Delco DA Hosting Faith Community Safety Seminar Saturday

DELAWARE COUNTY, PA — Delaware County authorities are looking to help faith communities in the area stay safe in the face of danger by hosting safety seminar for faith communities.

District Attorney Katayoun M. Copeland is partnering with ValleyPoint Church in Glen Mills to host the first ever safety seminar and workshop for the faith-based community.

The event will be held at 8 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 19 at ValleyPoint Church in Glen Mills.

Breakout sessions throughout the day featuring members of the Delaware County District Attorney’s Office Criminal Investigation Division (CID) and law enforcement and medical experts who will cover a variety of topics such as securing and defending the room, conflict management, self-defense, and how to "stop the bleed" — to encourage bystanders to become trained, equipped, and empowered to help during a medical emergency before professional help arrives.

The seminar aims to provide best practices and resources for participants, and to facilitate networks among people of faith to ensure safety measures and plans are in place in the face of an emergency.

"In addition to providing training resources for our schools and businesses, as we will continue to do, our office also provides tools for our faith-based organizations and churches. Oftentimes, these organizations are uniquely vulnerable because they must strike a balance between being welcoming while ensuring the sanctity of their worship space," Copeland said. "Sadly, as we have seen across our nation, the motivations for violence against faith-based organizations can be unpredictable and for that reason, we are offering resources that will help our communities be prepared to respond and save lives in times of crisis."

Registration for the event is currently closed, however, faith-based communities that are interested in scheduling a future safety seminar can contact the Delaware County District Attorney’s Office at (610) 891-4168.

Image via Shutterstock