We’ve focused on various ways to protect sensitive parts within a church design, especially children’s areas. For example, we’ve talked about interior hardening and modern safety technology, their applications ranging from doors to glass. In this post, we will show how these various elements, along with other safety precautions, can be incorporated to create multiple layers of safety within one church building.
Church Safety for the Nursery Area
We’ve labeled the nursery area with a 1 on this church design. In this space, there is an initial layer of security with a pair of doors leading into the nursery check-in area. That wall and opening is almost all glass—glass doors, glass windows—but all the glass is covered with a ballistic film. The doors also have an emergency lock-down feature, so if there’s any kind of threat, somebody inside this nursery check-in area can hit a button and the doors will immediately close and lock.
Inside this check-in area is a volunteer, providing another layer of human security. Each of the four classrooms has a classroom door, with a check-in counter and another door located in the check-in area, with another volunteer present. This means there are four to five layers of security in an area that looks quite friendly and feels open because there’s a lot of transparency. There’s not a sense of being closed off, but still there is a significant level of security.
Church Design for Security in the Preschool and Elementary Area
In the preschool and elementary area, labeled 2 in this church design, there are even more layers of security. Initially, there’s the check-in area with a volunteer—that’s layer number one. As in the nursery area, there is a similar set of glass doors and windows with ballistic film that is layer number two. Down the corridor is the elementary worship area, with lockable doors that create a third layer. There are volunteers and staff in the worship area, which is layer four. Finally, each classroom off the central worship area (“Garage”) has a lockable door and is staffed with a volunteer. This means a total of five to six layers of security for these children when they’re in those interior classrooms, which is extremely reassuring.
Keeping Children Safe and Also Happy in Your Church Building
Keep in mind that all these layers of church safety are built into a children’s area that is themed for kids. The church building still looks fun. Kids have no idea about the many levels of security that have been built into this church design. Parents, however, can rest assured that their children are as safe as they can be while they are in your church building. Your security team will also be more confident in assuring families that your church leaders are taking all possible precautions to protect those who worship and learn within your church building.
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