“EVERYONE IS A FIRST RESPONDER” | MOORPARK’S COVERED 6 PROVIDES TACTICAL TRAINING FOR PUBLIC SAFETY

AWARENESS TOWARD SELF-RELIANCE

“We’re at the highest point we’ve ever been in awareness toward self-reliance for public safety, which includes civilians,” Dunn said. “Everyone’s a citizen, everyone’s affected by the things that are happening — the volatility, the uncertainty. Our programs are important because civilians are part of the effort to be a first responder.”

Covered 6 is military vernacular that essentially means, “your back is covered,” said Dunn. The company is made up of a group of highly trained professionals with backgrounds in law enforcement, military and corporate security who have gained experience in austere environments, real-life combat scenarios and major crisis management, both stateside and abroad.

Through what Dunn calls a “holistic approach,” Covered 6 “balances courtesy and compliance” with specialists that provide a sophisticated, innovative and collaborative solution for clients seeking protection across the board. These solutions are provided through physical and cyber security, protecting communities and providing executive protection for high-net-worth individuals, including those who are targets of sophisticated attacks.

Courses at Covered 6 that are open to the public include Tactical Emergency Casualty Care, in which lessons learned from military personnel are applied to the civilian world of tactical medicine. Skills taught in this class include hemorrhage control, care for pediatric patients, and techniques for dragging and carrying victims to safety.

Janice Parvin, the mayor of Moorpark, said “it’s good to have this type of training available, especially during the times we’re living in.”

DEFEND, GUARD, PROTECT

Aug. 24 was officially designated as Covered 6 Day in Moorpark by Parvin during the grand opening of the Covered 6 Patriot Center, a 20,000-square-foot state-of-the-art training facility located on Patriot Drive. More than 500 people, including veterans and their families, attended the open house, where the Moorpark Mayor praised Covered 6 for specializing in security training, cyber training and executive protection. These and other skills are taught through Academy Courses at Covered 6.

During the open house, Mayor Parvin gave special recognition to Dunn “for finding jobs for our veterans.”

“Chris is an Army veteran and former police detective in Los Angeles,” she said. “He employs veterans and has helped other companies hire veterans — about 700 so far.”

Defend, guard, protect is the motto of Covered 6, Dunn said during the open house.

“The philanthropic vision of what we do with veterans has now become one of our primary missions,” Dunn noted. “We’ve been engaged in the longest war in U.S. history; we have people that have come out . . . and trying to get a job is extremely difficult because those skills don’t necessarily apply. Veterans are one of our single greatest resources we have.”

To that end, the C6 Foundation, a nonprofit organization, gives veterans “compacted support” by providing vocational certifications and, ultimately, job placements.

“The C6 Foundation directly supports the veterans and their families who have run out of benefits, fall on hard times or need assistance to get back on track — while maintaining their dignity,” said Dan Arnold, president of the C6 Foundation.

Many military veterans face challenges when they transition back to civilian life, he noted. Some who go to college obtain a general degree and debt. Others don’t know how to apply their skills from the military.

Those eligible to receive help from the C6 Foundation include any first responders or veterans, as well as civilians who demonstrate a desire to make their lives better through defending, guarding and protecting others. “Many describe this desire as a calling, or a way of life,” Arnold said. “We are dedicated to helping in these ways because we feel this is the most effective way to get someone back in the right mindset for success.”

CIVILIANS IN A THREAT-SCAPE WORLD

As a civilian living in a threat-scape world, Julie Bellinder has “chosen to be a survivor at all cost.”

In 2010, she was a victim of domestic violence, in which “the verbal and physical abuse occurred several times and yet I felt somehow I deserved it,” recalled Bellinder, 41, of Ventura.

“I lived in fear for years after the ordeal . . . constantly looking over my shoulder, becoming a prisoner in my own home,” she said. “My self-esteem and confidence to face the world and unknowns was lost. When someone labels you as a victim, it makes you feel weak and defenseless.”

She had a paradigm shift when she enrolled in the Physical Security Specialist Program though Covered 6 last year, with the intent of pursuing a career within the private sector as well as surveillance. The modules covered during this five-week academy included arresting techniques, surveillance, active shooter situations, tactical emergency casualty care, de-escalation techniques, situational awareness and firearms training.

“I remember the first day . . . all of the students sitting in a classroom, complete strangers. I was nervous and excited all at once, not knowing what to expect,” Bellinder remembered. Over the course of five weeks, “we trained hard together, learned a lot of important information pertaining to the private security sector, and forged friendships along the way. There was a sense of camaraderie between all of us.”

Bellinder also took the Carrying Concealed Weapon training course. “The instructors spent a fair amount of time in a classroom setting reviewing gun laws and firearm safety. After the class room instruction, we went up to the range to qualify,” she said. “The instructors that teach the course are extremely knowledgeable and spend time with the students ensuring that everyone understands the fundamentals of operating a firearm in a safe and effective manner.”

SKILL SETS FOR LIFE

Looking back, Bellinger believes she is not the same woman she was before she trained at Covered 6.

“I had gained more than just knowledge. I had changed. No longer did I look over my shoulder; no longer did I feel weak or defenseless. I walked with purpose and had a confidence about me that no one person will ever take away.”

Today, “I can go out into the world with eyes wide open, being situationally aware of my surroundings and having the knowledge on how to defend myself, guard against threats and protect my family and friends.”

As a civilian, “the training I learned through Covered 6 are skill sets I implement into my life on a daily basis, not only on a professional level, but on a personal one as well. I encourage everyone to seek out formal training of this caliber and learn how to protect yourself and loved ones living in today’s society.” 

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE COVERED 6 SECURITY ACADEMY HERE: https://c6securityacademy.com

COVERED 6: LENDING A HAND TO OUR VETERANS

By Alicia Doyle

An Army Reservist for 14 years, Margurie Evans discovered Covered 6 while working at the post office and looking to utilize her specialized skill set she learned in the military.

“A lot of veterans come out of the service with no idea of what they’re going to do,” says Evans, 34, who found Covered 6 in Moorpark while doing an online search.

“It felt like the right move,” says Evans, who took physical security and executive protection courses at Covered 6, which provides vocational certifications—and ultimately, job placement.

“Jumping into the security field is… easier than anything else that is offered, because most of the jobs that are offered to veterans coming out of service are usually law enforcement-oriented,” she says. “This gives those veterans the ability to not have to jump into a job that’s chosen for them, but a job that they can choose.”

Many veterans have difficulties transitioning back to civilian life—some attend college, obtain a general degree and acquire debt, while others don’t know how to apply their military skills.

Covered 6 is military vernacular derived from service members telling each other that they are safe—in other words, “your back is covered,” explains Chris Dunn, CEO and founder of Covered 6.

With active shootings and domestic terror attacks in today’s times, the need for a national private security standard is greater than ever before, says Dunn. Covered 6 meets this need through protective services across the globe, tactical and vocational training programs, and patented product innovations for first responders.

When incidents occur, “those of us who are trained already are usually the first ones to step up and take action and help,” Evans says.

“You hear about a veteran helping a person during a mass conflict, or a person when there is a random shooter—usually it’s a veteran that’s the first one to step up,” Evans emphasizes. “With the specialized training that Covered 6 offers, it only makes us more prepared for those who are looking to have protection for themselves and their neighbors.”

Some veterans fall on hard times because their benefits run out and they find themselves disillusioned and homeless, says Dan Arnold, president of the C6 Foundation, a nonprofit involved with Covered 6.

The C6 Foundation directly supports veterans and their families who have run out of benefits, fall on hard times or need assistance to get back on track—while maintaining their dignity, says Arnold, noting that the foundation helps provide essentials like housing, meals, clothing and tuition support.

Those eligible to receive help include any first responder or veteran, as well as civilians who demonstrate a desire to make their lives better through defending, guarding and protecting others. “Many describe this desire as a calling or a way of life,” Arnold says.

“We are dedicated to helping in these ways because we feel this is the most effective way to get someone back in the right mindset for success,” Arnold says, adding that Ronald Reagan said it best: “If you want to cure PTSD, give a veteran a job.”

“Employment sourcing is an essential part of the program,” says Arnold, noting that 85% of recipients are placed after attending the programs. “Things like self-respect, service, passion and dignity cannot be restored by temporary gratification and handouts. People need a sense of purpose to do what they are drawn to—which is protect and serve.”