GAFASTA News

Westmoreland churches get tips on how to deal with gunman, other safety situations

Mon, 25 Jun 2018 13:36:09 GMT

Representatives from 13 area churches got tips last week on proper handling of guns in the event any of their congregations faces a deadly intruder.

In an age when any house of worship might become a gunman's target, the 17 men who gathered at Calvary Baptist Church in New Stanton practiced the best grip and stance to use when aiming a handgun.

They watched as Atlanta-area trainers and Navy veterans Rodney Smith and Apollos Stanek demonstrated how to “clear” the church sanctuary during a simulated intruder alert.

The two armed men entered in a crisscross pattern as they quickly checked the corners of the room and then under the seats.

Those attending learned strategies and skills for minimizing a threat as well as the importance of advanced planning for enhanced security.

“We watch things on the news that happened a long way away, and we'll pray for those folks,” said Calvary Baptist pastor Richard Sementilli, who participated in the training. “But we need to be aware of the fact it could happen here.

“One does not take things for granted. You always hope for the best but expect the worst.”

Smith drew upon his experience in the Navy and in law enforcement to lead the Church Security Team Training program — including eight hours of classroom instruction at the church Friday and a Saturday session of tactical and firearms training at the Irwin Gun Club.

It followed previous classroom programs he offered in recent months at churches in Hempfield and in his native Bolivar, through the Georgia Firearms and Security Training Academy he founded in July 2015.

Smith recommended that all churches develop contingency plans for various threats, including fires, natural disasters and medical emergencies, and have the security and medical teams in place to carry them out.

He said all congregation members should be trained how to respond if security staff detect a potential shooter.

“If I say, ‘threat,' everybody needs to get down and cover their heads up so I have shooting lanes,” he said.

Congregations should decide whether they want to have armed security staff at church functions or they prefer a “less than lethal” form of protection, such as a stun gun, Smith said.

Some churches may want only unarmed security staff, which can still be effective at warding off those with criminal intent, Smith said, pointing out, “Presence is the No. 1 deterrent.”

Bill Supancic, a retired Penn Township police sergeant, attended the New Stanton program to bring tips back to fellow members of a volunteer security team that has been in place for about three years at Calvary Church in North Huntingdon.

He declined to reveal whether the team members are armed, but he noted they can draw upon various church members' military, law enforcement and medical expertise.

“If there is a medical emergency, someone is there to help take care of that person,” he said.

Army veteran Reid Crosby participated in the training with the hope of forming a safety and security committee at Harrold Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church in Hempfield. He would like his church to take beginning steps of forming a medical team and a security team authorized to use non-lethal measures.

“It's about the safety of your flock,” he said. “Evil exists in the world around us. We can be prepared for what might come.”

Stanek and Smith offered ideas to “harden” a church or any other public building against someone with bad intent, including limiting entry points.

Stanek surprised Sementilli by reading off names of numerous Calvary Baptist congregation members he'd never met. The trainer revealed he'd looked through an exterior window and spotted the names written on a blackboard.

His recommendation: Close curtains or blinds and turn out lights to thwart those who may be looking for information they might use to commit a crime such as child abduction.

Jeff Himler is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at 724-836-6622, jhimler@tribweb.com or via Twitter @jhimler_news .

School shootings: Tips that could help save your life

Mon, 28 May 2018 00:00:00 GMT

Part 2 of 11Alive story on active shooter in a school.

Watch the follow up video from our February story to show you the tips you need that can save your life!

Westmoreland County Church

Thu, 10 May 2018 00:00:00 GMT

Leaders to get firearms training

STEPHEN HUBA | Thursday , May 10, 2018, 12:48 p.m.

Local church leaders concerned about shootings at their places of worship soon will have a chance to get actual firearms training, including range time.

Rodney Smith, a Westmoreland County native and certified firearms instructor, plans to return to the area June 22-23 to offer a 16-hour advanced security course to interested churches.

Smith, 59, of Flowery Branch, Ga., taught free, three-hour courses in Bolivar, New Florence and Fairfield Township last year and at a Hempfield church in February. Nearly 100 people attended the first round of training sessions for the general public.

The upcoming course is for pastors and lay leaders who have a state firearms permit and who can bring their own handgun and ammunition.

“What we train is situation awareness, active shooter, active threat, use of deadly force, carry laws and room clearing,” Smith said. “Our goal is to enhance our students' awareness to respond and react to an active threat situation.”

Smith, a native of Bolivar, founded the Georgia Firearms and Security Training Academy in July 2015, a month after a white supremacist killed nine people at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, S.C. Since then, he has taught security courses in more than 50 churches, most of them in Georgia.

A man opened fired last September at Burnette Chapel Church of Christ near Nashville, killing a woman and wounding six others.

In November, a gunman shot and killed 26 people attending a Sunday service at First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, Texas.

The shootings in Tennessee and Texas make such training all the more necessary, Smith said.

The training will be from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. June 22 at Calvary Baptist Church, 792 S. Center Ave., New Stanton, and from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. June 23 at the Irwin Sportsmen's Association (pistol range), 995 Oakside Drive, Irwin.

Cost is $200 per person. Space is limited. Pre-registration is recommended, although walk-ins will be accepted.

To register, visit www.GAFASTA.com .

Stephen Huba is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at 724-850-1280, shuba@tribweb.com or via Twitter @shuba_trib.

Walking thru an active shooter situation

Thu, 15 Feb 2018 00:00:00 GMT

Due to the recent tragedy in Florida, Rodney "Chief" Smith was asked by Atlanta Channel 11 to describe what to do in case of an emergency. Here's what you need to know in order to survive. We have training classes for these exact situations.

Church gets trained on weapons, situational awareness - Gainesville, GA

Sun, 04 Feb 2018 00:00:00 GMT

Wearing red caps, Jeff Southerland, left, and Rodney Smith, middle, assist Tim Voyles and Houston Allen on the firing line, respectively. Smith taught members of Canaan Baptist Church Saturday in Murrayville on drawing from the holster to firing. - photo by Nick Watson

Gainesville Times - February 4th, 2018
Behind the chicken houses of a Murrayville farm, a handful of Canaan Baptist Church members lined up Saturday in front of a set of green paper targets.

“If I say ‘threat,’ stab back out,” said Rodney Smith, director of the Georgia Firearms and Security Training Academy.

Smith and his instructors were leading a training session for the church members, who have been instructed on active threats, situational awareness, carry laws and the use of deadly force.

“As we know, presence is the No. 1 deterrent, because … people are going to deter from coming in,” Smith said.
Read More

Recent Shootings

Wed, 29 Nov 2017 00:00:00 GMT

Local Church Considers Active Shooter Training After Recent Shooting Events

BOLIVAR (KDKA) — A local church is thinking about beefing up security after shootings that occurred at churches in South Carolina and Texas.

Having members of a church congregation trained as a rapid reaction force to counter an active shooter inside a place of worship; it sounds incredible, but one Westmoreland County pastor says it has become an unfortunate necessity.

There are two instances of the modern-day American nightmare of mass church shootings.

On June 17, 2015, at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina, nine people died.

Then, on Nov. 5, 2017, First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, Texas, 26 people died.

That’s why Pastor Paul Lint is preparing to defend his flock if necessary by fighting fire with fire.

“It’s not something we relish or enjoy,” says Lint. “We’ve always had an open-door police. We’re a congregation, a church and please come. But now we have to face the facts. We have to do something to protect the sheep. That’s where we are today.”

Lint, the pastor of Beacon Independent Baptist Church, in Bolivar, is considering training some members in active shooter response.

“We’re planning to strategically place people in the congregation that would know what to do to intercept someone and those kind of things,” says Lint. “Everyone will be required to go through this complete 16-hour training course knowing exactly what to do in a church situation.”

Lint recently met with other pastors about forming a counter shooting security team and he says the idea is catching on and it has to.

“Any church needs to be prepared because when you think it won’t be you, that’s when it might be you. That’s the whole point,” he says.

Texas church shooting

Tue, 21 Nov 2017 00:00:00 GMT

Some local pastors focus on security

Mourners enter the Sutherland Springs First Baptist Church to view a memorial Sunday, Nov. 12, 2017, in Sutherland Springs, Texas. A man opened fire inside the church in the small South Texas community Nov. 5, killing more than two dozen. (Eric Gay) - photo by Associated Press

Carlos Galarza

cgalarza@gainesvilletimes.com

Updated: Nov. 21, 2017, 12:11 a.m.

The shooting of 26 parishioners Nov. 5 at the First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs, Texas, had a profound impact on Gainesville-raised pastor Mark Stroud.

“My first reaction was just sympathy toward the church there in Texas,” said Stroud, a 1992 graduate of Gainesville High School and pastor of Wahoo Baptist Church in North Hall since 2001.

“What an awful tragedy,” he said. “For any church to lose over 20 people of their flock in one moment is just tragic. Children were killed. It’s just terrible.”

Stroud said he had a conversation about the tragedy with members of his congregation in Murrayville. He said the discussion led them to the decision to implement security measures, and that the congregation is all on board with it.

Stroud said he’s made arrangements with a Georgia organization equipped and licensed to train individuals, workplaces and even churches how to use firearms, and techniques for thwarting attacks as happened at Sutherland Springs and other mass shootings throughout the nation.

“What happened in Texas is a wake-up call to us as leadership to make sure we’re doing everything we can to prevent a similar tragedy in our own church,” Stroud said.

For the Rev. Brian Evans, pastor of Oakwood Baptist Church in Flowery Branch, the wake-up call for him came after the Charleston, S.C., shooting at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church on June 18, 2015. During that racially motivated incident, convicted assailant Dylann Roof walked in and sat down with his unsuspecting victims during a Wednesday night Bible study. After many minutes went by, he got up and opened fire, killing nine members of the congregation, including the pastor who also was a state senator.

Evans described the shooting in Texas as a distressing trend.

“You know, one of the tragic things that happened in Sutherland Springs was that there was no one there who could stop (the shooter),” Evans said. “You know, our doors are open. We want everybody to come and everybody is welcome here, We don’t ever want to change that. We would never change that, but at the same time, if someone comes here with evil intentions, we feel it is our duty to our people to have something in place to keep them safe.

“It may or may not work, but we’ll certainly take our chances that it will minimize the damage. We pray every week that we never see that happen or have a need for that.”

The Times reached out to other local pastors who declined to talk about the issue.

Rodney “Chief” Smith, the founder and CEO of Georgia Firearms and Security Training Academy in Flowery Branch, said he trained members of Evans’ congregation who are licensed to carry concealed weapons, and will do the same with Stroud’s congregation.

As often happens in the wake of a tragic shooting as occurred at Sutherland Springs, Smith said his firm gets a flurry of calls.

“It’s like a knee-jerk reaction,” said Smith, a retired U.S, Navy Chief with 24 years of military service and who worked 13 years in law enforcement. “The phone rings off the hook when something happens as it did in Texas, then it’s back to normal until some other tragic event takes place.”

Smith said he’s also been hired by the Rev. Ken Anderson of Canaan Baptist Church in Gainesville and other churches, one as far away as Pennsylvania, for such training. Smith said he trains church members in active shooter scenarios and situational awareness.

“We try to train them to where they see the trouble before it materializes,” Smith said.

Stroud and Evans said they started re-thinking security measures at their churches after Gov. Nathan Deal signed into law the Georgia Safe Carry Protection Act in 2014. The law allows residents who have concealed carry permits to take guns virtually anywhere, including churches.

“When we learned the governor had signed the law that people could carry in church concealed weapons with the permission of the pastor, I realized I already had a dozen or more people here who were carrying,” Evans said.

However, Evans said it was not enough to have people in church who were armed. He wanted to make sure they and the congregation at large knew how to respond in a real emergency, which is why he brought in Smith to train them.

“Anybody can carry a gun; not everybody knows how to use one effectively, especially under pressure,” Evans said.

Stroud said a friend who is a pastor recommended Smith to him.

“There doesn’t seem to be a safe place anymore,” Stroud said. “We’re trying to implement some security measures and train our folks in the event something similar to what happened in Texas were to happen here, we make sure we do our best to protect our church family.”

Security Training in Bolivar

Mon, 20 Nov 2017 00:00:00 GMT

Bolivar's Beacon Independent Baptist Church to host security training for active threats

Pastor Paul Ling and his wife Patricia, pose behind the pulpit at Beacon Independent Baptist Church in Bolivar.

Pastor Paul Lint had a security team ready to take action when a stranger wearing a backpack walked into his McKeesport church several years ago.

Lint was preaching a sermon when the man walked down the center aisle, approached the pulpit and reached into his backpack.

“I had no idea what he was going to do,” said Lint, who now is pastor at Beacon Independent Baptist Church in Bolivar.

“He asked me who I was and what we were doing there. I think he was half drunk,” he said. “I asked him to sit down, and he did.”

If there had been a real threat that day, the church's security team was “watching and ready,” the pastor said. “Our guys — we tell them to watch and not act too hastily.”

Of the five places where he has pastored, Lint said three of the churches had security plans. With recent deadly church shootings in Tennessee and Texas, Lint said he wants his church to likewise be ready.

“We are all being recommended in our independent Baptist churches to have a security plan,” he said.

At 6 p.m. Nov. 28, the Bolivar church will host a three-hour church security training course by Rodney Smith of the Georgia Firearms and Security Training Academy . Donations will be accepted.

The course, which is open to other churches, pastors and lay members, will cover such aspects as situational awareness, less-than-lethal defense and active threat.

Lint said he learned about the training opportunity from Smith's sister, who attends his church. A second training course at the Fairfield Township Volunteer Fire Department is scheduled for 6 to 9 p.m. Dec. 9.

“Because of the events that are happening in churches today ... (Smith) is going to teach us about awareness and procedures, as well as looking over our situation and our exits,” Lint said.

Smith, a 1978 graduate of Laurel Valley High School, opened the training academy in 2015 after the church shooting in Charleston, S.C. Since then, he has taught security courses in more than 50 churches, most of them in Georgia.

A 24-year Navy veteran, Smith worked for 13 years in law enforcement. He said churches are eager to develop security plans and have security training.

“All the churches I deal with, they want everybody to know that they have guns in there,” he said. “You've got to be prepared.”

Smith, 59, of Flowery Branch, Ga., said some states restrict or even prohibit the carrying of weapons in church.

“Every state is different, but in Georgia, you're allowed to have guns in churches if the church body allows it. Everybody's packing,” he said.

Smith said the best approach to church security is to have designated security teams — members who are trained and armed. Most churches can't afford to hire an off-duty police officer to staff a worship service, he said.

“Now they're going to have to take measures into their own hands,” he said, noting that churches are known for being “soft targets.”

The United States had more church shootings (147) in the 10-year span of 2006-16 than in the 25-year span of 1980-2005 (137).

Stephen Huba is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at 724-850-1280, shuba@tribweb.com or via Twitter @shuba_trib.

Texas Church Shootings has Atlanta Area places of worship looking to GAFASTA for the proper training to handle this type of situation.

Wed, 08 Nov 2017 00:00:00 GMT

Pastor Ken Anderson prepares his congregation for an active shooter scenario.

Author: Joe Floccari

Published: 6:17 PM EST November 8, 2017

GAINESVILLE, Ga – Pastor Ken Anderson did something he never thought he would have to do: he hired a company to prepare his congregation for an active shooter scenario.

Pastor Anderson explained that times are changing and his job is to protect his people.

Rodney Smith provides tactical firearms training to organizations thru his company Georgia Firearms and Security Training Academy (GAFASTA). Smith understands training churches may be controversial to some but believes, in today’s world, it’s not,”If it will happen, it’s when will it will happen again.”

Smith spent 24 years in the United States Navy and 13 years as a police officer.

After the Charleston church shooting in 2015, he started the company with a mission is to help the public be prepared for the worst-case scenario.

Since then he has trained more than 20 churches in the North Georgia area.

Church Security & Safety

Mon, 06 Nov 2017 00:00:00 GMT

TV 35 News on Church Security & Safety

Sharpen your shooting skills

Sat, 15 Jul 2017 00:00:00 GMT

Locals invited to sharpen shooting skills at July 29 basic pistol training class

NRA-certified GAFASTA instructor Stacy Flanagan shows Adam Savier of Gainesville firearm mechanics during a GAFASTA firearm safety class. (Photo contributed by Rodney Smith)

The Georgia Firearms and Security Training Academy will be offering a basic pistol training course for the residents of Rome, age 21 and older, at the Charles C. Parker Senior Center at Etowah Park on July 29.

The four-hour course will teach students basic skills in safely handling a pistol and will cover three hours of classroom time and one hour of range time.

There are to be absolutely no live rounds of ammunition or loaded weapons brought into the classroom for safety reasons. Participants need to arrive before 11:30 a.m. to fill out paperwork before the course begins at noon.

This beginner’s class will consist of four elements: pistol mechanics and parts, sight reconfiguration, grip and stance, and lastly range training and qualification. Students will have to earn an 80 percent passing grade on a written test as well as the range qualification in order to receive a certificate of completion for the course.

Registration for the course is currently open online and is $80 per participant. The registration is on the GAFSTA website at www.gafasta.com on the second page of the shop tab. Currently, the class has around 10 registered, which is close to half full, said GAFSTA instructor Rodney Smith. The deadline for registration is July 25, and remaining spots are limited.

“This is a stepping stone for concealed carry and home defense,” Smith said.

Smith is retired U.S. Navy Chief with 24 years of military service and 12 years of law enforcement experience. He said his organization’s safety instructors go above and beyond the typical NRA instructor.

Participants will be expected to bring their own firearm, if they have one, to class (unloaded) and for the range. If a participant does not have a firearm they can rent one at the range for about $15. Bring 50-100 rounds of full metal jacket rounds for the range (not to class), as well as eye and ear protection. Lastly, Smith is requesting that each participant bring dummy rounds for their pistol so they can practice loading and unloading. He said they can be purchased at Academy Sports or gun stores.

For more information about the class or about other GAFASTA programs, contact Rodney Smith at 770-530-5630.

Gun control proposal would require training for carry license

Sun, 24 Jan 2016 00:00:00 GMT

A bill before the state legislature that would enact bans on assault rifles if passed has generated lots of buzz and controversy in recent weeks.

However, Republican lawmakers have said there is no chance such a law would be put on the books.

But there is another, less publicized gun control measure before the Georgia General Assembly that conservatives may support.

That proposal would require anyone seeking a weapons carry license to first complete a firearms safety training course.

There are exemptions for those individuals working as peace officers, active-duty military personnel or National Guard members, as well as instructors certified by the National Rifle Association.

“I would think” Republicans can get behind it, Rep. Carl Rogers, R-Gainesville, said.

Rogers said he planned on taking a safety course himself this past weekend just to make sure he’s up to speed on properly handling his firearms.

Rodney Smith, a Hall County resident who founded the Georgia Firearms and Security Training Academy, said he supports requirements that weapons carry license holders receive proper training.

“There should be some form of qualification,” he added. “It just makes common sense.”

Smith is a retired U.S. Navy chief with 24 years of military service and 12 years in law enforcement.

He is also a certified firearms instructor and regularly trains police officers and military personnel.

Smith has also conducted “reaction force” training seminars at local churches, including at First Baptist Church in Gainesville last week, educating community members about how to respond in a mass shooting situation.

Smith said a weapons carry license should be treated like a hunting license or driver’s license, wherein safety courses and training are required.

Smith said there are four keys to gun safety he explains to all his clients: Treat all guns as if they are loaded, never point at anything you are unwilling to shoot, keep your finger off the trigger until you are ready to fire and be sure of what’s beyond the target you are shooting.

“Trust me,” Smith said, “not everybody should be carrying

a gun.”

Smith acknowledged that some complications might arise from a law requiring training.

For example, how would the government determine who is qualified to train individuals, and what level of training would be required?

Rep. Lee Hawkins, R-Gainesville, said other potential problems could include prohibitive costs for citizens who have a Second Amendment right to own firearms.

“I could not get behind that,” he added. “My father taught me responsible use of firearms. I don’t think there is any weapons safety course that would have averted some of the senseless killings that have occurred around the United States.”

A national carry law that allows license holders to cross state lines with their firearms on person after passing a comprehensive written and shooting examination, something Smith supports, could help alleviate any concerns gun advocates have about the Georgia proposal.

“I am a huge fan of getting training,” Smith said.

Church Volunteers Get Firearms Training

Tue, 25 Aug 2015 00:00:00 GMT

CALHOUN, Ga. - A church in Calhoun has put together a team of volunteers armed with guns in order to protect churchgoers during services and events.

Thirteen members of Crane Eater Community Church are undergoing a 22-hour firearms training and safety course in order to add more security to the facilities. Church leaders said the decision to allow some members to train and carry firearms was spurred by the church shooting in Charleston.

"This is all voluntary," said Executive Pastor Paul Gay. "It's good citizens who are activating their second amendment right to carry firearms as allowed by the state of Georgia law."

He also said the church does not sponsor or pay for the training due to reasons of liability.

"Now we don't make it mandatory that anybody bring their firearm to church," Gay also said, "that's a personal choice and whatever actions they take is a personal decision."

Some members who are taking the training have prior experience with firearms, while others do not. Several members told FOX 5 News they think getting the training to carry concealed weapons is a smart way to maintain safety.

"The Bible says a wise man sees danger and takes refuge, and that's what we're doing, we're just being prepared," said church member Rich Gunderman, who is taking the course.

The training is being offered by certified firearms instructor Rodney Smith. He said interest from churches is growing since the shooting in Charleston and since the passage of Georgia House Bill 60, which allows guns to be taken into churches and places of worship.

"That's what the pastors are doing right now," said Smith, "they're using that right to be able to have guns in their churches; and again, churches are soft targets, and the bad guy goes after a soft target."

Oakwood Baptist Church Reaction Force Training

Sun, 16 Aug 2015 00:00:00 GMT

This video is about Oakwood Baptist Church Reaction Force Training