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From Glen, I received this question via a comment form…

How does a church security team train and qualify with a firearm as
well as batons and oc spray. Im a retired deputy sheriff and i know how
we qualified and trained but how do i get other lay people to get this
same training and qualification. Also we are in NYS and i believe that
it is also up to the church wether or not we carry in the church and my
pastor has indicated that he would like at least me to carry. Its been
a year and a half since i qualified witha weapon so i need updated as
well where woul i do that especially if i dont want the local law
enforcement talking about our church and telling people that we are
carring weapons

If you look at most "qualification" courses, they are simply lesson plans that have been certified by a person or a board. They are certifying you to carry a weapon, and stating they have trained you and you met their specifications.

For O.C. and baton, if you write a lesson plan, document it, and keep it in a training binder, you must show how the person responded to training, and test their knowledge of what you taught. This is assuming you have been trained to use it as some point, and you have knowledge of the weapon.

The difference between police and security is in most states state law mandates officers receive training with weapons, whereas, for firearms, a citizen should receive training according to CCW laws. Anyone can buy and use O.C. spray or a baton, but I would check state law to see if it is legal to do so. If you know an LE officer that is qualified to train in O.C. and ASP, get him to train you.

Just as cops face scrutiny when applying force, so do private citizens. If someone uses force in self defense, they have to be able to show reasonableness and proportionality. In essence, the use of force should be a last resort, unless the threat is immediate and active. For example, if two men are fighting and you show up and spray everyone with OC, there may be liability. However, if you attempt to separate the men, and then one of them attacks you or attacks an innocent person, then you can articulate you feared for your safety, you tried to physically separate them, and then they attacked you causing you to react. If you try to get an aggressor off another person, but are not having luck, and he is causing injury to this person, than it may be reasonable to use force to stop the aggression.

Regarding firearms…get to know your state's CCW law intimately. Know your rights as a CCW permit holder, and attend as much training as you possibly can. Find a range in your area (they are popping up all over) that offers tactical training, and take the courses.

A great resource is US Concealed Carry …you can use this link to get there.

http://www.usconcealedcarry.com/index.cfm?affID=prosafety

I think if you are carrying a weapon, you should tell the local police. If there is a critical incident, you want them to know there is an armed person there, and they should know who it is so you don't get shot. As a cop myself, I have absolutely no problem with any citizen lawfully carrying a gun and exercising their free rights to do so. I take comfort in knowing there are trained people who will probably be present at a violent scene that can end it quickly with little loss of life…When I show up, the work is done, less people have been killed, and I can take a great report. Seriously, most violent incidents are solved by spontaneous heroes.

Glen