Fort Bend County officials offering security, safety evaluations to local churches

FORT BEND COUNTY, Texas – "It's suppose to be a safe place and a place of worship. You never expect to run into a shooter," Donna Mathews, with Church of the Holy Apostles said.

For members of the Church of the Holy Apostles, Sunday morning's deadly shooting in Sutherland Springs was not only heartbreaking, but also eye-opening.

"If you're in a school situation or workplace you can do fire drills and practice a situation. But how do you practice and active shooting in a church on a Sunday morning?" asked Mathews.

That's why they'll be meeting with the Fort Bend County Sheriff's Office soon.

The agency sent out a message through social media offering to meet with congregations for for "safety evaluations" following the tragedy just hours down the road.

"Be constantly aware of your surroundings. That's the main thing. Be aware of your surroundings and being able to do something if a situation unfolds," Sgt. Carlos Castillo with the Fort Bend County Shetiffs Office said.

As part of their evaluation, the sheriff's office plans to assess the building including entry points and emergency exits.

They'll also go over the best plan of action if faced with an active shooter.

"Either evacuating the building as fast as possible, or they could hide in place and last resort, they could fight," explained Castillo.

"It you can imagine you're a small church staff and your responsible for 300 souls on a Sunday morning, its nice have someone else taking it seriously," said Mathews.


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