Sheepdog Church Security

Safety Team Fundamentals Module

Begin your journey as a vital member of your house of worship's Safety Team. This course equips you with foundational knowledge and essential skills to effectively protect and serve your religious community.

Key Learning Outcomes:

1. Understand why Safety Teams are essential in churches.
2. Learn effective patrol techniques and inspection practices.
3. Master the duties and responsibilities specific to church safety.
4. Discover best practices for responding to security breaches.
5. Gain skills in securing financial contributions and effective communication using two-way radios.

Violent Intruders in Houses of Worship Module

This course prepares Safety Team members to effectively respond to violent threats in religious settings, balancing the need for security with respect for the sacred nature of worship spaces. You will gain vital skills to protect your community through proactive and coordinated responses.

Key Learning Outcomes:

1. Understand how proactive intervention can help prevent potential threats.
2. Learn procedures for risk reporting, confidentiality, and follow-up.
3. Collaborate with local law enforcement for a unified response.
4. Master the Standard Response Protocol and adapt it to various threats.
5. Teach the Run, Hide, Fight protocol to ensure congregation preparedness.

Deescalating Disruptive Persons Module

Protecting Children from Abuse

This module equips Safety Team members with essential skills and knowledge to protect vulnerable individuals within the church community, including children, elders, spouses facing abuse, disabled persons, and victims of sex trafficking.

Key Learning Outcomes:

1. Recognize Signs of Abuse - Identify physical, behavioral, and emotional indicators of abuse specific to different vulnerable groups.
2. Understand Intervention Protocols - Learn step-by-step responses for intervening safely and appropriately with each group.
3. Identify Grooming and Manipulative Behaviors - Spot warning signs from individuals in positions of power within the church.
4. Implement Safety and Reporting Procedures - Understand legal and ethical obligations, including mandatory reporting and documentation.
5. Create a Supportive Environment - Establish policies and safe practices to protect vulnerable individuals within the church.

Use of Force Laws Module

This module equips church safety team members with a responsible approach to using force, prioritizing de-escalation and the protection of life over property or control. It emphasizes the importance of restraint, legal awareness, and Biblical principles of compassion.

Key Learning Points:

1. Understanding the Role of Force: Recognize that force should only be used as a last resort, focusing on de-escalation and non-violent solutions whenever possible.
2. Biblical and Legal Foundations: Learn about the ethical and legal considerations surrounding the use of force, including the Use of Force Continuum and when force is justified to protect life.
3. De-escalation Techniques: Practice situational awareness, verbal commands, and non-verbal cues to defuse conflicts without physical intervention.
4. Practical Guidelines and Control Techniques: Get trained on safe, non-lethal control methods, including the use of less-lethal tools like pepper spray and unarmed control tactics.
5. Handling High-Risk Scenarios: Work through real-life case studies to prepare for scenarios like confronting an armed individual or handling a disruptive, aggressive person.

Arson and Fire Safety Module

This module provides essential knowledge on arson and fire safety practices, equipping church safety team members to reduce fire risks and handle emergencies effectively.

Key Learning Points:

1. Understanding Arson and Its Risks: Learn what arson is, why churches may be targeted, and strategies to make the church less vulnerable to intentional fires.
2. Fire Safety Awareness: Identify fire hazards commonly found on church property and how to mitigate them.
3. Creating a Fire Response Plan: Develop an effective fire response plan tailored for church settings, ensuring a safe and organized evacuation.
4. Fire Safety Inspections and Drills: Conduct thorough fire safety inspections and plan regular fire drills to keep church members prepared and aware.
5. Education on Fire Safety: Learn techniques to educate church staff and members on fire prevention, safety procedures, and emergency responses.

Storms and Disasters Module

This module equips church safety team members to prepare for and respond effectively to severe weather events, natural disasters, and man-made hazards, ensuring church members' safety during emergencies.

Key Learning Points:

1. Recognizing Safety Issues in Severe Weather: Understand the risks posed by storms, tornadoes, and other natural disasters that may affect church operations.
2. Developing Response Plans: Learn how to create actionable response plans for different types of environmental hazards, including sheltering in place and evacuation protocols.
3. Implementing Safety Procedures: Gain skills in monitoring weather conditions and guiding church members in safety measures until authorities give the “all clear.”
4. Preparing for Prolonged Emergencies: Plan for extended sheltering during events like severe winter storms, ensuring readiness for long-duration emergencies.
5. Understanding Responses to Man-Made Hazards: Learn appropriate actions for chemical spills and contagious disease outbreaks that may impact church activities.

Mass Trauma Emergency Module

This module prepares church safety team members to respond to mass trauma incidents, teaching them essential, life-saving skills to manage casualties until professional help arrives.

Key Learning Points:

1. Providing Immediate Life-Saving Care: Learn to stabilize trauma victims in high-threat situations, applying essential first aid skills to keep individuals alive.
2. Applying a Tourniquet: Master the use of tourniquets for severe bleeding control on both victims and oneself in emergencies.
3. Setting Up a Triage System: Understand how to prioritize care when faced with multiple casualties, enabling efficient and effective response during mass trauma events.
4. The 3 B’s of Buddy Care: Focus on critical needs—Bleeding Control, Breathing, and Body Heat—to manage trauma effectively.
5. Principles of Self-Care and Buddy Care: Gain skills in providing care to others and yourself in urgent, life-threatening scenarios, ensuring sustained support until help arrives.