In this litigious society we live in today; Liability is at the top of the concerns of all churches. Imagine the damage a single mistake could cost your church. If your security team should be responsible for the injury or death of an innocent person, were to be guilty of assault, false arrest or wrongful death. How much is the church willing to gamble. What is the right path to minimal exposure while using your volunteers? What are the right training standards?
The Gatekeeper Program™ trains, certifies and licenses your volunteers as professional Security Officers commissioned under the Texas Department of Public Safety – Private Security Bureau. They are then deploys them back to your church under commercial security contract for a few dollars per hour.
Under the Gatekeeper Program™, the church has hired a third party commercial security company to provide security to the your ministry taking the ministry out of the liability string as much as possible.
There are the options when it comes to armed “Church Security Teams” in Texas.
- Hire local law enforcement to provide security. Cost is $60 – $80 per hour. 4 hour minimum. Immediate liability falls on local government.
- Hire a local contract security provider. Cost is $35 – 60 per hour. Immediate liability falls on security provider’s commercial security guard liability insurance.
- Have the church operate under a “Letter of Authority”. The church becomes a security company. Cost includes licensed manager license fees, commercial armed guard liability insurance, workman’s compensation insurance, licensing fees, background checks, psychological testing, fingerprinting fees, range fees, etc., etc. Immediate liability falls directly on the church and the church’s state required armed guard company insurance.
- Uninsured Volunteers – Now legal under TX SB 2065 effective 9/1/2017.No training, no insurance, no testing or certification needed. Cost is $0 if nothing bad happens. Millions if anything bad happens. Immediate liability falls directly on the church as most insurance companies will not insure an armed church security team.
- Join the Gatekeeper Program ™. After the one-time training and licensing fees (1-day renewal every two years) the cost is a small hourly fee per officer invoiced monthly. The church and the officers are taken out of the liability string as much as possible. The church has hired a third party. The immediate liability falls on Gatekeepers and our commercial armed guard services insurance.
The question is, how much is the church willing to gamble that nothing goes wrong and the church is not sued into oblivion. Most church insurance companies will not insure a church that has an armed security team.
With The Gatekeeper Program ™. Your trusted and qualified volunteers are background checked by the FBI. They are also given a psychological test to assure their mental fitness. Then trained in the same methods universally taught to law enforcement through our state licensed security school.
Training – Your Selected individuals go through Texas state professional Commissioned Security Officer and additional Personal Protection Officer certification classes.
The objective is to gain a level 4 license and certification. This certification requires Level 2/3 and 4 training and certification.
Training Cost: (per person)
- Level 2 & 3 combined training is 4 days. Cost is $290
- Range time – $20
- Level 4 training is 2 days. Cost is $200
- Level 3 licensing also requires the MMPI (Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory 2) which is a 2-3 hours physiological test from a licensed psychologist. Cost is $200
- GSS – Badge – $30
State Licensing Cost: (per person)
- Background check- $28.50 x 2 + $10 for electronic fingerprint processing
- Level 3 license fee – $57 – (renewal required every 2 years) ($7 for Veteran)
- Level 4 license fee – $57 – (renewal required every 2 years) ($7 for Veteran)
- Plus postage…$8.70
TOTAL Training and Licensing PER PERSON:
$930
Conclusion:
The church has hired a state licensed security company to provide the security services the church needs. The church gets their trusted member who has been fully trained, licensed and insured.
Interested to Learn More?
Get in touch with us to learn more by filling out the contact form or calling Marian at (214) 305-5616.