VI – Self-Defense

Church Security: Radio Communications Best Practices

Read this article to learn best practices in radio communications for church security teamsWhen multiple people act as a security team for an activity or event, such as a church service, staying informed with each other is a vital part of the defense plan.

[ Read the SemperVerus article, Interview With Christian Clark: Creator of Secure The Church App ]

Employing two-way radios with ear pieces and push-to-talk (PTT) microphones is a subtle, non-intrusive method to accomplish the goal. The Golden Rules of radio operation are

  • Clarity — speak slightly slower than normal and avoid shouting
  • Simplicity — use simplified language and shortcut phrases
  • Brevity — messages should be short and concise
  • Security — assume more people are listening than only the one to whom you’re speaking.

[ Bookmark the SemperVerus CHURCH SECURITY INTELLIGENCE CLIPBOARD ]

For effective radio communication, the following specific procedures should be followed. Identify first, by name, the recipient, then second, your name. Once they acknowledge your transmission, proceed with your conversation until it’s complete. Here’s an example:

Portable 5: “Base 23, this is Portable 5. Over”
Base 23: “Portable 5, this is Base 23. Over.”

Portable 5: “Base 23, I have returned from job 734. Are there any messages? Over.”
Base 23: “Portable 5, you have 3 messages. Over.”

Portable 5: “Base 23, I will select them at 1600. Over.”
Base 23: “Roger, Portable 5. This is Base 23. Out”

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Brief Answers for People Who Are Against the 2nd Amendment 

Massad Ayoob is an internationally recognized lethal-force expert with more than 40 years of experience as a police officer, author, and firearms and self-defense instructor to law enforcement officers and private citizens. He says the defensive use of a firearm is a direct analog to the use of a fire extinguisher.

In the mid-20th century, fire extinguishers were not prevalent in private homes. Today, fire extinguishers in homes are as common as smoke detectors in homes; fire extinguishers are also even in cars as a precaution. What happened to cause this change?

The public finally became aware of how a fire extinguisher is an invaluable tool to instantly stop a fire emergency and save lives before the fire trucks expend multiple minutes just to arrive on the scene, let alone begin extinguishing the blaze and rescuing people. Similarly the defensive firearm is an emergency safety rescue tool for the citizen who is on site to responsibly use when a deadly danger breaks out. The sooner the individual can stop the threat, the more innocent lives can be saved.

[ Read the SemperVerus article, Worldviews and Emotional Assumptions in the Gun Civil Rights Debate ]

In the following video (with time stamps below), Mr. Ayoob offers soundbite answers to frequent broad stroke statements against the 2nd Amendment:

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How Safe Is Stored Ammunition When Exposed to Fire?

Ever wonder if the sporting ammunition of cartridges (up to .50 caliber) and shot shells (up to 8 gauge) you store poses an extreme danger to you, your family, or neighbors if a fire should ever occur? Wonder no more: it doesn’t.

Rifle and handgun cartridges consist of a metal case with a primer, gunpowder, and bullet; shotgun shells typically consist of a plastic or paper tube often with a metallic covering at the base which retains a primer, and the shot charge is typically contained by a wadding inside the case.

[ Read the SemperVerus article, Learn the Basics of Ammunition with Winchester® Educational Infographics ]

In the following video by the Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers’ Institute with input by the International Association of Fire Chiefs, over 400,000 rounds of bulk packaged and unpackaged small arms ammunition were burned and crushed in a variety of scenarios to determine the ammo’s lethality in stored configurations outside of firearms. The tests involved were single cartridge impact, 65-foot drop, bullet impact, blasting cap attacks, forklift and bulldozer friction and compression, bonfire with and without packaging, and retail store and semi-trailer fire simulations.

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22 Million USA Adults Are Licensed to Concealed Carry Handguns

The number of concealed handgun permits continues to increase, according to the Concealed Carry Permit Holders Across the United States: 2022 report from the Crime Prevention Research Center. The figure now stands at 22.01 million—8.5% of the adult population and a 2.3% increase over last year. Over the last two decades, during the exponential growth in permits, a general linear decline has occurred in murder and violent crime rates.

[ Read the SemperVerus article, Concealed Carry Daily Prayer ]

Map by the Crime Prevention Research Center showing the types of concealed carry states as of August 2022

Unlike gun ownership surveys that may be affected by people’s unwillingness to answer personal questions, concealed handgun permit data is the only really “hard data” available. This increase occurred despite 24 Constitutional Carry states (AK, AR, AZ, GA, IA, ID, IN, KS, KY, ME, MO, MS, MT, ND, NH, OH, OK, SD, TN, TX, UT, VT, WV, WY) that no longer provide data on the legal carrying of a concealed handgun because people in those states no longer need a permit to carry. A 25th state, Alabama, has also adopted Constitutional Carry, but its law doesn’t go into effect until January 1, 2023.

[ Read the SemperVerus article, 8.3% of USA Adults Are Licensed to Concealed Carry Handguns ]

These numbers are particularly topical given that the US Supreme Court in June 2022 struck down New York’s “May-Issue” Concealed Handgun Law, affirming a constitutional right to bear arms. The decision will have a major impact on concealed carry laws in the 7 states that had “May-Issue” type rules.

[ Read the SemperVerus article, Important Judicial Decisions Regarding Self-Defense Law ]

Among the findings of the report:

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