Are you ready for when the unthinkable happens?

Let our team of instructors work with you to make sure you are prepared to defend the church.  Our instructors are certified professional Firearms Instructors with Law Enforcement experience.  We have worked in church security and private security details.  We have protected high profile Christian pastors and theologians as well as done protection for local churches.

We have developed our programs based upon the industry best practices, as well as top tier training from government agencies, and can develop a program custom tailored to your church.  We offer everything from presentations to force-on-force scenarios to refine team members’ capabilities under stress.

We don’t only teach use of a firearm.  Sometimes it is the right tool of choice and sometimes it isn’t.  Many times other options are available such as verbal de-escalation, hands-on tactics, and other options.  We teach the complete spectrum of skills needed to deal with potentially violent situations through understanding the appropriate use of force necessary to deal with any and all issues.

Reach out to us and we will be happy to setup an appointment where we can discuss all of the available options for training your team.

Whether you already have a team or want to build a team, we will work with you to ensure you make the best choices possible and limit your church’s liability exposure.

Let us work with your team to help them learn how to identify threats, detect hidden weapons, how to de-escalate emotional situations before they become huge issues.

If you have a security team, they need to be fully vetted and achieve and maintain qualifications on Use of Force, Firearms, Defensive Tactics, and more.

We don’t just do PowerPoint. In fact, we prefer lots of hands-on. With our programs, we run realistic scenarios utilizing force-on-force training under stress.

Our training goes beyond just taking out the threat. We also teach tactical medicine, casualty evacuation, care under fire, patient evaluation, and more with scenarios.

For a team to function at maximum effectiveness, continuing education is a must. Skills are perishable and must be refreshed often for one to stay sharp.

Biblical Foundation for Training

Psalm 144:1

Praise be to the LORD my Rock, who trains my hands for war, my fingers for battle.

Ezekiel 33:1-6

33 The word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, speak to your people and say to them, If I bring the sword upon a land, and the people of the land take a man from among them, and make him their watchman, and if he sees the sword coming upon the land and blows the trumpet and warns the people, then if anyone who hears the sound of the trumpet does not take warning, and the sword comes and takes him away, his blood shall be upon his own head. He heard the sound of the trumpet and did not take warning; his blood shall be upon himself. But if he had taken warning, he would have saved his life. But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet, so that the people are not warned, and the sword comes and takes any one of them, that person is taken away in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at the watchman’s hand.

Luke 22:36

36 He said to them, “But now let the one who has a moneybag take it, and likewise a knapsack. And let the one who has no sword sell his cloak and buy one.

Luke 11:21

21 When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace, his goods are safe;

Training Programs

Training is performed by Christian instructors with law Enforcement experience who have been trained by private and government agencies in Active Shooter Response & Counter Terrorism.  This is not just a Power Point presentation with coffee and donuts.  We do hands-on realistic scenarios utilizing Force-on-Force and Force-on-Target training to ensure you know how to respond to active threats and provide medical care for victims.

 

Building a Church Security Team

This program focuses on the steps you need to take to begin building a more official safety or security team.  Which is best for you a Safety Team or a Security Team?  We will answer that question in this program and guide you on the steps needed to document, staff, train, and manage your team.

 

Civilian (Unarmed) Response to Active Shooter Events

This is a presentation that we do for church congregations on what to do during an active shooter event.  It is typically a 1.5 to 2 hour Power Point presentation.  It features moving testimonials from people involved in real Active Shooter events in churches and other houses of worship.  It goes beyond the commonly taught Run/Hide/Fight methods and builds confidence in your team’s abilities to defend the church from all threats.

 

Active Shooter Armed Response Level 1

This course builds on basic firearms skills and drills, combative mindset, engaging a threat safely in a crowded area, basic application of a Tourniquet, dealing with threats in the sanctuary, hallways, classrooms, etc., and introduces team members to a number of active shooter scenarios utilizing force-on-force training to reinforce the drills and methods taught.  It is typically 8 hours of training which can be done in one day (usually on a Saturday) or can be broken into two days of 4 hours each.  The focus is on learning techniques for a single responder.

 

Active Shooter Armed Response Level 2

This course builds upon the skills taught in Level 1 and begins to introduce team response.  Your team will learn to work together to neutralize the threat and treat any injured parties.  Students will learn to deal with threats who are utilizing both rifles and handguns.  Also, you learn basic response to explosive devices.  Like Level 1, it is an 8 hour block of training that utilizes several realistic scenarios.

 

Active Shooter Armed Response Level 3

This course brings together the skills from both Level 1 & 2.  The threats are more difficult and the scenarios are larger scale.  By this point, teams have received significant medical training in addition to tactics and thus the course integrates the two more closely than before.  The scenarios run full-length with simulated Law Enforcement response.  It too is an 8 hour block of training.

 

Basic Tactical Medicine

This course extends beyond the commonly taught Stop the Bleed Courses.  This course integrates the skills of bleeding control via Tourniquet applications (C-A-T Tourniquets, SWAT-T Tourniquets, SOFTT Tourniquets, and improvised tourniquets), Wound Packing (utilizing both hemostatic and non-hemostatic packing materials as well as improvised techniques), Airway Management (Basic methods and NPA application), Respiration Management via Chest Seals, Circulation & Shock Management, and Hypothermia Management.  We also cover rapid patient assessment, patient evacuation, and more.  This is an 8 hour block of instruction.

 

Defense Tactics for Church Security

For those situations when the use of force does not merit an armed response, we cover the skills necessary to go hands-on with minimal risk of injury.  You will learn to physically restrain and escort or control resistant subjects.  Team Members will learn techniques for defending attacks such as chokes, grabs, pushes, punches, weapons attacks, etc.  Training will involve skills for striking and grappling.  You will also learn to defend knife and gun attacks when there is no time to transition to a firearm as well as how best to transition to/from firearms as appropriate.  It is an intensive training program.

 

Threat Identification & De-escalation Skills

Learn to identify subjects who are carrying a weapon and how to deal with them.  Identify those who are exhibiting signs of Mental Illness and how to de-escalate threatening situations appropriately.  One of our instructors regularly does training for a Crisis Negotiation Team (Hostage Negotiators).  This block of training involves Power Point presentations and role playing.  This is typically a 2 to 4 hour program.

 

Security Risk Assessment

Our team will conduct a thorough security risk assessment for your facility.  We do a walk-through of your facility and look for areas where security could be improved, discuss your processes and procedures, and so on.  At the end of the assessment, we deliver a report on our findings and suggestions and then work with you to prioritize and implement those improvements which will make the biggest impact into securing your church.

 

Live Fire Handgun Training

We provide handgun training courses to ensure that team members are able to shoot with proficiency.  These course includes basic firearms skills testing and instruction.  At the end of the training, participants will need to shoot passing scores to receive a certificate of training.

 

Custom Training

As always, we are more than happy to develop custom training options and even customize the above courses to best meet your needs.  Our trainers have extensive experience and are more than happy to ensure you get REAL value from the training we deliver.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

Is training really necessary?  Isn’t having a Handgun Permit enough?

Our training goes well beyond the skills required to obtain a handgun carry permit.  We go through extensive training to make sure our students understand how to respond to an active threat.  Doing so in a manner safe to the rest of the congregation is a formidable task and requires dedicated training.

What are your instructors’ qualifications?”

Our instructors have in-depth training from Law Enforcement, government agencies, and private training experts in their respective fields.  Many of the instructors have extensive Law Enforcement backgrounds and have provided or are providing security in their respective churches.

Can we do the training at our church?

Yes, with the exception of live fire, which must be done at a qualified range.  The classroom training and drills are best performed in your church where we tailor the training towards your environment.  Of course, we also make sure we cover the skills that can be applied anywhere as well.

Can I invite others from a different church(es)?

Absolutely!  Some churches are unable to host training at their facilities, or individuals want to be trained independently.  In such cases, we encourage them to attend training anywhere they are able.

When do you offer training?

We work with your church to determine the best date/times that work best for you and fit with our schedule.  Some churches prefer to cover a course in one day in an 8 hour block, while others prefer to split it up into two or more 4 hour blocks.  We will do our best to accommodate your needs and schedule as best we can.

Does the church need to provide any equipment?

No.  We provide all of the training materials.  If you have multi-media capabilities, we will use them; if not, we provide that as well.  All training equipment and supplies is provided by us to keep your costs down.

Is the training safe?

Of course.  We do everything to make training as safe as possible.  Of course, the possibility always exists for minor injuries during force-on-force training, but we have an impeccable record of no injuries.

Can we do the training discreetly?

Absolutely!  Some churches prefer for others to know they have a trained team, similar to placing a placard on your window showing you have a security system.  Other churches prefer to be discreet and do not want others to know they have been trained.  That is totally up to you.

Do you have training for unarmed safety teams?

Sure!  We would be happy to discuss options for you.  Not every response requires a firearm, in fact, most do not.  We have defensive tactics training and use of force training for just such situations.

What if I am not officially on a security team? Can I still train?

Absolutely!  We do not require that you be on a team.  The only requirement is that you be able to pass a background check to ensure you have no criminal background which would prohibit you from receiving our training.

What if I have no experience?

That is completely fine.  In fact, it often can be a positive thing because you don’t have anything to “unlearn.”  We work with individuals of all skill levels.  The vast majority who take our training do not have experience in the tactics we teach.

Do I need a gun to take the training?

No.  We provide training weapons specifically designed for the sort of training we do.  The only time you would need a live firearm is for the live fire training and qualifications training.  This is because we want to be sure you understand the gun you intend to use and can handle it appropriately.

What do I need to wear for the class?

Comfortable clothing such as battle dress uniforms (BDUs), cargo pants, sweat pants, or even jeans are best.  For force-on-force training, you will want to wear a long sleeve shirt or hoodie and gloves.  The main thing is to wear something comfortable but not revealing as we will be moving around a lot, getting on the floor, etc.

I have trained with you before. Can I attend the class again?

We think that is a great idea!  We continually update our training programs and often add new material.  Because there is so much to learn, we encourage re-taking the class so you get more retention of the material.

How much does it cost?

As Christians, we strive to make our training as affordable as possible.  Based upon the size of the class, how far we have to travel, what supplies we need, etc., we adjust pricing to fit the training request.  As such it is difficult to give a fixed price.  If you are fairly close to the Greeneville, Tennessee area, you will find our pricing to be about 1/4 of the cost of similar training.  If you are interested, reach out to us using the contact form below and we will be happy to discuss options with you!