Session on Safety in Places of Faith
Security Expert to Discuss Enhancing Safety in our Houses of Worship
(Flint, Mich.) – Following the recent tragedies in Charleston, Pittsburgh and New Zealand, now more than ever it is vital for places of worship to take control of their parishioners’ safety. This topic will be addressed by Mark James, Executive Director of Panther Protection Services, during a session titled “Providing Safe Physical Spaces in Faith Based Organizations”. The session is part of Resiliency Week 2019, a series of events and trainings led by Flint Resiliency in Communities After Stress and Trauma (Flint ReCAST).
James is traveling to Flint from Atlanta to participate in the 3rd Annual Resiliency and Environmental Justice Summit: Shine Your Light. The session will take place at 8:30 a.m. on Thursday, March 28.
Panther Protection Services, LLC is a full-service protection agency performing threat assessments, risk and crisis mitigation, protective services, self-defense training, and firearms instruction.
The purpose of the session is to inform faith leaders in leading techniques in keeping places of worship safe at a time of heightened anxiety. “Security and protection are like dressing in the winter, best done in layers” said James. “Faith leaders must take charge in securing the safety of their parishioners. The session is designed to teach churches, mosques and synagogues how to more effectively mitigate risks by enhancing their security protocols based on assessment and prioritization and not merely emotion. At a time when most security programs merely focus on risk management, which is what do we do we do at the point of crisis, our focus is risk mitigation, which is how do we get in front of the crisis.”
Mark James was invited to Flint by Pastor Greg Timmons. Pastor Timmons leads Calvary United Methodist Church. The church is located at 2111 Flushing Rd, Flint, MI 48504.
The event will take place at Flint Southwestern Academy located at 1420 W 12th St, Flint, MI 48507 on Thursday, March 28 at 8:30 a.m.
Flint ReCAST is a partnership between the City of Flint and Michigan State University College of Human Medicine, the University of Michigan-Flint, and Genesee Health System. The goal of Flint ReCAST is to support the community in building individual and community resiliency using trauma-informed approaches for local professionals who work with community members at high risk of experiencing trauma. ReCAST also provides evidence-based youth and family programs that build resiliency and communication and supports youth in building expectations for their futures and in building socioemotional capacity. The program is funded by a five-year federal grant awarded to the City of Flint by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, a branch of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Find Flint ReCAST online at FlintReCAST.com and on Facebook @FlintReCAST. Additional questions regarding the session should be directed to Kris Johns at 810-348-4437. To learn more about Panther Protection Services visit https://www.pantherprotectionservices.com/
