By JESSICA ANDERSON
I’m happy to share that my weekly training series is back and kicking off this week! (I’m adding the link here, so you don’t even have to read any further - jewishportland.org/events/security-training). Training is a significant and important part of my role, and it’s somewhat challenging in that I can’t force people to take training classes, and I can’t force organizations to invite me into their spaces to train their communities. I get it There are SO many reasons not to take safety and security classes. And yet, I think of the men in the Colleyville, Texas hostage situation who never expected to spend 10 hours that day working out a way to escape their situation. Two quotes that I hope inspire you: “The SCN training saved all our lives. Period,” said Jeff Cohen of Colleyville, and “We can never know when the next attack will occur, but we can control our readiness and preparation.,” from Michael Masters, National Director, Secure Community Network. Safety training is not about scaring you to think that terrible things happen in Jewish spaces; it provides the confidence to know you’re capable of handling situations anywhere and can step in and be a leader if necessary. 
I’m a big proponent of training because it readies your mind for challenging situations of all kinds. We know that training improves outcomes in an emergency. It’s easy to say you’ll probably never need any of these courses. No one ever thinks they’re going to be in a critical incident, and yet people find themselves in them every day. 
SCN has two new training courses that most of our community has not yet heard about. Again, you’ll find registration links on the community calendar and the JFGP website at the security page. I’m offering them at 12pm on weekdays, and every class is offered each month.
Guardian 
Guardian seeks to empower people to be “Active Bystanders.” This class is considered the next step from BeAware: Intro to Situational Awareness. The goal is to provide individuals with the skillset to identify potential threats, protect institutions, and respond to situations from a safety perspective. Elements include how to react appropriately to possible threats, the use of de-escalation techniques, and concepts from the Department of Homeland Security’s The Power of Hello program. This class is geared to individuals who may be in a position of responsibility for an organization – maybe a chaperone with a student group or an usher/greeter. 
Navigating Conflict: The Power of De-Escalation 
The goal of this course is to provide a basic understanding of and introduction to the skills and techniques to defuse or reduce tension, hostility, and/or conflict in situations. The course covers the following topics: the definition of de-escalation, common escalation triggers, the de-escalation process, communication skills, and handling aggression. While geared towards those of us in public-facing roles, this is also a great course for anyone with a spouse, partner, siblings, drunk uncle, boss, or co-worker! 
BeAware: Introduction to Situational Awareness
BeAware, SCN’s introduction to situational awareness course, seeks to build observation skills and will teach you best practice techniques to recognize and react to various situations in your everyday life – from going to synagogue and dropping off kids at school, to navigating crowds. The course will cover how to train yourself to pay more attention, the influences in your brain that impede observation, and options for reacting to your observations. 
Countering Active Threat Training (CATT) 
The goal of CATT is to provide participants with a better understanding of active threats and potential response options. This course subscribes to the national Run, Hide, Fight model and SCN developed CATT with a singular goal: national delivery of a strategy to teach what to do during a threatening situation, wherever it may occur.
Stop the Bleed 
Through our Stop The Bleed course, you’ll gain the ability to recognize life-threatening bleeding and intervene effectively. Stop the Bleed is a national program, like Red Cross First Aid and CPR, designed to train people in how to stop potentially fatal bleeding. This training is relevant to all aspects of our lives, outdoor recreation, household accidents, etc. You’ll learn the concepts of wound pressure and packing skills and learn how to use a tourniquet on yourself and others. The person next to a bleeding victim may be the one who’s most likely to save them. 
In addition to the above classes, here are other available courses:
Camp Training
Camp Training has three courses, each focusing on a specific audience (Counselors, Staff, Leadership), that provide education around awareness, planning, training, and action.
College Campus Safety
This course focuses on the unique challenges for students on college campuses. Given the surge in antisemitic incidents since October 2023, the emphasis on planning and preparedness is crucial. 
Traveler Safety 
Traveler Safety is a course designed for anyone traveling, domestically or internationally, that provides a framework for increasing safety before and during travel. If you’re an individual traveler, I’m happy to share the course contents with you. 
Besides security training, I’m also available to work with organizations on emergency procedures, developing safety protocols, and conducting Threat and Vulnerability Risk Assessments (TVRA) of your space for safety improvements. If you are an individual who wants to speak with me about a personal safety or security concern, please feel free to contact me at janderson@securecommunitynetwork.org or 872-273-9214. As always, we know antisemitic incidents are vastly underreported! Please let me know about incidents you’re aware of or submit it at the JFGP security webpage: jewishportland.org/security, by phone, or email.