Practice Turns Chaos to Calm

Benefits of Scenario Based Training

“The body won’t go where the mind has not already been.” We’ve heard a lot of security professionals say something very similar to this statement when they talk about how important it is to not only train, but to practice different scenarios that could happen at your church or school. While training for a high impact situation like an armed intruder is key, safety and security teams also should practice scenarios such as a medical emergency, disruptive individual, severe weather, and lost child.

“This helps pressure test your policies and practices to improve your team’s effectiveness,” said Eli Hernandez, pastor and head of safety for Bridgeway Community Church in Maryland. “When we train at our church, it’s designed to keep our volunteers engaged and to think through how we can better serve our people.”

Setting up scenarios in the environment where the event is likely to occur helps volunteers see the opportunities and challenges in that space. For example, practice disruptions in the sanctuary, kid-based scenarios in the children’s ministry area, or medical emergencies in gathering spaces.

“Training is the learning ground, it’s where you can make mistakes and explore ways to improve,” said Craig Cable, a church safety specialist and professional trainer who works for American Church Group of Colorado.

Whether it’s a couple arguing in the parking lot, disruptive individual during service, or custody dispute in the children’s wing, emotionally charged situations can quickly escalate. If volunteers aren’t trained to deal with the added stress, their own emotions can take over, leading to poor decisions and the potential for injury or liability for your ministry.

Training also is an opportunity to see how team members will react during stressful situations. This  enables the team to practice appropriate responses to verbal challenges and allows participants to adjust their approach to help calm the situation. It also helps volunteers see the ministry opportunity in helping people through stressful or emotional situations. “We want our volunteers to see the person, not just the problem,” said Pastor Hernandez.

“Using your words to help find common ground, and getting people to comply with the ask, can resolve issues peacefully, and that’s what we call the WIN,” said Cable. WIN stands for What’s Important Now, and it’s a helpful reminder to maintain proper perspective. For most situations, Cable advises, “You need team members who can pull back on the things they want to say and focus on the things they need to say.”

To help security team volunteers learn how to safely de-escalate potentially threatening situations, they need to first learn how to control their natural reactions. Realistic training scenarios introduce stress in a controlled environment, helping your team prepare to handle chaotic scenes with composure and calm.