By JESSICA ANDERSON
I know it’s hard to imagine that High Holidays are right around the corner - we’re still enjoying summer and have yet to crack the lid on August. However, October will be here soon, and it’s not too soon to think about organizational planning around High Holiday events and our individual roles within the communities of which we are a part. 
To help us prepare, Secure Community Network will be hosting a series of training webinars in August and September. There will be two types of webinars: safety classes and informational presentations on how organizations can better prepare for events. Over the next couple of months, I’ll highlight the courses as they become available and provide information on what the classes will cover as well as links to registration. 
The idea behind the classes is that events will be smoother, more enjoyable, and less stressful if organizations take time to plan for a wide range of considerations. Planning means knowing ahead of time how you’re going react, what your options are for dealing with something, and knowing ahead of time how to handle different scenarios and conditions. Individuals also play an important role in helping their organizations navigate issues that arise. For the first time, SCN will be conveniently offering two versions of all its safety trainings, in the morning and early evening. For individuals, taking time to be trained in some of SCN’s core safety classes means you play an informal role in safety responses by being prepared. You can step up and be a leader if there’s a medical emergency. You can step in and lead people out if there’s an evacuation. If you’re trained in any of the safety classes SCN offers, you will be a step ahead of everyone else, everywhere you go in life. 
Upcoming classes: (all times Pacific)
Tuesday, Aug. 6 at 11am  and again at 5:30 pm: The Power of Hello: Practical Skills and Considerations. Used effectively, the right words can be a powerful tool. Synagogue clergy, staff, members, and volunteers can contribute greatly to enhancing security by understanding how to identify behavioral indicators and taking precautionary actions to safely mitigate the impacts of a potential attack. Simply saying “hello” can prompt a casual conversation with a person, providing an opportunity to observe and establish a connection. Initiating a “hello” enables individuals to observe and evaluate suspicious behaviors, empowering them to lower risk and obtain help when necessary.
Wednesday, Aug. 7 at 11am and 5:30pm:  When Seconds Count: How to Stop the Bleed® to Save a Life. Severe bleeding can cause shock or death within five or 10 minutes, and the number one cause of preventable death after injury is bleeding. Training the community to know how to act quickly to stop the bleed will undoubtedly save lives in the midst of an incident. Join the Secure Community Network for a webinar to learn lifesaving bleeding control skills using the nationally recognized Stop the Bleed® curriculum, led by Jewish communal security training experts.
Thursday, Aug. 8 at 11am and 5:30 pm: Committing to Action: A Training on Situational Awareness and Countering an Active Threat. An active threat event is unpredictable and evolves quickly. These events are typically over in three to five minutes. Knowing how to disarm danger before it occurs and what to do once it happens can save lives. Please join the Secure Community Network’s training on Situational Awareness and Countering an Active Threat, where you will learn lifesaving actions you can take during an active threat incident.
Thursday Aug. 15 at 11am: Securing the Synagogue. Numerous elements contribute to safe and meaningful High Holidays. The course will review some considerations that organizations should prepare for as they develop their High Holiday events. 
Please consider registering for these and other upcoming classes. Registration and a full schedule of webinars can be found at https://www.securecommunitynetwork.org/high-holidays. 
Due to the offering of these national webinars, I will not be hosting safety Zoom training during August and September. As always, if you would like to report or discuss a safety concern, you can reach me at janderson@securecommunitynetwork.org, at 872-273-9214 or report an incident through the security page on the JFGP website: https://jewishportland.org/security.