SUMMER 2020 Why did you choose to serve Shiloh? Actually, I believe God provided a position for me at Shiloh. I heard that the former security officer was leaving the school after 14 years and that a position would be available. Because my son has been a student at Shiloh since he was four years old (now in 6th grade), and I had helped coach him in football the last three years, I already knew I loved being around the students and the school. With my management background and my military back ground, it seemed like becoming Security Director was the perfect match. I love the Christian atmosphere, helping the kids, and serving the church. God gave me a protective spirit and the gifts to do this job. I truly believe God led me to Shiloh. What training/qualifications do you have? As Security Director, I have gone through Arkansas State training as a CSSO or Commissioned School Security Officer, which includes firearm qualification (same as State Police), tactical first aid training, all legal classes required for CSSO, as well as ALERT training which simulates an active shooter and responses. I have also completed course work through Criminal Justice Institute of Arkansas in School Site Safety Assessment, Active Shooter Threat Assessment and School Leakage, Active Killer Response, Identifying and Preventing Bullying, Autism Spectrum Disorder and Law Enforcement Response, and School Safety Reviews. I have also taken personal tactical rifle and handgun classes. What is the primary role of a Security Officer? As Security Director for Shiloh, my primary role is to make sure all of our students and faculty have a safe place to learn and work. I am considered a “hard target” while I am here, meaning if anyone wants to cause harm, I am who they will run into. I also work hard to build relationships with all of the students and faculty so I can recognize a problem before it ever gets out of hand, and can help those who need it in an appropriate manner. I assess the building frequently to see where we can make changes to make sure our school and church are as safe as possible. I also work with our local law enforcement to build relationships and make sure they have current/accurate information about our campus in case there is an emergency. I greet students every morning and I walk throughout the campus every day to make sure I am seen and readily available to everyone. SHILOH SECURITY 29 What changes/improvements have you made concerning the safety of our students/staff? The first thing I completed was a full threat assessment, and I evaluated past threat assessments on our property. Next, we introduced the RAVE Panic button group and provided access to this life-saving program for all of our teachers at Shiloh and for the staff of Cross Church. This program gives us the ability to contact 911 and our local police department (PD), fire department (FD), and emergency medical services (EMS) quickly and efficiently in the event of an active shooter, a medical emergency, or a fire/natural disaster. When this program is activated, our local police department, fire department, and EMS have automatic GPS locations and maps of Shiloh and Cross Church, so they know exactly where the emergency is occurring. We are also adding security cameras and signs to all of our parking lots. This will inform people that we are watching the school, the fields, and all of the areas around Shiloh. We are hosting an NRA School Shield event in the future that will include 15-20 local SRO’s (School Resource Officers) and trainers for a week. They will conduct a deep threat assessment on all areas of the school grounds, including student drop-off of zones, lighting, door access, etc. This will also provide opportunities for our school to receive grants from the NRA to enhance security for our school.
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