Risk Reporter for Camps and Conference Centers

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Protection (security teams)

Ramp up protection with security teams

Creating a security team can go a long way toward ensuring the safety of your employees, attendees, visitors, volunteers, counselors and campers.

Here are a few tips for creating your security team, putting a plan of action in place and setting standards for its operations:

1. Put staff members on your security team. For camps, this could be counselors, team leaders, even camp directors. Conference centers can include employees, managers or administrative personnel.
2. Identify potential crisis events.
3. Establish a written security and violence response plan for your conference center or camp.
4. Train and use your staff and employees as a first line of defense against potential threats involving suspicious people, packages or vehicles.
5. Establish procedures for patrolling exterior and interior areas before, during and after group activities, meetings and special events. Assign smaller teams to patrol the grounds periodically throughout the day as well.
6. Conference center security teams should conduct a sweep of the property before securing the doors and windows at night. Camp leaders and counselors should make a last pass through the grounds just before “lights out” at the end of the day.
7. Conduct regular safety surveys of all buildings and grounds at your conference center. Camps can do the same by regularly inspecting entrance gates, lodges, cabins, the dining hall and play areas. Security teams should keep written records of conditions and any corrective actions taken.
8. Call police if a suspicious person is on your property and let them investigate the situation.
9. Establish a position on on-site armed protection.
    

“Knowing the strengths and weaknesses of your organization is a critical first start to good security. Whether it’s an office, church building, school, camp or other related facility — having a solid security assessment is essential.”

— Tim Miller
President of LionHeart International Services, security consulting and training company, www.lhisg.com

Editor: Amy M. Kimmes akimmes@churchmutual.com

Risk Control Advisor: Edward A. Steele, CSP, ARM esteele@churchmutual.com