1st Edition
Safety and Security for Churches and Other Places of Worship
Safety and Security for Churches and Other Places of Worship is a reference book focused on how to form a first responder team for churches, synagogues, temples, and other places of worship. It will assist team leaders on how to train for both security and medical emergencies, provide training aids and ideas, and how to write SOPs and legal issues.
Trending violence directed at soft targets is growing, forcing places of worship to respond with highly trained personnel to quickly intervene. Many medical incidents can have drastically better outcomes if trained medical personnel render immediate medical care. For instance, the use of an AED in conjunction with CPR can drastically improve survival rates from 15% to 85%, versus just CPR alone.
Topics covered include:
- Environmental disasters
- Acts of violence
- Active shooter incidents
- Bomb threats
- Unruly/disruptive persons
- Suspect control
- Sexual abuse
- Realistic training using fake wounds
- Tabletop exercises
- Team building
- Medical emergencies
An equipment chapter helps to determine what equipment is a priority for teams limited by budget. Some equipment can mean the difference between a "friend" being mistaken for an aggressor, resulting in an innocent person being injured or killed.
Safety and Security for Churches and Other Places of Worship is a must-have reference for anyone charged with the duty to protect those who attend and work at places of worship.
1. Introduction 2. Legal Issues 3. Team Building 4. Team Equipment 5. Medical Emergencies 6. Active Shooter 7. Training Aids 8. Aggresive Behavior/ Defusing Conflict 9. Prevention 10. Environmental Disasters 11. Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) 12. Team Record Keeping
Biography
Kevin L. Erskine graduated from Hocking College with a degree in Natural Resources Law Enforcement. He began his career with Cleveland Lakefront State Park Police in 1986. He is an OPOTA-certified Master Criminal Investigator and is the co-author of both first and second editions of Water Related Death Investigation: Practical Methods and Forensic Applications. He assists other agencies in water death investigations and reviews cases for individuals who have lost a loved one in water deaths. He is currently the FRT team coordinator for Hope Christian Church in Avon, Ohio.
Joy A. Volpi’s career encompasses geosciences, education, nursing, and regulatory compliance. She earned an MS in Geology from Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, Ohio in 1990 and worked as an environmental consultant. In 2003, she earned a PhD in Geography at Kent State University in Kent, Ohio and taught physical geography and environmental management. She also taught first aid and CPR to boy scouts. In 2014, Joy earned a BS in Nursing from Baldwin Wallace University in Berea, Ohio and became a registered nurse in Ohio. She then moved into regulatory compliance for clinical trials. Currently, Joy works in regulatory compliance at the Veterans Administration Northeast Ohio Healthcare System.
