Volunteering for church security

[Ghost Magnum]

I'm stepped up yesterday and volunteered for my church security/emergency team yesterday. The team leader saw my security license and likes the fact I'm experienced in security.
I didn't tell him just how experienced in firearms or anything. I'm just going to take in any training they give me and do whatever I'm told. I'm looking forward for it!

 

[KalamazooKid]

Good for you, way to step up!

 

[llowry61]

Good for you stepping up. It is a shame though that churches need security, but better safe than sorry.

 

[StrawHat]

What kind of insurance coverage do they provide to the security team?

Kevin

 

[robvious]

That is great... be a great observer first... congratulations

 

[The Last Standing Knight]

What kind of insurance coverage do they provide to the security team?

Kevin

^^^^THIS! This is the main stickler in my book for such freelancing. I did such freelancing myself in the past but in these times I am VERY VERY hesitant to do so.
One misstep and you and the church can be sued into oblivion.

 

[Venom6]

Good for you for being willing to serve in this capacity. Churches are badly over-represented in mass shootings. Training and insurance are both critical.

 

[Ghost Magnum]

I'm going to use my experience as a security officer to be a good observer.
As a freelancer, the team leader recommends Texas law shield or USCCA.
That kind of responsibility and risk on my end is why I didn't go for it years ago. But I'm ready.
What good is a guardian that isn't guarding?

 

[Smoke]

I'm going to use my experience as a security officer to be a good observer.
As a freelancer, the team leader recommends Texas law shield or USCCA.
That kind of responsibility and risk on my end is why I didn't go for it years ago. But I'm ready.
What good is a guardian that isn't guarding?

You had better be ABSOLUTELY 100% CERTAIN Law Shield or USCCA will cover you if you're working as a proprietary security guard.

Will they provide legal assistance when you have to remove a trespasser from the church and they say you groped them?

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

In Ohio the liability insurance provider determines what training is required, and the church determines what actions are permissible.

I headed our church's teams for about 4 years, followed by my son for 6 years, then my best friend, and now another friend.

It has always been, door greeters are the detectors, and a gift of a beverage keeps suspicious visitors off balance. The ushers guide them to a seat, right in front of our LEO's. Panhandlers are handled similarly by the Deacons. (Never given cash but given meal gift cards. I always took travelers to a gas station and pumped the gas for them and paid for. If we were buying bus tickets, a two person team took them to the depot and bought their ticket.

For local disaster relief, we have a charge account with a local grocer we call an authorization into. Same for most goods and services.

Our church is right at an Interstate and a major State highway, so we get above average transients. We do the legwork, other local churches kick in funds too.

Terrorists are not the major threat. Custody battels and wrong parent kid snatching are NUMBER ONE! Pedophiles and kidnapping are a distant second. The shooting terrorist of any kind is way down the list! Boosting cars, purse snatching, and pick pockets are much higher.

Ivan

 

[JcMack]

50 or so years ago I "worked the door" at a couple kiddy sports bars from 9pm to 2am. It was something to do, I was friends with the owners and kids were not as big as they are today. I still have a nose that's twice the size it should be from disagreements with drunks. Never work security where they sell fire water

 

[Golddollar]

In Ohio the liability insurance provider determines what training is required, and the church determines what actions are permissible.

I headed our church's teams for about 4 years, followed by my son for 6 years, then my best friend, and now another friend.

It has always been, door greeters are the detectors, and a gift of a beverage keeps suspicious visitors off balance. The ushers guide them to a seat, right in front of our LEO's. Panhandlers are handled similarly by the Deacons. (Never given cash but given meal gift cards. I always took travelers to a gas station and pumped the gas for them and paid for. If we were buying bus tickets, a two person team took them to the depot and bought their ticket.

Our church is right at an Interstate and a major State highway, so we get above average transients. We do the legwork, other local churches kick in funds too.

Ivan[

/QUOTE]


I found myself the object of this kind of attention one time at a church in the DC suburbs of Maryland. It was a Celebration of Life for a dear friend who was a fellow .22 bullseye shooter and a fellow Cowboy Action shooter under the Single Action Shooting Society. For some Cowboy Action shooters, it's not just the matches, it's a way of life for them. We will attend each other's significant life events in costume. So it seemed entirely natural to me that I should attend his Celebration of Life wearing the outfit in this picture (minus the fire extinguisher and knives).

Now at one funeral in a more rural part of Maryland I went in costume and nobody batted an eye. But while I was in line to enter the church for this Celebration of Life all of a sudden a gentleman in a suit put his arm around my shoulder and asked if I was a Cowbody shooter. When I told him I was he was satisfied that I had business there. During the service the preacher mentioned that my friend was a Cowboy Action shooter and pointed me out for being in costume to honor him.

At the reception I got to meet my friend's wife and children for the first time. They were very happy that I came in costume to honor what he enjoyed doing in life.

 

[10Mad]

Do shotgun weddings fall under the purview of Church security?
Asking for a friend of course.

I'm not trying to be sacrilegious, just making a funny.

 

[cmj8591]

It's too bad that most of the public schools don't take security as seriously. You should speak with a lawyer about liability. Your answer may be to divest yourself of ownership of your belongings through a trust or whatever they use where you live. The problem with insurance is that if your actions are deemed to be negligent, they might not payout leaving you on the hook. When I say talk to a lawyer, I mean not the one who represents the church or the insurance company. Seek one out on your own who represents you and your interests. Coughing up 500 or a thousand bucks now could really pay off should you have a problem down the road.

 

[Smoke]

50 or so years ago I "worked the door" at a couple kiddy sports bars from 9pm to 2am. It was something to do, I was friends with the owners and kids were not as big as they are today. I still have a nose that's twice the size it should be from disagreements with drunks. Never work security where they sell fire water

Probably not a lot of Fire Water for sale at a church.

 

[Dave.357]

Good of you to offer your help.
Stay safe.
I hope you never need your training
but we have to face it , it is not 1950
any more.

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

Probably not a lot of Fire Water for sale at a church.

Maybe a little cup of communion wine.

Ivan

 

[jdlii]

Probably not a lot of Fire Water for sale at a church.

Maybe not for sale. Beware of "Whiskypalians!"

 

[Bekeart]

Maybe not for sale. Beware of "Whiskypalians!"

That's Punny.

Bekeart

 

[Tex1001]

It's too bad that most of the public schools don't take security as seriously.

One of the reasons I stopped teaching college courses was that
they found out I was an ex-LEO and I still carried. They started
insisting that I be a campus marshall.

I turned in my LEO cert in '77. Ever since, I carried a .45 to church.
Some friends found out and laughed at me. Thought I was silly.

They aren't laughing now.

ETA:
Ever since the '70s, we had a code word at church. For the kids,
it meant "GET AWAY FROM DAD AND HIDE".
Thankfully, we never had to use it.