situational awareness – Page 8

Active Self Protection Self-Defense Checklists and Acronyms

John Correia is the founder of Active Self Protection, teaching people to develop the attitude, skills, and plan (ASP) to defend themselves and their families from harm.

[ Read the SemperVerus article, Church Security Armament Recommendations By Tom Givens, John Correia, and 6 Other Professionals ]

John is a nationally-recognized subject matter expert in private citizen defensive encounters and law enforcement use of force, a master firearms instructor, martial artist, court-admitted expert witness, teacher of teachers, and former pastor. He reviews thousands of violent incident videos as true-life self-defense teaching lessons on his Main and his Extra YouTube channels.

The following is a collection of some of the acronyms and checklists John has created to assist in remembering self-defense techniques and mindset.

• Vehicles are transitional spaces where threatening incidents can easily happen. Follow this LET’SS GO checklist IN NUMERICAL ORDER to quickly remove yourself from vulnerability:

LET’SS GO

L ock your doors as soon as you get into your car.
E ngine on.
T ransmission in gear.
S seatbelt buckled.
S can your surroundings.
G et organized.
O n your way.

6 Laws of Mindful Self-Defensive Tactics

In his article, Pre-Contact Assessments & the 10 Laws of Defensive Tactics, trainer and use-of-force expert Ron Martinelli, PhD, reminds police officers how to make sound, legal, and reasonable decisions under stress in order to preserve the lives of citizens as well as their own.

The following extracts from that article are adaptations of those tactics that are appropriate for use by civilian and church security team concealed firearm carriers.

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

• Your mouth and your mind are your two greatest weapons.
“The best fight is the one you don’t get into. Good verbal skills and sound tactics will keep you out of more critical incidents than any other defensive weapons or tactics you have.”

If you suspect, but are uncertain, someone is posing a threat to you, strip away the ambiguity of the moment by loudly telling the person to “STAY AWAY.” If he or she continues to advance, you know he or she is a threat and you can take immediate evasive or self-defensive action.

By semperverus
Posted on 04/30/202405/29/2025
1 Comment on 6 Laws of Mindful Self-Defensive Tactics

Interview with Kevin Robertson, Director of Security at Saddleback Church

SemperVerus interviewed Kevin Robertson, director of security at Saddleback Church, Lake Forest, California, and author of the books Church Security 101 and 201: Creating a Safe Worship Environment (Purpose Driven Communications, 2014 and 2019).

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

Why is it important for a church of any size to have a security team?
I believe it should be a foundational ministry. There are many ways for us—church leadership—to be good stewards. Keeping those God put under our care, as well taking care of the “tools”—items we use daily: laptops, pens, copiers, electronics—is also stewardship. I liken a security ministry at a church to one’s fire insurance policy at their home. We hope and pray it will never be needed, but if we need it, we want to have it in place.

[ Read the SemperVerus article, New Edition of Hostility Against Churches Report Shows a Doubling of Attacks ]

Why do you emphasize that a security team is a ministry of the church?
I tell people that God truly knew what he was doing: taking a former cop, turning him into a pastor and head of security at a church. This gives me the blessing of being able to see church security through both “lenses;” from a law enforcement standpoint and equally from a pastoral standpoint. Church security is a totally different thing than security on the streets. I used to interview each potential security staff or security volunteer. In the start of the meeting, I’d tell them, “I’ve got a question for you and it’s the most important one.” Afterwards, they would typically tell me they thought I was going to ask them something tactical, or are they willing to go hands on. What I asked them is, “Are you willing to pray with someone?” Now I want you to be safe, and pray with your eyes open. But this is something, off and on, God puts someone in our path and we’ll need to pray for them.

Self-Defense and Church Security: Make Scanning Your Priority

The article, Priority of Scan – An Officer Survival Necessity by Calibre Press instructor Lt. Kelly DeVoll (ret.) is written for the readership of professional police officers. But it also has much bearing for individual self-defense and church security situational awareness. Here are the major points adapted for civilian practice:

• In keeping with Col. Jeff Cooper’s observational “Color Code,” we must always avoid complacency (the color “white” in the Code) when in public; nothing should be considered mindless routine. Instead, cultivate a mindful routine. [The Color Code can also be described using adjectives: White = Complacent; Yellow = Observant; Orange = Hazard; Red = Action.]

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

• When you’re interacting with a person, that person, potentially, is “one of the most dangerous creatures on earth.” You must visualize and assess any means of attack that person could use against you. To that end, develop this priority of scan sequence and use it continuously: hands, waist, face, head-to-toe.