II – Aware – Page 3

Church Security Training: Decision Decks Help You Think Through a Crisis Before It Happens

Here’s a simple way to prepare your mindset for the unexpected!

[ Read the SemperVerus article, A Prayer for Church Security Team Members ]

Whether personal self-defense or serving on your church security team, anticipating potential threats is a crucial skill we must hone as rigorously as we sharpen our defensive shooting accuracy in the time we spend at the range.

[ Read the SemperVerus article, Chart: The Spectrum of Potential Threat Personas in Self-Defense and Church Security ]

One way to accomplish this is with Decision Decks, five packs of cards—60 scenario cards per pack—to enhance situational awareness problem solving and decision making abilities, created by Simon Osamoh, founder and president of Kingswood Security Consulting and the Worship Security Academy, and former head of counter-terrorism at Mall of America, Minnesota, where he oversaw the internationally-recognized behavior threat assessment team.

You already know about the benefits of dry-fire training in the comfort of your home; in the same manner, Decision Decks are pre-crisis mental workouts you can contemplate anywhere to sharpen your readiness.

Chart: The Spectrum of Potential Threat Personas in Self-Defense and Church Security

[ Read articles in the SemperVerus category of Church Security ]

Among the ways of being prepared for unexpected self-defense or church security situations is to intentionally engage your mind to think about possible dangerous scenarios you could encounter and the ways in which you’d respond to them.

[ Read articles in the SemperVerus category of Situational Awareness ]

To help you conduct these mental exercises in a “gaming” fashion, SemperVerus has created the chart below listing at least 36 character personas that could be motivating factors in threatening crises. They represent the spectrum from seemingly minor incidents to major violent acts perpetrated by either males or females: from a “lone wolf” (a single bad actor) to a “wolf pack” (a gang with malevolent intentions); from rational to irrational behavior; from opportunistic to premeditated; from vandalism to synchronized active killers.

[ Read the SemperVerus article, Gentle Response De-Escalation Training for Church Security Teams ]

[ Read the SemperVerus article, Components of a Strong Mindset for the Legally Armed Citizen ]

Regularly think through each persona and plan for your own actions in meeting them head-on. For example, what would be your first move if a lone and crazed person accosted you on the street? What would you do if, during your volunteer shift on church security, a coordinated attack of active killers (high on the synthetic stimulant Captagon like these terrorists) simultaneously entered your church through two wings of the building? Plan now to be prepared!

[ Read the SemperVerus article, Concealed Carry Daily Prayer ]

Situational Awareness: 14 Ways to Walk Like You Drive

How to Improve Your Situational Awareness.

You’ve heard the admonition to “Drive Defensively.” It means to always be ready for the possibility of encountering any dangerous occurrence while driving your vehicle. Be prepared. Think ahead. Anticipate hazards.

[ Read the SemperVerus article, Self-Defense Tactical Driving Tips ]

The scene doesn’t even have to be treacherous. For example, when you’re about to turn a street corner, it merely involves thinking through several sets in succession in what should be an automatic reflex:

Most of your braking should be done in a straight line, before the corner.
Trail off the brake smoothly as you turn in and enter the corner.
Look through the corner for the exit.
Apply throttle as you straighten the wheel back out at the exit.
Choose your speed and driving lines based on the next corner, not just the one you’re in.*

Take the lessons you’ve learned in defensive driving and apply them as situational awareness techniques to your walking environment. Blogger Chris Bird says, “The goal is to be able to use your awareness to detect, assess, avoid, evade, counter, and prevail in the encounter.” These precautions may seem overwhelming at first in your everyday life, but remember, they’ve become second-nature to you when driving and they can be the same when walking.

[ Read SemperVerus articles on the subject of Situational Awareness ]

Prepare and Know Your Route

Just as you type your destination into an online map to determine your most efficient trip from point A to point B, think through the avenues, streets, sidewalks, and paths, as well as time of day and other factors before you set out walking to avoid sketchy parts of town and to have the confidence of knowing where you’re going and how to get there.

Self-Awareness Is Part of Situational Awareness

Whenever we get the chance, we remind you that the name SemperVerus is Latin for Stay True and its foundation is the Bible verse 1 Timothy 4:16 (NLT) — “Keep a close watch on how you live and on your teaching. Stay true to what is right for the sake of your own salvation and the salvation of those who hear you.”

[ Read SemperVerus articles on the subject of Situational Awareness ]

In his article, Leadership and Self-Awareness…, Dr. James Scott, Jr., says, “Sin is humanity’s great problem, but a wholesale lack of self-awareness…is a leading contributor to the problems and troubles we create for ourselves. We hurtle through life more unconscious of our own selves, and the lives of others, than sharply aware and purposely alert.”

By semperverus
Posted on 08/15/202308/15/2023