Security Training for Seminaries and Colleges

According to Wikipedia there are over 180 evangelical seminaries and theological colleges in the United States. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_evangelical_seminaries_and_theological_colleges) A recent report from Catholic Culture reports that “the number of {Catholic} seminarians in the United States has risen to 3,608--the highest number since the early 1990s--with some seminaries experiencing their highest enrollment in decades”.(http://www.catholicculture.org/news/headlines/index.cfm?storyid=12506)

I have included the above statistics to illustrate that higher education in American related to churches and religious institutions is a booming business. Most churches in America require religious leaders to not only have a bachelor’s degree, but to complete a graduate level seminary program. After conducting research from multiple seminaries I have yet to find one school to offer a dedicated course in safety and security for churches. I encourage you to email me if I am wrong and you know of a seminary that does offer this as a requirement for their program.

In today’s society you cannot read the news without seeing stories everyday regarding churches that are facing trails related to safety and security. These issues range from sex abuse, theft, murder, deceit, coercion, fires, burglary, rape, laundering, computer crime, and more... Many times when a church experiences one of these trials it can lead to the collapse of the institution. Not to mention the lives that have been hurt from the experiences.

I ask the question, “Why do more seminaries not take this topic seriously and address it as important?"

I was recently interviewed by the Columbus Dispatch and I was asked the question, “What do I think the biggest challenge to churches is in getting them to see the need for security?” My answer was “Education at the seminary level! It all starts there!”

If you are reading this from a college, university or seminary and are interested in putting together a curriculum for your school, send me an email and lets talk about how we can make that happen. brian@securityatchurch.com

ePanic Button Information

Faith-based institutions are sanctuaries and places of worship with an open, welcoming environment.  However, faith institutions also encounter the same security challenges and liabilities as any other for-profit or non-profit organization.

Because places of worship are also prone to threatening, dangerous, and criminal activities, you’re obligated to protect your clergy, staff, congregation and students with a church security solution.

You need a simple, easy-to-use incident notification system for all your employees and volunteers who encounter irate, troubled or violent visitors to your facilities.

ePanic Button is a computer-based panic button system that lets anyone identify a situation early on and discreetly and rapidly summon the help and support they need.  You customize your alerts according to levels of urgency – whether you just need other staff to come to your desk for back-up support, or you need someone to call 911.

Situational Uses

• Front desk or lobby
• Counseling offices
• Assistance centers and areas
• Administrative offices
• School offices and classrooms

ePanic Button Incident Notification System

ePanic Button is a completely customizable incident notification system with two components -  a web-based administrative site hosted by ePanic Button, and a small client installed on workstations.  The program is easily downloaded from the web-based administrative site and quickly installed onto your workstations within minutes.

Desktop alerts are sent and received on workstations in your local area network.  Email and text messages are sent on your outgoing SMTP server.  With just one click of a mouse, keystroke, or tap of a foot pedal, front line workers rapidly and discreetly send any combination of desktop alerts, email and text messages to any combination of receivers you specify.

You create your buttons, alert messages, and receiver groups on the web-based administrative site.  ePanic Button lets you customize your alert messages according to levels of urgency, department, location, role – whatever you require.  The web-based administrative site does not send and receive alert messages.

Small Client Installed on Workstations

• Sends any combination of customized desktop alerts, email and text messages to any combination of receivers you require
• Sends and receives desktop alerts peer-to-peer over you local network.  Pop up alerts appear over any open program and flash with an optional audible alarm whenever an alert message arrives
• Sends email and text messages through your outgoing SMTP server.  They can be sent to anyone, including employees and contacts who do not have ePanic Button software installed on their workstations.
• Respond feature enables receivers to confirm receipt of pop up alerts by clicking a button that stops the flashing and audible alarm and dispatches a signal to the sender, letting them know their message was seen and help is on the way
• Reporting feature lets you add notes to incidents and import them to a text file
• Quick installation using an ePanic .msi file
• Optional foot pedal enables users to send an alert with no visible hand motion

Web-based Administrative Site

• Hosted by ePanic Button
• Cloud-based control center where you manage your users, easily configure buttons, messages, and receiver groups, and update your system profiles
• Even if the connection to our server is down, alert messages are still sent and received on your network

For more information or for a free trial email me at epanic@securityatchurch.com