Rapid Deployment concept – Overview
Note: The following is an overview and should not be considered as training.
An active shooter is now in your church. How to
search out the threat and stop the violence
Imperative
- Stop the violence NOW
How do you operate?:
- Search the structure with minimally safe team
- Move quickly to sounds/source of violence
- Search only when source of violence unknown
- Move past victims and threats (IEDs, etc.)
- Engage and neutralize perpetrators
Reality
- It may be you or 2 of you
- You can’t wait for the police or SWAT teams
- No rescue team
- Chaos will reign
Your Job 1 is to neutralize the perpetrator
All officers need to have basic searching/clearing/movement training…
- Both alone and as part of a team
- Use normal building clearing techniques when searching Only faster
Moving in the facility:
- Do not be in tight formation
- Spread out patrol-like
- Utilize cover and leapfrogging
Do you know how?
- Maintain areas of control with firearm muzzle in a safe direction when possible.
Structure movement principles
- Muzzle orientated to general area of danger
- All areas of responsibility (AOR) covered
- Scan areas as you pass them
- ALWAYS with a high or low ready or SUL —muzzle not pointed at innocents!
- T intersections: wings pie both ways; lead pies in direction of travel
- X intersections: make a choice!
- Stairs: normal clears for type
- Emphasis on flow and speed
- Room entry principles
- Stack if door open
- Wings enter or wing/point entry
- Door closed: get one officer to try door knob
- Pie through door glass if you cross
Entry
Structured: criss-cross vs. button hook
Unstructured: whatever the other officer doesn’t do
Maintain Area Of Responsibality
Drive to corners (often advisable)
Triangulate on suspect
Speed: AVOID FATAL FUNNEL!
As you move
Members and visitors will be running past you.
Detain them and gather intel
Where?
How many?
Race?
Sex?
Weapons?
Clothing?
Pass by injured, dead and dying
Might be your friends, relatives, or even children
Pass by IEDs
Sprinklers may be spraying, noises will be loud, chaos will be everywhere
- You need to ignore the wounded, distractions and focus on getting to the active shooter.
