Center for Personal Protection & Safety

The following information can be found at http://www.cppssite.com/training/1

Covered in the Ministry Security Course:

Church Security Operations

• Learn how to develop and implement a crisis management plan
• Maximizethe impact of available security staff, tools and technology
• A “best practices” approach to church security that can be scaled to your resources and needs
• Learn how to assess your church for critical security vulnerabilities
• Learn how to build a church security team

Safeguarding Children, Church Members and Staff

• Learn how to recognize signs of a potential crisis before it occurs
• Be able to assess, prioritize and respond to security threats
• Gain awareness on domestic violence issues and the impact at church
• Learn how to respond to active shooter situations
• Be able to deal with difficult people and diffuse potentially volatile situations

Safeguarding Your Missions Teams

• Learn best practice travel safety principles and strategies for your volunteer mission teams
• Teach your mission teams to be an unattractive target for thieves and kidnappers
• “Best Practices” training for surviving hostage situations

Training Dates and Locations

• March 10—Crossings Community Church, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
• April 5—Cornerstone Church, Chandler, Arizona
• April 7—Church of the Resurrection, Leawood, Kansas
• May 18—St. Paul Baptist Church, Peoria, Illinois
• June 14—New Life Providence Church, Virginia Beach, Virginia
• June 16—Immanuel Bible Church, Springfield, Virginia
• August 25—First Baptist Church Powell, Powell, Tennessee
• September 20—Mt. Scott Church of God, Portland, Oregon
• September 22—Denver, Colorado
• October 11—North Way Christian Community Church, Wexford, Pennsylvania
• Date Pending—San Jose, California

Ten Questions Every Pastor Should Be Asking About Church Safety & Security

RISK MANAGEMENT “TIP OF THE WEEK”

Ten Questions Every Pastor Should Be Asking About Church Safety & Security 1.      Have I appointed a person or committee to oversee all safety, security and risk management issues for the Church? 2.      Have we allocated funds to education our team and members and implement adequate safeguards? 3.      Is our church facility, members and personnel secure at all times? 4.      Do we have written policies and procedures for safety, security, risk management and personnel (paid and volunteer)? 5.      Is someone responsible to routinely inspect the facilities and document the inspection? 6.      Do we screen (background, reference, and sexual predator) all staff and volunteers that have contact with minors? 7.      Do we have an emergency response plan for all emergencies, and have they been tested? 8.      Has the staff been trained on respective roles regarding emergencies, allegations, sexual misconduct and harassment, and hazardous activities? 9.      Do I recognize that by not having safety, security and risk management practices and procedures in place, I am putting the entire ministry of the church at risk? 10. Am I willing to commit the time, energy and resources necessary to make sure I am a good steward of the people, property and resources God has entrusted to my car?

Basic Guidelines for Church Security

RISK MANAGEMENT “TIP OF THE WEEK”

Basic Guidelines for Church Security   By Wally Baskovich, Church Security Ministries   Here are a few guidelines regarding basic church security:   BACK-UP SECURITY’S ROLE: ·         Intervene at the target-area the moment of the confrontation to assist the primary security team member. ·         Apply Counter-Measures by putting the assailant under submission as the circumstances demand, such as: Applying wrist or arm locking techniques, utilizing takedown maneuvers, or by applying a mechanical restraint device. ·         Insure the situation is Under Control and that peace is being established.   THE BIG THREE: (during any altercation) - ·         Separate your pastor from the threat. ·         Evacuate the pastor to a secured area and disperse the crowd that’s in the immediate area. ·         Contain the situation by utilizing: a)      Verbal de-escalation tactics (reasoning), and, b)      Physical means (takedown and restraining techniques) and/or mechanical restraints.

Eight Steps to a Successful Protection Program

RISK MANAGEMENT “TIP OF THE WEEK”

Eight Steps to a Successful Protection Program

By Martin A. “Tony” Zuniga, CPP – The Argent Group

The following is a brief list and overview of some of those elements needed for establishing a successful protection program:

1. Create a Protection Committee

2. Create a Culture of Awareness and Preparedness

3. Assess Potential Threats, Risks and Concerns

4. Perform a Security Assessment and Survey

5. Enhance Physical Security Measures

6. Establish Financial Control Measures

7. Ensure Safety of Youth and Children

8. Establish a Crisis Response Plan

ICSARM: Lockdown Procedures, Plans, Policies & Practices

Lockdown Procedures, Plans, Policies & Practices

By Kenneth C. Mitchell, Secure Church International

The first thing I would like to do is praise God for the opportunity to be healthy enough to write this article. He is our Lord and Savior and is the guide for my tenacity to help everyone to become more aware of their surroundings and most of all, HAVE A PLAN!

Even as I write this article, I am in amazement that our society has become a place where someone like me has a calling to help protect our Pastors, Priest, Parishioners or Congregation. Head down, on your knees or hands raised in praise, evil is just a pace away. Our Lord will provide your safe guidance into heaven, but it is up to us to make sure we’re not there anytime sooner than he planned for us. I want to go over the importance of “LOCKDOWN” procedures, as it pertains to a school, daycare or church settings.

First and foremost, HAVE A PLAN, second of all HAVE A PLAN and finally HAVE A PLAN……get it?

We all have heard the old saying, “NO ONE EVER PLANS TO FAIL, THEY FAIL TO PLAN”, this cannot be more true than with “lockdown procedures”. This simple, yet extremely important action can save lives, limit liability and instill confidence in your staff. Yet, without well thought out and practiced procedures, it can hinder, cause panic and heighten incidents of potential disaster.

Recent and reoccurring events have led us to have a need to have such a procedure in place. This heightened awareness has made us all ultra sensitive to the safety and protection of our most valuable assets, our fellow human beings. Having a plan and practicing it on a regular basis creates a feeling of awareness, self confidence and professionalism. But this all has to be done with consistency. You can have the best formulated plan, pay hundreds of dollars for someone to come in and assist you in developing that plan, have charts, graphs, written procedures and a special place on your office shelf for that beautiful leather bound procedure manual, but if you do not practice, it will be a panicked reaction with everyone not knowing what to do.

Practice does not make perfect, perfect practice makes for perfect execution. Have fun with it, have your staff involved in every portion of the process, open dialogue. Have casual Thursday and make it a day of fellowship and practice, but take it serious and make it part of your routine. Execute roll playing, scenarios that are realistic, don’t work off of fear, work off of confidence. Let your staff know that if some unforeseen event takes place, they will have the know how and confidence to make sure that the crisis scenario they are witnessing unfolding in their presence, will be minimized and hopefully obverted, because of their dedication to the safety of their fellow Christians and their ability to react properly.

ICSARM: 5 Quick Tips to Practicing a Proper Lock Down Procedure

RISK MANAGEMENT “TIP OF THE WEEK”

5 Quick Tips to Practicing a Proper Lock Down Procedure Submitted by Kenneth C. Mitchell, Secure Church International 1. Remove students, staff, visitors and faculty from the threat. Announce clearly and concisely over the public address system, “LOCKDOWN LOCKDOWN LOCKDOWN, ENTER YOUR PREDESIGNATED AREAS OF SAFETY IMMEDIATELY, WE ARE NOW INITIATING A LOCKDOWN PROCEDURE”.  This message should be repeated until all procedures and roll calls have been completed. 2. Above all, remain calm, professional and aware. Provide assistance to those who require it due to physical challenges, learning disabilities or communication barriers. 3. Lock and/or barricade doors to your predetermined “safe areas”, turn off projectors, draw curtains, turn off lights, remain calm and quiet. (This gives the appearance that the room is unoccupied) 4. Conduct an immediate head count or roll call and advise the LOCKDOWN OFFICER(S) of your situation. Do not respond to knocks on the doors, plea’s to open the doors or verbal commands of unknowns from the outside, without visual recognition. 5. Wait for the “ALL CLEAR” to be given by the LOCKDOWN OFFICER(S) and wait for instructions over the public address system. Assist all in your area of responsibility to the predetermined rally point, for debriefing and final instructions.

Published Article with the Institute for Church Safety and Risk Management, LLC

FEATURED ARTICLE (From: The Sword and the Shield)

By Brian Gallagher Vigilance: Rebuilding Prospective on Safety and Security What is Vigilance and why should you consider attending this conference? Vigilance is an innovative event that is being sponsored and promoted by Southern Seminary in Louisville, KY.  This event is designed to rebuild the perspective on safety and security in Christian churches, organizations, and institutions. On March 8, 2009, Pastor Fred Winters of The First Baptist Church of Maryville in Illinois was shot dead by a violent attack during a worship service at his local church. Pastor Winters was a graduate of the The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Following this event, Southern Seminary felt compelled to fill a gap and provide educational training on the topic of safety and security. I Peter 5:2 exhorts Christian leaders to “Shepherd the flock” and to “exercise oversight” for those in their care. I, along with Southern, believe that this oversight is not just spiritual but physical as well. The shepherd carried both a rod and a staff. The staff was to guide the sheep back onto the safe path, while the rod was to strike away enemies that were approaching. Whether you are a church pastor, a business leader, or a member of a local church you are commanded by Scripture to be vigilant in protecting those who are in your fold. Vigilance is an opportunity to equip you to carry out that command. This conference will be filled with pertinent and practical information to help you provide better safety and security for your church, conference, or religious institutions. You won’t want to miss this three day event, July 20-22, 2010, at Southern Seminary.  There will be four plenary sessions with thirty-five separate seminars. Speakers are coming from all corners of the country and represent local, state and federal governments, along with top tier private organizations. If you are looking for pragmatic information on how to enhance the security of your particular community or if you are just interested in hearing seminary level instruction on what the Bible says about this topic, you should plan to attend this event. Registration and additional information is available at http://events.sbts.edu/vigilance/.  Brian Gallagher has worked in the fields of Law Enforcement, Fire/Rescue, and Medical Emergency Services for more than a decade. These positions have included jobs with private corporations, as well as, local, state, and federal governments. Brian is currently employed in Washington, D.C. with one of the countries leading federal law enforcement agencies. Brian specializes in personal protection and venue security. He has a passion for the topic of Church Safety and Security and is working hard to make a difference for churches and pastors across the country. Brian is a member of Sovereign Grace Ministries and has directed security for multiple national conferences to include “Together for the Gospel” and “NEXT” (formally New Attitude). You can view his blog at . www.securityatchurch.com The above article was published in the weekly addition of  "The Sword and the Shield" which is a newsletter from the Institute for Church Safety and Risk Management, LLC. Click on the link to find out more about this great organization.