Orange City, Iowa — It’s a place where it is difficult to imagine an active shooter situation. Yet events on a national stage have told us it’s not impossible. And people are starting to prepare for the unthinkable — in church.
This past week, the Sioux County Sheriff’s Office hosted a church safety preparedness training seminar at the Calvary Christian Reformed Church in Orange City. The audience of approximately 140 people consisted of area church pastors, church leadership, church parishioners and area law enforcement officers. Sioux County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Nate Huizenga tells us why they held the training.
Huizenga says he and Deputy Waylon Pollema presented options and ideas based on the A.L.I.C.E. principles: Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, Evacuate).
The presentation also included videos from national tragic events where there was an active shooter present and commentary from Pollema, who is also a certified A.L.I.C.E. instructor and has taught this training to area businesses, school teachers and students, Huizenga says.
He says large gathering spaces like sanctuaries and classrooms offer special challenges in these situations, and sometimes just having someone being vigilant and watching the door is a way to help prevent tragedy.
Huizenga says the Sioux County Sheriff’s Office would like to thank Pastor John Klompien and the Calvary Christian Reformed Church for hosting this event. He had some other thanks to give as well.
The Sioux County Sheriff’s Office business line is 712-737-2280 if you or your church or other organization would like to get in touch with Huizenga.
