Church Security Team Equipment Part 1
When it comes to equipment for a church safety team, most people tend to think that a handgun is at the top of the list. While I can respect that, the most important tool is the one that you are likely to use the most. A firearm is one of the least likely items that you will use that you will have at your disposal. A pistol is something that you would use if all of your planning goes down the drain and something has gone seriously wrong.
So, what is it that every person on the church security team should have? Answer…. A quality handheld flashlight. You might be thinking to yourself, “Why in the world would a flashlight be at the top of the list over a handgun”? Simply put, it is something that is used for several different things. A flashlight should be something that every security team member has on them, and in their hand most of the time. A flashlight can be used in a confrontation that turns physical as an impact tool, especially if it has a “combat bezel”, and we will talk about that in just a minute. Light intimidation is a great way to control a subject by blinding them so they have a difficult time advancing towards a team member or trying to see where people are in order to attack in some manner. It is important to disrupt the thought process of the adversary as much as possible. By deploying a strobing light, even in a well illuminated area, you will hinder their ability to process information which they might use to inflict harm upon you, or others. Naturally, the strobing light is most effective in a low light environment, but do not underestimate the importance of this non-lethal tool.
And of course, a handheld light is great for searching dark areas and during power outages. Now, if you are using it for “searching” or trying to guide people out the building… you will probably want to take it off strobe mode.
Characteristics of A Good Flashlight For Church Safety Teams
What characteristics make up a good flashlight that ideal for a church safety team? As we mentioned, versatility. Second, it needs to be at least 200 lumens and have a strobing feature where it defaults to strobe mode. If you have to click the actuator more than once to get into strobe mode, then that light is one that is not going to be effective for church security purposes. I personally have lights that are 900+ lumens and they are VERY effective!
What is a combat bezel? It is a bezel that has points on it that will cause damage and pain when pressed against a temple, nose, or other parts of the body.
Price. As with most things, you get what you pay for. You are not going to spend less than $50 and get a good light. If you do, GREAT! I have seen flashlights on TV that claim to be the brightest, blah, blah, blah. Let me tell you that they are NOT all that they claim to be! You will waste your money and then still have to buy a good light, so don’t fall for the things you see on TV. One thing to keep in mind is that not everything that is expensive is worth the price. While I believe that Surefire is a great brand, I do not necessarily promote them due to their price. From my experience, you can buy something for less than half, if not one-third of the price. A good light will cost you between $50-$90 on average. I have personally used Olights for years and I highly recommend them. The M22 Warrior flashlight in my personal favorite by Olight.
Construction. Is the flashlight built so that it can take abuse? Many lights that I have seen over the years are not built rugged enough for church security purposes. They might be alright for use around the house or in your vehicle, but not for saving lives.
It is very important to understand that what we are trying to do here. That is, to protect lives and reliable tools do not always come cheap. What you don’t want to happen during a potentially life and death situation is to have ANY sort of equipment malfunction!!!