Local parishes are taking steps to be better prepared for emergency situations, including St. Aidan Parish in the North Hills.
The Safety and Security Ministry at St. Aidan held a critical incident traininglast month at St. Alexis Church in McCandless for parishioners interested in learning more.
“We’re not here to scare anybody. We’re here to teach. We’re here to inform you about potential threats and to teach you how to react and to utilize lifesaving methods,” said Joe Wall, organizer of the event and head of the safety and security team at St. Aidan.
The training also was held last fall, according to Wall.
At the request of the parish priest, the safety and security team already has provided on-site safety and security assessments and reviews at the parish’s two churches, St. Alexis and St. Alphonsus. It also assessed Blessed Francis Seelos Academy’s school and preschool, which is part of St. Aidan.
Wall met with the safety and security team of the Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh when putting the plan together.
“We made a ton of progress,” Wall said. “It’s a coordinated effort that we’re ready for every single incident.”
Critical incident training provided guidlines on how to respond in events of medical-, weather- or fire-related emergencies — and in the case of active violence.
The training will be offered once more in the fall and then annually, Wall said.
Team members won’t take the place of first responders, such as emergency medical services, police or fire departments, but the trained parishioners will know what do and who to call if a situation occurs, Wall said.
Having a highly visible safety and security team may help prevent or reduce the potential of a threat and offer comfort to the parish, according to Wall, who also serves on McCandless Council.
“We are all stewards of the church, and part of that stewardship is protecting others in the congregation,” Wall said.
The St. Aidan Safety and Security Ministry would like to have first responders present at all Masses, which is why Shari Lennon of Pine, a registered nurse and parishioner, attended the recent training.
“They asked for first responders, which is why I came,” she said.
The recent critical incident training included two members of the safety and security ministry with emergency readiness experience, including Bill O’Rourke, an Army captain who also was executive director at the Tree of Life Synagogue after the shooting in 2018, and J. Edward Kunz, who has intelligence experience with the federal government, Wall said.
In 2023, there were 315 incidents of violence at churches in the United States, 75 arson incidents and 10 gun threats, according to Kunz. And 1,300 churches experience a fire emergency every year as reported by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, he said.
The committee chair is represented by Cole Luffey, a parishioner and a parent of children who attend Blessed Francis Seelos Academy.
St. Aidan is just one of several parishes in the Pittsburgh diocese that is providing this type of training, according to Wendell Hissrich, director of safety and security for the diocese.
The diocese has its own safety and security team with a primary focus on the parochial schools in its region. They mostly are made up of experienced, recently retired police officers.
In addition to schools, these officers also attend church events, including festivals, fish frys or other large events, as needed, said Hissrich, who worked for 25 years with the FBI and six years in public safety with the city of Pittsburgh.
With more than 60 parishes and more than 100 churches in the Pittsburgh diocese, having an in-house safety and security team at churches is important so people are readily available and capable of handling an emergency and quickly contacting first responders.
Hissrich said medical emergencies are most common, but plans also concentrate on how to best respond to evacuation procedures. He said these plans are always a work in progress.
The diocese will be offering training this spring to individual parishes if requested by its pastor. Guidelines will be provided to individual parishes on the best ways to form a safety team. Hissrich said that UPMC Minutes Matter and the Pennsylvania State Police both helped with the diocesan training.
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Some of those attending the recent training at St. Aidan were volunteers at the church.
“Even though the church requested that we come, I thought it was a good idea because of the things you hear about going on the world,” said Donna Bartlett of Gibsonia, who is a volunteer at St. Alexis.
Others find the information important.
“I think everyone should be knowledgeable about things that can happen and how to respond to them,” said Pine resident Joe Augustine, who is a member of the parish.
Pat Kirby of Franklin Park has two children who attend Blessed Frances Seelos Academy.
“It’s important to be aware to handle situations like this. It’s always a concern of mine,” he said.
The St. Aidan’s Safety and Security Ministry is holding a CPR/AED and Stop the Bleed Training from 6 to 10 p.m. April 28 and May 5 in St. Alexis’ cafeteria. A previous training event scheduled for March 17 was canceled; anyone who registered for that session must pick a new date and register again.
The McCandless-Franklin Park Ambulance Authority will be on-hand to assist, according to Wall.
For details, contact Wall at jwall31@outlook.com or 412-526-1414.