SITUATIONAL AWARENESS SYMPOSIUM FOR HOUSES OF WORSHIP

David A. Thomas, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in South Carolina, advises on October 12, 2015, the Columbia Field Office will hold a Situational Awareness symposium at Cathedral of St. Luke and St. Paul, Charleston, South Carolina from 7pm to 9pm.
In the wake of the recent tragedy in Charleston the FBI began hosting these symposiums specifically for houses of worship throughout South Carolina. The FBI has conducted similar symposiums in Aiken, Greenville, Columbia, and Conway.

The FBI encourages all clergy and layperson leadership from houses of worship in Charleston and surrounding communities to attend this event. The FBI will provide the latest information and share lessons learned in an effort to assist houses of worship and hopefully mitigate these potential emergencies.

Topics to be covered include: who is an active shooter and pre-incident behavioral indicators; dealing with the national news; supporting victims, including families and the officers involved; crisis management; and use of IEDs by active shooters.
Inquiries about attendance should be directed to Ms. Denise M. Taiste, Public Affairs Specialist, Community Relations Unit, at 803.551.4352 or by email at denise.taiste@ic.fbi.gov.