX 18) — More than 60 people packed into a classroom at Anderson Public Library on Thursday night to learn how to protect their houses of worship during safety threats.
The training comes just over a month after a mass shooting at a Lexington church that killed two people, highlighting the urgent need for congregations to prepare for potential emergencies.
Nicholas Eckert, owner of Safety Reloaded Training and Consulting, led the session focused on equipping people with essential safety skills.
"If you haven't done something in the past to know how, you won't know what your body is capable of doing in the moment," Eckert said. "We want them to understand that if you don't take the time, get the training, you may not perform the way you expect to be the best."
The training emphasized several key safety principles for houses of worship. The first recommendation was staying alert and aware of surroundings at all times.
"Church security is a lot of mindset, understanding, and so we really want people to get out there and do that," Eckert explained.
Participants learned the importance of having a comprehensive plan in place, including developing a security checklist that covers lockdown procedures and designates safe rooms within the building.
The class covered the critical decision-making process of when to run, hide or fight during an emergency situation.
Eckert stressed that de-escalation measures should always be the first approach, with firearms and weapons serving only as a last resort.
"We want that mindset, we want to stress de-escalation, situational awareness, and really, if you have to perform any kind of action, like using a firearm, that should be an absolute last-resort," he said.
The comprehensive training also included instruction on basic triage techniques and guidance on building emergency kits for congregations.
