ABOUT THIS COURSE:This 8-hour course is the first in a series of courses designed for pastoral leaders and those responsible for safety and security in a church environment. This course will provide you with a comprehensive overview of the important steps in planning for a church crisis, reducing vulnerabilities, mitigating a crisis, and dealing with the aftermath of a crisis.

A historical perspective of church violence over the last decade will illustrate the importance of preparing your ministry for a risk-effective crisis response.You will learn the basics elements of site and threat assessments and how to use the results of an assessment to reduce vulnerability and implement new standards for safety and security.We will discuss strategies for improving both individual and organizational awareness and preparedness.You will also gain a basic understanding of the psychological motivations of persons in crisis and learn to recognize the characteristics of emotionally disturbed persons as well as strategies for affecting a positive outcome.

Communication during a crisis is one of the biggest challenges facing anyone responsible for coordinating a response effort. You will learn basic strategies for effective communication before, during, and after an incident.A brief overview of the police response will give you an idea of what to expect when the police respond to a crisis as well as tips for building a collaborative relationship with law enforcement.Lastly, we will discuss the role of church management in dealing with the aftermath of a crisis and the importance of a post-incident strategy.

PREREQUISITES: Although there are no specific requirements for attendance to this course, the information is intended for pastoral leaders, staff, volunteers, and church members involved in planning for the safety and security of a church environment and related activities. Those attendees most responsible for direct mitigation a church crisis are encouraged to attend our more comprehensive 5-day Church Resource Officer Training Program.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS: Students must participate in 8 hours of lecture discussion in order to receive a certificate of completion. This course is open to both religious organizations, and public safety personnel.

OVERVIEW OF TOPICS:

• Preparing for the Church Crisis
• Conducting Vulnerability & Site Assessments
• Identifying Threats
• Developing Control Measures
• Individual & Staff Awareness
• Crisis Communication
• Mitigating the Crisis
• The Police Response
• Recovery After the Crisis
• Dealing with the Media

ABOUT THE INSTRUCTORS:

Ms. Deborah L. McMahon

Ms. McMahon is a retired Special Agent of the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division. Prior to her retirement, Ms. McMahon was an Instructor assigned to Operations and Investigations Division, Advanced Law Enforcement Training, U. S. Army Military Police School, Fort Leonard Wood, MO. Ms. McMahon instructed advanced law enforcement subjects to criminal investigators who were assigned to municipal, state, and federal law enforcement agencies from throughout the world. In addition to her instructional duties, Ms. McMahon developed specialized advanced law enforcement training programs. Ms. McMahon currently trains Crisis/Hostage Negotiation for the Midwest Counterdrug Training Center, Johnston Iowa, The Institute of Police Technology and Management at the University of North Florida, Jacksonville, Florida, and for the Department of Defense. In a variety of environments, Ms. McMahon has served as a member of a crisis response team, and has negotiated numerous hostage, barricade subjects and potential suicide incidents. In addition to her practical experience, Ms. McMahon has authored Crisis Response Plans, has planned, executed and supervised major crisis response training exercises, and has published numerous professional articles on a variety of law enforcement topics, including crisis negotiations and crisis negotiation training.

Some of Ms. McMahon's technical education and training includes: numerous Crisis and Hostage Negotiations courses, Countering Terrorism, Traffic Accident Investigation, Advanced Fraud Investigation, Protective Services, Child Abuse Prevention/Investigative Techniques, numerous advanced interview courses, gang training courses, and several Drug Enforcement Administration training courses. In addition to her technical training, Ms. McMahon has also attended more than twenty-six weeks of advanced leadership development and management. Ms. McMahon has earned Bachelors of Science degrees in both Criminal Justice and Psychology.

Mr. Rex M. Scism, MS

Mr. Scism is our company's President & Executive Director. He founded the firm in 2002 and has extensive experience in a variety of public safety, military and private sector disciplines. Mr. Scism has over 22-years of police experience and currently serves as a Lieutenant with a large Midwest state police agency. He possesses a diverse background with experience in patrol, SWAT, criminal interdiction, game management, and regulatory enforcement. Mr. Scism is an adjunct faculty member of the Criminal Justice Department at Columbia College and is involved with teaching Graduate level courses related to management, organizational behavior and policy development. He has extensive experience developing and managing training curricula, which are utilized by the private sector, law enforcement and Department of Defense entities worldwide.

Mr. Scism manages the day-to-day operations of our firm, which include contract negotiations, personnel management and supervision of training programs. His diverse background and company reputation have led to several long term government contracts where training and consulting services are provided through a diverse offering of specialized programs. Mr. Scism has earned both Bachelor's & Master's Degrees in Criminal Justice. Mr. Scism resides in Columbia, Missouri with his wife of 22 years and their three children.

He began a career in teaching with the military at the United States Army Military Police School in 1995 where he was the senior instructor and Non-Commissioned Officer in Charge of the three-week Protective Services Training Course. Upon his retirement in 1999, he took a civilian instructor position with the MP School teaching the same course.Between 2002 and 2004 Mr. West stepped away from the MP School and served as the Director of Protective Operations and lead instructor for Special Tactical Services, LLC, in Virginia Beach, Virginia. While there he established a highly successful Protective Services and Evasive Driving training programs. In 2004 Mr. West was selected to his current position. During his combined 14 years as an instructor Mr. West has been directly responsible for training over 8600 students which include all branches of the U.S. military, Army Special Forces and Navy SEAL Teams, local state and federal law enforcement to include FBI, DEA, DOE, US Customs, US Marshal Service, and foreign officers.

Mr. West has written several articles for the National Tactical Officers Association Magazine, Tactical Edge on Protection and Protective Services. He is an active member of the Fraternal Order of Police, a Committee member for the National Tactical Officer Association, and VFW Lifetime Member.Mr. West resides in Lebanon, MO, with his wife, son and daughter. In his spare time he coaches basketball, track & field, and softball with the Lebanon Special Olympics.

ENROLLMENT INFORMATION: Advance registration is required and you may download enrollment forms by clicking on the "Enrollment" link. Email, fax or call in your registration.

Tuition is due prior to the training periods. For additional information about this course, or to schedule a course in your area, please contact us toll free at: 1-800-636-9107.

TUITION FEES: $125 perperson & payment is accepted via check, PO or credit card. For credit card payments, visit our "Tuition & Fees" section.

UPCOMING TRAINING LOCATIONS (unless otherwise specified, all training is scheduled from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm - click on the location for more information):  

See the KOMU TV (Columbia, Missouri) newscast of our Osage Beach course - click here!

See the KSPR TV (Springfield, Missouri) newscast of our Springfield course- click here!