Mosque safety and security tips Housekeeping Good Practice Regularly review the use and location of all waste receptacles in and around your place of worship, taking into consideration their proximity to glazing and building support structures Keep external areas, entrances, exits, stairs, reception areas and toilets clean and tidy Keep furniture to a minimum to provide little opportunity to hide devices, including under chairs and sofas Keep unused offices, rooms and function suites locked Use seals / locks to secure maintenance hatches, compactors and industrial waste bins when not required for immediate use Screen all your mail and ensure you can isolate your mail processing area Ensure your reception staff and deputies are trained and competent in managing telephoned bomb threats Consider marking your first aid and fire fighting equipment as your property and regularly check it has not been replaced Access control and visitors to places of worship Prevent all vehicles from entering goods or service areas directly below, above or next to pedestrian areas where there will be large numbers of people, until they are authorised by your security Have in place physical barriers to keep all but authorised vehicles at a safe distance and to mitigate against a hostile vehicle attack Ensure there is a clear demarcation identifying the public and private areas of your place of worship Consider having your staff, including contractors, cleaners and other employees wearing ID badges at all times when on the site Adopt a ‘challenge culture’ to anybody not wearing a pass in your private areas Insist that details of contract vehicles and the identity of the driver and any passengers requiring permission to park and work in your site are authorised in advance Request driver and vehicle details of waste collection services in advance Request all business visitors to your management and administration areas report to a reception area before entry and require them to sign in and issue them with visitors pass Ensure business visitors’ badges are designed to look different from staff badges Ensure all business visitors’ badges are collected from visitors when they leave the premises Ensure a member of staff accompany business visitors at all times while in the private a reason your place of worship Searching Exercise your search plan regularly Ensure you carry out a sectorised, systematic and thorough search of your place of worship as a part of routine housekeeping and in response to a specific incident Ensure your search plan has a written checklist – signed by the searching officer as complete for the information of the Security Manager Ensure your search plan includes toilets, lifts, car parks and service areas Considered having a vehicle search regime at goods/service entrances that is flexible and can be tailored to a change in threat or response level Consider that you conduct random overt searches of vehicles as a visual deterrent Consider a visitor search regime that is flexible and can be tailored to a change in threat or response level Consider making use of your website/publications to inform worshipers, visitors, of your searching policies as well as crime prevention and counter terrorism messages Consider having a policy to refuse entry to any vehicle whose driver refuses a search request Ensure your searching staff are trained and properly briefed on their powers and what they are searching for Ensure ALL staff are trained to deal effectively with unidentified packages found within the site Ensure you have sufficient staff to search effectively Ensure you search your evacuation routes and assembly areas before they are utilised Communication Ensure security issues are discussed / decided at Board level that they form a part of your faith groups culture Ensure you have a security policy or other documentation showing how security procedures should operate within your place of worship Ensure this documentation regularly reviewed and if necessary updated You should regularly meet with staff and discuss security issues Encourage your staff to raise their concerns about security Ensure you know your local Counter Terrorism Security Adviser (CTSA) or Security Coordinator (SECCO) and involve them in any security or other developments within your place of worship Speak with neighbours to your place of worship on issues of security and crime that might affect you all Speak with other faith leaders in your area on issues of security and crime that might affect you all Remind your staff to be vigilant when travelling to and from work, and to report anything suspicious to the relevant authorities or police Make use of your website, to communicate crime and counter terrorism initiatives, including an advance warning regarding searching Ensure you issue guidance to worshipers on what to do if they notice anything suspicious Evacuation / Invacuation Ensure evacuation forms part of your security plan Consider ‘invacuation’ into a protected space part of your security plan Consider seeking advice from a structural engineer to identify protected spaces within your place of worship Ensure you have nominated evacuation / invacuation marshals Ensure your evacuation plan includes ‘incident’ assembly areas distinct from fire assembly areas Ensure you have determined evacuation routes Ensure you have agreed your evacuation / invacuation plans with the emergency services and your neighbours Ensure you have reliable and tested communications facilities in the event of an incident Ensure any disabled staff been individually briefed Ensure you have a review process for updating plans as required. Business Continuity Ensure you have a business continuity plan Ensure you regularly update your plan Ensure your staff are trained in operating your plan Ensure you have prepared a ‘grab bag Consider access to alternative premises to use in an emergency Ensure your critical documents protected Consider having copies of your critical records at a separate location Consider having contingency plans in place to cater for the loss / failure of key equipment Consider having sufficient insurance to pay for disruption to services, cost of repairs, leasing temporary accommodation and equipment