Church security training will cover active shooter, active threat scenarios

Westmoreland County native and certified firearms instructor Rodney Smith is returning to the area in June to offer more security training to interested churches.

Although the 16-hour firearms course is full, two shorter training sessions are still available:

House of Worship Leadership Training — June 21, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.: Forming a security team and developing a standard operating procedure; $50 at the door.

Citizens’ Response to Active Threat — June 21, 7-8:30 p.m.: Situational awareness, active shooter, active threat, less-than-lethal defense; $10 for adults, children under 18 free.

Both sessions will be taught at St. John’s Harrold Reformed United Church of Christ, 103 St. Johns Church Road, Greensburg.

Smith, a native of Bolivar, founded the Georgia Firearms and Security Training Academy in July 2015, a month after the deadly church shooting in Charleston, S.C. Since then, he has taught security courses in more than 50 churches, most of them in Georgia.

He taught courses in Westmoreland County in 2017 and 2018.