I – Prepare

Always Carry. Always Alert.

Responsibly and lawfully concealed carrying a firearm all the time, every day, for enhanced protection provides the ability to effectively and instantly defend against deadly threats.

[ Read the SemperVerus article, 12 Reasons to Responsibly Carry a Defensive Gun Every Day ]

The crucial matter, whether in personal self-defense or as a volunteer on a church security team, is to be constantly training and constantly ready. Just as the Israelites were in the Bible’s Old Testament, armed and ever watchful for enemy attacks while they rebuilt Jerusalem’s city walls:

Review of TEKTO’s F1 Alpha EOTECH Edition Tactical Knife

The University of Michigan created Environmental Research Institute of Michigan (ERIM) in 1972 as a stand-alone non-profit organization with roots in military and environmental research, contributing to the development of remote sensing, radar, and holography applications. ERIM’s subsidiary, EOTECH, was established in 1995 to apply holographic technology to small firearms sights.

While it produces holographic and hybrid sights, magnifiers, rifle scopes, pistol sights, sensors, and cameras, EOTECH’s mission also includes other high-performance weapon accessories. It has now partnered with TEKTO, a recognized force in the tactical knife field, designing “purpose-built knives for life’s most demanding missions.”

[ Read the SemperVerus article, Checklist: Categories and Their Items for Every Day Carry (EDC) ]

This collaboration merges EOTECH’s heritage of precision optics with TEKTO’s expertise in tactical blade engineering, resulting in a tough yet refined tactical blade well designed for EDC.

[ Read the SemperVerus article, Significant Six EDC for Self-Defense in Terrorist Times ]

SemperVerus received a complimentary copy of the F1 Alpha EOTECH Edition for review purposes. This lightweight, limited-edition tactical folding knife, with an open length of 7.78 inches, combines the reputations of TEKTO’s craftsmanship with EOTECH’s precision.

Preparation Warnings from Former CIA Analyst, Sarah Adams

Sarah Adams is an award-winning CIA targeting officer and global threat advisor with extensive domestic and international experience. Ms. Adams held positions in the government and non-profit sectors and has worked overseas on behalf of the US government’s intelligence mission in Europe, the Middle East, North Africa, and South Asia. She is the co-author of Benghazi: Know Thy Enemy.

[ Read the SemperVerus article, 2025 Annual Threat Assessment of the US Intelligence Community ]

Her frequent posts on X concern current events and offer insightful observations on the terrorism threat landscape worldwide. She posted the following caution and preparation warning on X Oct 13, 2025, the day President Trump declared the war in Gaza was over and the terrorist cabal Hamas finally freed the last living 20 Israeli hostages:

A List of Active Killer Incidents at Houses of Worship and Religious Schools

Some people in leadership at churches still question why it’s necessary to have an armed and trained church security/safety team as part of their dedicated ministry efforts.

[ Read the SemperVerus article, Active Killer Advice Compendium ]

The following list should be reason enough:

[ Bookmark the SemperVerus CHURCH SECURITY INTELLIGENCE CLIPBOARD ]

•  Clarke County, Alabama, Oct. 27, 2025
The FBI and local law enforcement arrested a 33-year-old man with a suitcase full of ammunition and body armor, stopping a credible plan to attack multiple Jewish synagogues across Alabama and surrounding states.

[ Read the SemperVerus article, Analyzing Active Threat Response Models: A Comparative Study ]

•  Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle, Washington, DC, Oct. 5, 2025
A 41-year-old New Jersey man—found to have 200 explosive devices in his possession—was arrested and charged with unlawful entry, threats to kidnap or injure a person, and possession of a Molotov cocktail outside this Catholic church ahead of the high-profile annual Red Mass meant to mark the start of the Supreme Court term. No justice attended this year’s event.

[ Read the SemperVerus article, The Swiss Guard: Early Church Security Team ]

•  Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue, Manchester, UK, Oct. 1, 2025 (Yom Kippur)
A man, wearing a vest that looked like an “explosive device,” used his car and knife in an attack outside a synagogue on the holiest day in the Jewish calendar, killing two people and injuring four others. The attacker was prevented from entering the synagogue by worshippers, security staff, and police.

[ Read the SemperVerus article, Criminals and Terrorists Overwhelmingly Select Gun-Free Zones For Mass Attacks in Public Spaces ]

•  Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Grand Blanc Township, Michigan, Sept. 28, 2025
A 40-year-old man (US Marine Corps veteran) rammed his truck into the meetinghouse and began shooting. He then set the building ablaze before he was killed in a shootout with police. Four people died and eight others were injured. The congregation did not have a dedicated security team. (Also see Wikipedia’s List of Attacks Against Latter-Day Saint Churches.)