Recently, during the morning worship service, Pyerian Baptist Church had their first fire drill.
Not surprisingly, the congregation performed pretty well. They evacuated the entire building and checked each room in about three minutes.
They learned many things about the fire alarms and safety systems of the church. They even learned how to test the sprinkler system in the future.
The exercise was also good for the local fire department. They came in less than ten minutes, having experienced a few problems that they will address for the future now that they know about them. “I want to thank all who were involved on the successful drill and for the care and safety of our people,” said Rev. James Orr, pastor of Pyerian Baptist Church.
“One of the reasons that this was a success is that we made preparation. There were meetings and instruction before hand with our security provider, the fire chief and captain, and with our own ushers and deacons. There was instruction given to the congregation and no one was caught by surprise.” “Another reason for success was that people cared. Leaders cared about an important aspect of safety and the congregation cared that this was for their own well being. Everyone cared enough to take this unusual event seriously. While we have not had to put this action to the real test we all understand that the possibility exists,” said Rev. Orr.
