Four Tarrant County synagogues and the Jewish Federation of Fort Worth and Tarrant County will co-present a series of three security training sessions.
The first community training course will cover Situational Awareness — learning how to be aware of your environment and how to mitigate risks and threats before they become dangerous.
During this Zoom program, participants will learn how to respond and protect themselves, family and friends by becoming aware of what’s happening around them. It will provide valuable insight regarding everyday cues that might otherwise be missed.
Stuart Frisch, an experienced Secure Community Network (SCN) trainer, will walk participants through ways to be safer by gaining a greater awareness of threats facing the Jewish community, not just during synagogue services but also during everyday situations. SCN is the official safety and security organization of the Jewish community in North America, founded under the auspices of The Jewish Federations of North America and the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations.
As the national training and exercise advisor for SCN based in Memphis, Frisch serves at the national level as a member of the SCN team to support the training and exercise needs as well as priorities of the Jewish community in North America, specifically as they relate to safety, security and emergency preparedness.
In his current role his responsibilities include serving as the point person for all issues of security training; making regular, frequent visits to Jewish communities to assess security needs and make recommendations; providing security training and education; maintaining effective partnerships with local, state and federal law enforcement and emergency management agencies; implementing an emergency communications system; monitoring intelligence related to terrorism and public safety; and coordinating security for major events in the communities nationwide.
Frisch has an extensive background as a security professional, with more than 20 years of experience planning, developing and implementing diversified security programs across the military, corporate and government sectors. He is a certified trainer through both the U.S. Department of Justice and U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
Before joining SCN, Mr. Frisch served as coordinator of security operations for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, where he was responsible for creating security policy for a workforce of more than 5,000 across 17 countries.
Frisch served with the Memphis Police Department, was with the Office of Homeland Security for more than a decade and previously served in a Special Operations capacity with the Israel Defense Forces.
“This is a great opportunity for all of us to increase our knowledge and practices in something that has necessarily become vital for all of us,” said Barry Abels, executive director of the Jewish Federation of Fort Worth and Tarrant County. “This training will help us learn how to spot something before it happens in situations where minutes or even seconds can matter.”
The webinar starts at 7 p.m. Tuesday, May 4. It is co-sponsored by the Jewish Federation of Fort Worth and Tarrant County; Beth-El Congregation, Fort Worth; Congregation Ahavath Sholom, Fort Worth; Congregation Beth Israel, Colleyville; and Congregation Beth Shalom, Arlington.
Other upcoming SCN training will cover Countering Active Terrorist Threats and Greeter/Usher Training, which will include follow-up visits to each participating synagogue.
The Zoom link will be available through participating synagogues and the Federation. For more information contact Jim Stanton, 817-307-9167.
—Submitted by
Jim Stanton