Apply CISA’s faith-based physical security goals while keeping a house of worship open and welcoming

CISA’s voluntary performance goals for faith-based communities give houses of worship a baseline: a security team, risk review, cameras on parking and entries, exterior lighting, doors that lock but open for escape, access control for critical rooms, greeters, and practiced response.

Source facts

CISA’s Physical Security Performance Goals for Faith-Based Communities, version 1.0 from December 2023, are organized by Identify, Protect, Detect, Respond and Recover. CISA calls them voluntary, saying they do not place any obligation on a house of worship, and not comprehensive, so they should be tailored to each facility.

The protect practices include monitoring parking areas and all access and entry points with video surveillance, photocell and motion-activated LED lighting around the exterior, and locking and alarming windows and doors while ensuring they can be unlocked for emergency escape. CISA adds: do not prop doors open, use access control for critical areas such as IT and electrical rooms, finance offices and children’s ministries, and keep tree branches above six feet and bushes below two feet.

To get started, CISA suggests a security coordinator and planning team, basic background checks and an interview for prospective team members, and greeters at every entry point and parking lot. Its Protective Security Advisors support faith-based communities with vulnerability assessments, site visits and training at no cost.

Applicability

Use this for any house of worship and for related facilities on the same campus. CISA’s guidance is a baseline, not a code; local fire and building codes still govern door hardware, locking and egress.

DSE recommendation

DSE recommends starting with a documented risk review and a named security lead before buying new equipment for a house of worship. Confirm camera views cover the parking areas and every entry, check exterior lighting after dark, and alarm the doors and windows that should stay closed. Keep every locked door openable from inside without a key or special knowledge, and add card or keypad control to rooms such as the office, IT closet and children’s areas.

Verification

On a normal service day, walk each entrance with the security lead: confirm doors close and latch, open from inside, are not propped, and appear on camera. Review recorded video from the parking lot after dusk, test the door and window alarms, and record the date, findings and corrections for the next annual review.

Official reference

CISA — Physical Security Performance Goals for Faith-Based Communities (December 2023). Reviewed October 18, 2026.