Security | Savannah Jewish Federation

One of our highest priorities at Savannah Jewish Federation is ensuring the safety and security of the Jewish community in Savannah. To better protect the Savannah Jewish community who attend area synagogues and other Jewish institutions in Savannah, the Savannah Jewish Federation has partnered with Secure Community Network (SCN) to manage security programs in our community.

Through the Savannah Jewish Federation partnership with Secure Community Network (SCN), the Federation Community-Wide Security Program works to enhance the safety and security of the Savannah Jewish community. Together, we are working to foster a culture of empowerment, collaboration, and vigilance, ensuring that all Jewish organizations operate safely and securely.

Whichever Jewish organizations our community members visit, they should be secure in the knowledge that best practices are in place for all potentialities: fire, medical emergency, weather, and worst-case scenarios, such as violent attacks. Our partnership aims to provide educational and support services, as well as create a network among institutions to ensure best practices when it comes to security at what SCN refers to as "Centers of Jewish Life."

Community Security Director: Brett Butler

Contact: security@savj.org

Brett Butler brings a wealth of experience to the position of Community Security Director following almost thirty years of service with the Arlington (VA) County Police Department. As a Captain in the Criminal Investigations Section he supervised over 60 detectives, oversaw the Homicide Unit, advocated for laws that strengthened law enforcement, and has significant experience in community policing, working with government entities, and liaising with community civic organizations. He previously instructed at the Northern VA Criminal Justice Academy where he trained other officers.

He is a graduate of George Mason University, attended the FBI National Academy in Quantico, and Professional Executive Leadership School.

Butler acts as an expert security advisor, liaison and training coordinator for the community. Under his direction, security practices will be enacted, including, but not limited to:

Trainings for schools, synagogues and other institutions;
Information sharing with Community leaders and government partners;
Security consultations and threat assessments of our Jewish institutions;
Security grant consultation & support guidance;
On-hand community liaison with law enforcement for emergency events that may occur

Report an Incident

Click here to Report an Incident

It is our goal to identify and assess any potential threats to our community. It is important to report incidents as soon as you witness them. Keep in mind we are collecting all information that affects our community. Please use this form to report all suspicious activity and antisemitic acts. This information will be reviewed and shared with the appropriate local, state, and federal law enforcement for action and resolution.

Emergencies should be reported to police via 911 immediately.

Donate to Security

Click Here to Donate to Security

At the Savannah Jewish Federation the safety and security of our Jewish community is our number one priority.

In partnership with the Jewish Federations of North America, LiveSecure, an unprecedented security campaign and initiative to ensure the security and resiliency of our communities is taking place. With LiveSecure grant funding, local Federations will be able to provide the training, tools, and resources needed to protect those inside our Jewish community organizations in Savannah.

Through this partnership, LiveSecure will match donations made to the security initiative dollar for dollar – up to $250,000!

This vital partnership allows for the hiring of a fulltime, expert security advisor for the total Jewish community in Savannah.

Please consider making a separate gift to the security initiative this year, and know that your impact is increased through this special 1:1 match.

UPCOMING TRAINING CLASSES

(Each of the organizations warmly welcome guests from the community to all classes)

Oct 04	BeAware: Situational Awareness	Jewish Educational Alliance	7:00pm
Oct 11	Stop the Bleed	Congregation Agudath Achim	6:00pm
Oct 23	Countering Active Threats	Jewish Educational Alliance	7:00pm
Nov 16	Stop the Bleed	Jewish Educational Alliance	7:00pm
Dec 3	Adult & Pediatric CPR/First Aid/AED Training (online & in person)	Jewish Educational Alliance	12:00pm
Dec 04	Traveling Safely	Jewish Educational Alliance	4:00pm
Dec 13	Stop the Bleed	Jewish Educational Alliance	7:00pm
Jan 17	BeAware: Situational Awareness	Jewish Educational Alliance	7:00pm
Jan 31	Countering Active Threats	Jewish Educational Alliance	7:00pm
Feb 11	Adult & Pediatric CPR/First Aid/AED Training (online & in person)	Jewish Educational Alliance	12:00pm
Feb 15	Stop the Bleed	Jewish Educational Alliance	7:00pm
Mar 13	BeAware: Situational Awareness	Jewish Educational Alliance	7:00pm
Apr 07	Countering Active Threats	Jewish Educational Alliance	4:00pm
May 19	Adult & Pediatric CPR/First Aid & AED Training (online & in person)	Jewish Educational Alliance	12:00pm
Jun 2	Adult & Pediatric CPR/First Aid & AED Training (online & in person)	Jewish Educational Alliance	12:00 pm

Be Aware: An Introduction to Situational Awareness

This training will identify and explain the levels of situational awareness through lecture as well as scenario-based learning, give participants practical skillsets to enhance their situational awareness, allowing them to better protect themselves, their organizations, and their facilities. This training enables individuals to enhance their own safety and security against various threats, from active threats to everyday crime.

This course is approximately 1 hour in length.

Stop the Bleed (STB)

In an emergency situation, a person who is bleeding can die of blood loss within five minutes; knowing how to control bleeding can save your life or the life of someone near you. This course – appropriate for all audiences – offers training in basic bleeding control techniques such as direct pressure, wound packing, and tourniquet application. This course is a part of the national “Stop the Bleed” campaign, initiated by a federal interagency workgroup convened by the National Security Council Staff, The White House. The purpose of the effort is to build national resilience by better preparing the public to save lives by raising awareness of basic actions to stop life threatening bleeding following everyday emergencies as well as both man-made and natural disasters. This course is traditionally delivered in an in-person format because of its hands-on component. The didactic portion can be delivered via Zoom and then the hands-on component conducted at a later date in-person.

The entire course takes approximately 1 hour.

Countering an Active Threat Program

Our goal will be to educate our Community on how to “Commit to Action” if encountering any type of an active threat. The participants will be exposed to national best practices that will provide tangible instructive material that can be utilized at work or in everyday life. The core objectives that will be presented include:

Know the definition of an Active Threat
Know the difference between security and safety
Have a better understanding of Active Threat incidents
Be able to identify and explain the three modes of action during an active shooter incident: RUN, HIDE, FIGHT
Understand how to prepare for an active threat event
Know how to respond to law enforcement’s arrival
Understand the importance of additional training

This course is approximately 11/2 hours in length.