During a recent well-attended community meeting, it was made clear to the Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle and the SAFE Washington Team that Usher and Greeter Training was the number one priority for our community.
To that end, we have been hard at work with our DHS and Law Enforcement partners to create a training session of value that will provide fundamental training for Ushers and Greeters.
Greeters, ushers, and staff all share responsibility for the safety and security of the congregation. Ushers and Greeters cannot be expected to do it all or act as security guards, but there is an expectation that they continuously observe people and the environment, assess the situation to see if there is potential danger, and respond appropriately.
Ushers and greeters must be knowledgeable. They need to know what to look for and what to do if they see something of concern. They do not need extensive security training to be reasonably effective. Life experiences and some strategies, techniques, and knowledge will make all the difference, and our SAFE Training will provide you with most of the knowledge needed to work effectively. This three-hour course of training and certification will provide attendees with the necessary tools to function successfully in this role.
During the course, we will address the following areas of competency:
Identifying and Reporting Suspicious Behaviors and Activities
Verbal De-Escalation
Crisis Communications
Evacuations
The Basics of Report Writing
Fundamental Physical Security
Usher and Greeter training will be a three-hour session with a required exam. The exam must be successfully completed with 70 percent of questions answered correctly to pass.
To start, the training will be available in four different facilities on four different Sundays. Members of SAFE may register for any of them. Your registration information will be used to track your participation through this program. After successful completion of the course, you will be certified for a two-year period. At the end of the two-year period, a re-certification course and update will be offered to stay current.
