Taking a Holistic Approach to Safety and Security

According to Merriam-Webster, the primary definition of safety is "the condition of being free from harm or risk," which is essentially the same as the primary definition of security, which is "the quality or state of being free from danger." However, there is another definition for security; that is, "measures taken to guard against espionage or sabotage, crime, attack or escape," and this is generally the definition we are using when we refer to industrial security.

Houses of worship have been the targets of several violent attacks in recent years. An Associated Press report released prior to the Sutherland Springs incident listed at least 13 violent incidents since 2012. The deadliest, before Sutherland Springs, was in June 2015, when Dylann Roof shot and killed nine people at the historic Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina. Shootings are not the only threat. An average of nine mosques per month have been targeted in the United States in 2017, according to a CNN analysis in August. Those attacks included arson and bombings. 

When our family and friends walk into a place of worship they should feel safe and secure to bow their heads or lift up their hands to their creator. It is the responsibility of the administrators, leaders and elders to establish these conditions for their parishioners. Therefore, I am offering my life experience, education and training to assist your house of worship/place of business to succeed in establishing and maintaining a safe environment. I am a successful special operations/civil military officer with an extensive background in strategic communication, safety and security and culture transformation. I bring a holistic approach to safety and security where utilize my experience, education and training as a forensic specialist, foreign defense advisor, martial arts instructor, small arms instructor, and tactical team/operational unit leadership to enhance your organizations current protocols. 

What does “holistic” mean? Merriam Webster shares 1 : of or relating to holism. 2 : relating to or concerned with wholes or with complete systems rather than with the analysis of, treatment of, or dissection into parts. holistic medicine attempts to treat both the mind and the body.  

When it comes to combating terror and countering an insurgency, the military looks at the threat as a system and the target as another system. Meaning, there is not a one size fits all answer to your safety and security needs. In most cases, it is a matter of adjusting the current practices and procedures and not hiring a full time armed security guard. 

Providing a safe environment does not have to increase your budget to the point your organization decides to table it until next year. I will assist you in assessing your current protocol against your vulnerabilities. I will then assist your organization in identifying resources (people places and things) that you have available to incorporate and modify your protocols. 

Throughout my life I have worked with police departments and military units worldwide to improve their training and preparation to respond and mitigate various conflict situations. I began my journey working for the Modesto Police Department as a volunteer at the age of 17. As an adult I worked on several teams to include Alcohol Beverage Control, Narcotics, and Warrant/Apprehension Team. I earned an Associate’s degree in Criminal Justice and a Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Investigations (Forensics). Over the course of 21 years I have experience in leading and training small and large teams in areas homeland security (foreign internal defense), counter terrorism, counterinsurgency, emergency preparedness and disaster response. 

Over several years, I led teams and units through several combat and hazardous duty assignments. I served as the advisor for the Kuwait Land Forces, “Strategic Response” Task Force, where I trained/led several infantry, special operations, and counter-terrorist units. My other significant homeland security assignments include Counter Narcotics Operations with Joint Task Force Six (JTF-North), JTF-Force Bravo, and “Cabanas” counterinsurgency operations (Central America). In Iraq I led the Camp Victory, Incident Response Task Force against direct and indirect fire attacks against the base.  I served as an Infantry company commander for three different units and as the Director of Civil Military Operations (G9), for the 10th Mountain Division (L). My last post was as the Counterinsurgency Specialist for the Joint and Combined Integration Directorate, Fires Center of Excellence, Fort Sill, Oklahoma.  

From 2012 through 2016, I served as the American Red Cross, Government Operation Leader, where he revised the disaster response policy and procedures for the Eastern New York Region. 

Specialties: Instructional system design, adult education/training, Small Arms Instruction, Urban/Close Quarter Combat, Modern Army Combatives, Surveillance/Reconnaissance Advisor, Sniper Utilization Trainer/Advisor, Latent Finger Print Identification, Arson Investigation, Interview/Interrogation, Crime Scene Investigation. 

Please feel free to share my contact information with anyone who is interested to ensure their employees, parishioners and customers feel safe and secure to worship or work to lead productive and meaningful lives. Please allow me to bring a variety of resources and support specialists to review, revise and reestablish your safety and security protocols.  

I am here to serve you and your family, friends and fellow co-workers.