Part of the Job 1

From a reader:

"What is something that nobody outside your job would know is part of your job?"

This is such a good question, that it will have a 5-part answer - one for each day this week. 

First Part - From the perspective of Church Safety / Security:

Many people - particularly on social media - speak of being "sheepdogs" or the "baddest man in the room." They generally have no clue. As the best-trained man in the room, here is a snippet of how it works:

Everyone can be beaten. 

- Most just straight out - even if they were to pick the type of combat and rule set (if any). This includes 99.9% of the folks who have a carry permit and think their gun is a magic talisman. 

- A very few (1 in 100,000 or fewer) will require that I have the odds in my favor. This mean my type of fight instead of your type. Being well-trained means I train in what you do to the extent that I can survive long enough to figure out if I'm in over my head and to be able to disengage or change the circumstances to favor me. And I know this person might do this, as well. So I train in mental exercises, so as to outsmart this type of person. If you are reading this, and thinking this is you... this is NOT you. 

- A very select few will overcome me, even if odds are in my favor. I will have to create another opportunity and take advantage of it. Good news - I likely know these people, or know of them. 

Because of the above, it makes things hard. 

- The typical person rarely thinks about defending themselves, much less others. 

- The exceptional person thinks about defending friends and family. 

- When I am in a position of responsibility, everyone in the church just became my ward. 

Also understand, safety and freedom are mutually exclusive. The more of one you have, the less of the other. The trick is to have the right balance. And be prepared for the enemy's most probable course of action (PCOA). 

All of this also means I know the probabilities. I am prepared to deal with a medical emergency more so than a physical one - because it is far more likely. 

All of this done with a smile, and without you even knowing who I am or what I'm doing.