BOULDER, Colo. (KDVR) — Federal and local security experts are training people of faith in Boulder on how to protect houses of worship.

Community members met with the FBI and local law enforcement at the Boulder Jewish Community Center Tuesday night to talk about threats of violence facing houses of worship and responsive measures to counter potential risk.

“We’ve been the victim of a number of different hate-related, threatening things from people in the community and actually from nationwide and internationally,” said Jonathan Lev, the community center’s executive director. “It’s really sad that we live in a world that that’s possible. And the other side of it is, those threats have brought our community together, and we’ve seen the power of the way in which our partnership with the district attorney’s office or with law enforcement or with other faiths and other communities have really come together.”

‘It’s an unfortunate reality in today’s world’

“What we do is educate them on what real threats and perceived threats are and the different types of threats, how to figure out a way to approach those individuals without escalating a situation, said Leonard Carollo, FBI Denver’s assistant special agent in charge. “And then if something were to happen, we educate them on the run, hide, fight principles. It’s an unfortunate reality in today’s world.”

Tuesday’s event was one of several Protecting Houses of Worship events that the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado set up recently. Others were held in Aurora, Grand Junction and Fort Collins.

“Ironically and sadly, we had our event on Jan. 19 in Fort Collins, and that night, a gentleman attacked a church and committed an act of arson on a church in Loveland,” said Cole Finegan, U.S. attorney for the District of Colorado. “Knowledge gives people power, and it gives them a sense of confidence that they’re prepared.”