Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”
Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence.
He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.
You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day,
nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday.
A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you.
You will only observe with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked.
If you say, “The Lord is my refuge,” and you make the Most High your dwelling,
no harm will overtake you, no disaster will come near your tent.
For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways;
they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.
You will tread on the lion and the cobra; you will trample the great lion and the serpent.
“Because he loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.
He will call on me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him.
With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.”
~ Psalm 91
This is an update to “A Word From” that I wrote last year, so some of the content may seem familiar, with some important additions.
Security remains a top priority for FRCS
The words “safety” and “security” are often used interchangeably, but they actually have quite different meanings. Security is a means to achieving a sense of safety—that feeling of being protected. There can only be safety if there is security.
Here are some of the security measures that we have instituted to help provide for the safety of students and staff at Front Range Christian School.
- Daily prayer and faith that the Lord is watching over and protecting us (the reason this post leads off with Psalm 91)
- School Resource Officers (SRO) in close proximity and accessible; they are quick to respond to our concerns and take our calls personally
- Radio and intercom communication across campus
- Update: We have added additional radio and intercom stations throughout campus to connect all school facilities together
- Single point of access to the buildings and door monitors
- Establishment of the Safe Haven program (learn more below)
- Currently in the process of a major upgrade to our access control and security alarm systems. This upgrade will allow us to centralize all electronic access to these systems, add numerous panic buttons, and provide online controls.
- 50+ security cameras and video feed campus wide
Several non-lethal self defense weapons secured throughout the campus
- Update: Adding 15 more non-lethal self defense weapons
- Update: Training of additional staff members on the use of these weapons
- Monthly Safety Committee meetings to address any recent issues and track ongoing concerns and implementation of improvements
- Established professional relationships with experts in security, intelligence, law enforcement, and emergency response. These relationships keep us informed in real time of any challenges we need to be aware of and keep us up to date on the latest security protocols and technology
- Strengthened our emergency response capabilities
- 50+ staff members certified in First Aid/CPR annually
- AEDs in every school building
- First aid and trauma kits throughout the campus
- Drills for fire, tornado, intruder, active shooter, lock down, lock out, etc.
- Update: We have added Run-Hide-Fight drills for all students in addition to the staff
While this list is not exhaustive, I hope that it impresses upon you that we take security seriously and are constantly striving for excellence in this area. I also hope this list of security measures increases your feeling of safety for you and your children while on campus.
In our ongoing efforts to improve security, last year we established a plain clothes security team. This group of committed parents helped us with expanded coverage of the campus during critical times and events. We are in need and can always use more members for this team. If you are interested in helping in this area, please contact me () or one of the front offices.
Please continue to pray with me and believe that the “Lord is our refuge and our fortress, the God in whom we trust,” and that He will continue to “command his angels to guard us and keep us in all of our ways.” Then we will have true safety.
The Safe Haven Program
The Safe Haven program is a partnership with our tenants who have agreed to provide shelter for students and staff in emergency situations. In some emergency situations, getting to shelter quickly is paramount. Students and staff will now be able to enter a tenant’s business for safety in the event a door into the school is not close by. These tenants have all agreed to supply background checks on their employees and are familiar with the safety procedures of FRCS. We work in partnership with them so that they are aware of emergencies on campus and know what to do in the event of a situation where their assistance is needed.
Partner tenants can be identified by a Safe Haven sticker on their front door.
