Places of worship are supposed to be safe havens but several in the United States have been the scene of active shooter situations. For that reason, faith leaders need to know what to do if faced with the situation; create a plan for their house of worship, and how to address hate crimes. The training is open to pastors, ministers, priests, rabbis, and any faith leader. “It’s vital that places of worship have a protocol in place for keeping their congregation safe in the event of an active shooter,” said John Quick, Chairman of the Community Relations Board. "Preparation would also certainly lead to mitigating the damage a shooter could do. “

The Miami-Dade Community Relations Board was founded in 1963 and its primary mission is to intervene and contain community tensions, as quickly as possible. The secondary mission of the Community Relations Board is to work proactively to identify and relieve intergroup conflicts before crises arise; to develop bridges of understanding and support programs in the community; to foster understanding, communication, and mutual respect; to develop and support local or city based Community Relations Boards throughout the county; and to assure that resources are in place to respond to community crisis.

For more information, please contact Miami-Dade County Community Relations Board Director Shirley Plantin, EJD at 305-375-1406.