Deployment Self Protection and Individual Security Tactics

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Deployment Self Protection and Individual
Security Tactics

• The goal is to instill a tactical mindset
• To give ideas for further thought and training

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Steve Richter

• Logistics Section Chief CA2
• California state investigator
• Law enforcement firearms instructor
• Long time DMAT member
• ER and ICU nurse
• Multitude of Sheriffs Dept. assignments

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Introduction

• Emphasizes preventive tactics, threat assessment,
  threat avoidance and basic defensive measures
• Provides recommendations for further training

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Disclaimer

• These are my opinions designed to help you think
• I have no affiliation or financial interest in
  any products I might mention
• Illustrations do not imply endorsement
• There can be valid valuable differing opinions

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NDMS Rules Regulations

• Remember that on a deployment, there are rules
  you must follow

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No Good Deed Goes Unpunished

• Political and legal climate
• The good guy can be treated worse than the bad
  guy

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CA2 Security Element
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The reality is

• One person who is going to have the most concern
  about your safety is you

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Look for this trait in security personnel

• Nobody is going to get hurt, not on my watch
• Not when Im manning the perimeter

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Security and Law Enforcement

• Arent going to be everywhere you are
• They mostly investigate, after you are dead

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The Basics

• Stay alert stay alive
• Have a mindset appropriate to the setting
• Analyze the terrain
• Decide before hand how you will respond
• Look for avenues of escape
• Decide on a plan of action and execute it
  decisively
• Think about potential aftermaths

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Staying ALERT is Staying ALIVE

• Check your six
• Plan escapes
• Cover concealment
• Check your six

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States of Mental Alertness

• GREEN
• YELLOW
• ORANGE
• RED

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Condition Green

• Unaware of the surroundings
• Relaxed, comfortable, at rest
• Appropriate for safe secure settings
• A necessary condition for leisure, refreshment
  and enjoyment
• In the back of your mind, particularly in
  unfamiliar settings check your six

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Condition Yellow

• A general awareness of the environment once you
  start out from your secure areas
• Hotel hallways lobby parking lots
• In the neighborhood malls - stores laundry
• Public transportation
• A healthy index of suspicion
• Check your six

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Condition Orange

• There is a potential threat
• Tactical scanning of the environment
• Escape Evasion
• Flight or fight
• There is no shame in retreating
• Identify your options
• Check your six

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Condition Red

• Threat is apparent action is necessary
• Sometimes obvious GUN!
• Sometimes implied boxing you in
• Execute your plan
• Watch tunnel vision still survey your
  environment for other threats
• Check your six

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Step 1 Your Capabilities

• What level of force can you use?
• What training do you need
• The mindset must be consistent across all
  settings because threats can appear when you
  least expect them
• You must decide beforehand how you will choose to
  act

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Step 2 Situational Awareness

• The foundation is to be aware and awake
• Youre not deployed as a tourist sightseeing
• You are in a hazardous environment
• You are in unfamiliar territory
• You are a potential victim
• check your six

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Step Three Execute Your Plan

• This depends on your world view where you can
  choose options from a continuum where all life is
  precious
• All the way to you will not go gently into the
  light or the night

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Step Four Anticipate the Aftermath

• You can hurt
• You can get sued
• You can get fired
• You can get put in jail
• Post event stress disorders

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Lets Roll In Gravest Extreme

• You have to study your opponent, how he moves, so
  you know what he is going to do, before he does
  it
• You have to know that one moment in every fight
  when you win or lose, and you have to know how to
  wait for it
• And you have to not care whether you live or
  die...

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Ninth Golondrina

• Traffic stop on a bicyclist
• Hes got my gun!
• Both deputies in condition green!
• Immediate transition to red
• Big mistake complacency of the routine stop
• Never low risk but unknown risk

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Tactical Principles

• Youve got to move
• Evaluate cover concealment
• You can hide behind concealment but NOT from
  incoming rounds a bush
• Cover provides concealment plus protection a
  car engine block

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Movement Principles

• Drop down, run a few yards, drop down
• Wait for a pause
• Plan where you are going to move
• Crawl or low crawl
• Walls wont protect you bullets go through them
• Stop, look and listen

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Perceptual Distortions

• Tunnel vision
• Tunnel hearing
• Time distortion
• Dissociation
• Memory tricks

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Lytle Creek Shootout

• Former Special Forces Captain Jim Evans killed
  in the line of duty 1983
• He stood up to reload
• Tactical movement means life or death
• Know the terrain analyze it
• There are no second place winners

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Tactical Principles

• Be aware of what is around you (maybe someone
  just drops something walks off)
• Look for avenues of escape or safe havens
• Dont go there in the first place
• Safety in numbers

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Tactical Principles

• Communications cell phone/radio
• Always be aware of where you are if you need
  help where are you?
• Know where you are going
• Dont wander around like a tourist with cameras,
  purses, wallets, etc.
• Dont set patterns and routines

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Anonymity

• Theres no shame in being proud of your uniform
  and status
• But it can mark you as a target around town
• Be cautious and circumspect showing team items
  and your federal ID

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Eye Contact and Body Language

• Avoid eye contact is often perceived by an
  aggressor as fear or a challenge
• Be discreet about your surveillance of a threat
• Act confident and purposeful

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Special Situations Hostages

• Dont argue or resist
• Be obedient dont be tied up or blind folded
  both so your captor knows you are a person and
  if you take some action
• Time is on your side
• Be ready for instant action
• Listen to his/her problems
• Hit the floor and stay prone

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Special Situations Grenades

• They can roll a considerable distance
• Dive away, face down
• Point your closed legs toward the grenade
• Elbows at your side, cover your ears open your
  mouth

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Special Situations Guns/Knives

• If shot, chances are you won't die
• Lateral moves
• Gun take-a ways have to be close, decisive and
  quick
• Knives are as dangerous as guns

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Defensive tools

• Airport screening prevents you from carrying many
  items such as pepper spray and other defensive
  items
• There are always many sources around you once you
  arrive

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Just a few things
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Body Armor

• A lot of options styles to choose from
• Avoid Zylon and Spectra
• Kevlar preferably more comfortable weaves such
  as Kevlar Protera
• Levels IIA, II and IIIA
• Recommend Level II as a minimum
• Stops pistol rounds not sharp objects

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EMS/Fire Body Armor
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Inconspicuous Armor versus Traditional
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Tactical Lights

• Lithium versus alkaline / ni-cad
• Minimum lumens 65
• Distracts and disorients
• LEDS / Halogen / Zenon / etc
• Example Surefire M3 vrs Dorcy Spyder
• It must be intense and reliable

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Disorient and Escape
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Typical Tactical Light
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Pepper Spray

• Has limitations
• Not always legal
• Dont rely on SHU values or percent OC
• But percent capsaicin
• Must learn proper tactics
• Legal ramifications

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Dealing with law enforcement

• They dont know who you are or if you are the
  good guy or the bad guy
• Obey their orders
• Dont offer information but be cooperative
• Let them do their job
• I was afraid he was going to hurt me

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Law Enforcement

• Keep your hands in plain sight
• Dont approach them
• No sudden moves
• Dont joke around

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Legal Thoughts

• Dont become or be perceived as the aggressor
• Please leave me alone!
• I dont want any trouble
• Are you justified for what you are doing?
• Ive never met the reasonable man

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2nd Lena

• Responding deputy sees and hears a bat hitting
  somebody in the face
• Suspect approaches the deputy (who did not draw
  his weapon or respond tactically to a deadly
  threat)
• Gets an award for bravery by using verbal
  commands instead of you know you could have got
  yourself killed!

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Training

• Addresses pre-conflict stress
• Simple using gross motor skills
• Must be reality based
• Perceptual distortion

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OODA Loop

• Observe
• Orient
• Decide
• ACT

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Something to consider
Because all tactical operations are dynamic, they
are also time sensitive. Decisions and actions
that are delayed are often rendered ineffective
because of the constantly changing circumstances.
When an adversary is involved, the operation is
not only time sensitive, but also time
competitive. Time or opportunity neglected by
one adversary can be exploited by the other.
Recognizing the importance of this
characteristic, Napoleon said, It may be that in
the future I may lose a battle, but I shall never
lose a minute. Sid Heal, Los Angeles Sheriffs
Dept
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Observe

• Using all senses particularly sight
• Heads up, relaxed alert
• Be in command of your environment
• This behavior sends a signal to predators

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Orient

• Assess the situation and how fast it is happening
• How will it affect you?
• Ball bouncing in the street
• Sequential processing versus a response pathway
  reinforced by repetition
• Disorient your opponent

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Decide

• To be successful, we must fight with our minds
• SAS Do not send me strong men, I can get them
  by the dozen, send me men who can think
• Reacting using a pre-determined response modified
  for the situation

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ACT

• All of the phases of the loop define the act
• The act must be executed smoothly, accurately and
  powerfully
• Fast isnt fast, smooth is fast

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Disrupt Their OODA Loop

• Visual distractions (ie tactical light)
• Yelling
• Mel Gibsons three stooges

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Centennial Park Bombing

• DMAT 4 man team responded with FBI SWAT
• Aware of possible secondary device
• Set up treatment station inside concrete walls
• We were there to assist not become additional
  victims

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Seek outside training

• Call the local police academy
• Ask others
• Books
• Martial arts classes with an emphasis on street
  fighting reality based
• Tactical training schools
• Your employer

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Department of Veterans Affairs
Department of Veterans AffairsLaw Enforcement
Training CenterATTN Ronald Angel, Director2200
Fort Roots Drive, Building 104Little Rock,
Arkansas 72114ronald.angel_at_med.va.gov501-257-41
60501-257-4145 (fax)
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Training and Tactics

• No matter what newest and latest rocket launcher,
  laser gun or other whiz bang toy you can get,
• There is no substitute for a tactical mindset

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Thank you for your attention