​Shul Services

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MAGEN Chicago provides professional services to Shuls, Yeshivas, Jewish schools, and religious organizations seeking to harden or enhance their security posture in alignment with DHS, FEMA, and ASIS standards.

Services are provided by experts intimately familiar with the unique needs, objectives, and challenges involved in securing Jewish community institutions.
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Many, if not all, of these services can be funded by grant money through various programs, including the DHS Non-Profit Security Grant program.
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Developing & Managing Shul Security Programs

 

The key to protecting a religious institution is identifying and managing safety and security risks. Proactively addressing risk areas is crucial for developing an effective Shul security program.

Our experts can develop and help you implement and manage your institutional security program, which generally involves the following:

• Conduct a comprehensive assessment of the institution and recommend processes and programs to mitigate risks 

• Analyze any existing programs or strategies to identify gaps in risk controls.

• Based on recommendations, develop, help implement, and support the management of the new Shul security program.

In developing your Shul security program, our consultants will generally include a review of the following:

• Background & operation of the location(s)- environment and operational routines.

• They are existing security policies/procedures. If there are no existing policies and procedures, our consultants will be able to create them.

• Emergency Operations Manual - policies and procedures. If there are no existing policies and procedures, our consultants can write them.

• Physical security- and evaluation of electronic systems, physical countermeasures, architectural and environmental factors.

• Security personnel, management, and security awareness training.

 

 

Our highly experienced consultants will work with your organizational leadership to compare your practices with the most current best practices in securing houses of worship and other religious institutions according to DHS, FEMA & ASIS standards. 

​Some of our most frequently requested security consulting services include:

 

Security Vulnerability Assessments
 

This service is ideal for organizations with decentralized, fragmented, or no security infrastructure that require a roadmap to guide them in implementing a successful security program. 

 

The assessment is based on the interrelationship of three key factors: personnel, procedural, and physical security measures. Our report defines the risk control structure, including recommended programs and processes to safeguard the institution. 

 

Strategic recommendations from the assessment are provided in a comprehensive, written form, addressing specific institutional vulnerabilities. Our consultants propose risk control solutions and can provide resources to manage the implementation.

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Security Infrastructure Assessments
 

This service is ideal for organizations and institutions with existing programs that require validation of current processes. 

 

Risk management and internal control activities are numerous and fragmented in many organizations. This lack of alignment and coordination can result in overlaps or gaps in risk mitigation coverage. 

 

Through our security infrastructure assessment, our consultants can help companies identify and understand the misalignments, challenges, and improvement opportunities in an institution's risk and security frameworks. 

 

We conduct gap analysis using DHS, FEMA, and ASIS standards and best practices to define focus areas and solutions that help management drive improvements, mitigate risk and enhance overall performance.

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Synagogue Safety Officer Certification Program
 

Our keystone service, the SSO Program, provides synagogues the opportunity for concerned and committed members to undergo vetting, education, and training.

 

The SSO Program allows synagogue leadership to recommend that a community member or institution be vetted and trained for synagogue safety responsibilities. The vetting process is overseen by a licensed, independent professional background screening organization, and top professional instructors supervise the training and certification process.

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Non-Profit Security Grant Program Consulting​ & Support
 

Navigating the bureaucracy of applying for, receiving, and administering security grants from the federal government can be daunting. You don't have to go it alone- We are here to support you and maximize your chances of success in securing federal grant funds to secure your facility.

 

Our consultants, experienced in winning and administering grant funds for Jewish organizations, can guide you through the process or do it for you. They can even help you secure multiple grant awards at the exact location. We can also connect you with recommended contractors with a proven track record and experience installing critical security technology and equipment. 

 

You don't have to go it alone- MAGEN Chicago is here to support you and maximize your chances of success in securing federal grant funds to secure your facility.

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