Thursday, January 17, 2013
Nicole Reino
An active shooter incident is in progress inside of a middle school. Your mission: End the violence, and save as many lives as possible.
You’re not waiting for SWAT to arrive. You’ve been through the active-shooter drills. You’re trained to do this. Once you get inside the doors, you’ve got it covered.
But that’s just it: You have to get through the doors, all of which are either locked or barricaded. The fire department isn’t there yet. Do you have any breaching tools with you? Do you know how to use them?
According to Austin PD Officer Will Mercado, the lack of breaching training for patrol officers is a huge problem in law enforcement.
“All the training, equipment and world-class CQB skills are worthless if you can’t get inside the door,” he says.
Mercado shared the importance of exigent breaching, as well as training, tactics, tools and policy considerations, during the Law Enforcement Education Program at the 2013 SHOT Show. Here are some critical points you need to know:
TACTICS FOR BREACHING
They’re not just for active-shooter incidents, but also for medical emergencies, hostage rescue, rescue from fire, etc.
Approaches:
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Everybody is coming: You may have to park far away; procure tools from fire department.
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Entry point: Consider choosing an alternative (main doors may be where ambush/fortifications are).
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Crossing threat areas: Use cover but move quickly. Don’t get bogged down. Get to and inside the objective.
Approach Considerations
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Bounding overwatch: Used when there is sporadic cover such as a parking lot. Quicker movement, small unit tactics. Teams of two are ideal.
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Wedge: Used when there’s little to no cover available. Slower movement, maximize fire power to the front, spread out officers -- harder to target.
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Collapse on breach point: Breach, scan and enter.
BREACH POINT SPECIFICS
Train to recognize construction and operation quickly so the proper tools and techniques can be applied.
Doors:
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Operation: inward/outward opening; double swing.
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Construction: solid or hollow core doors, wood or metal; wood or metal frames.
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Locking mechanisms: deadbolts, magnetic, push bars.
Windows:
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Construction: Safety glass, Plexiglas, Lexan, laminate, double pane, wire mesh, frame or crossbar.
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Glass affords several possibilities: Entry point (glass fully cleared out); port and cover; etc.
BREACHING TOOL CONSIDERATIONS
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Simple
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Cost
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Ease of carry
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Ease of training
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Sources: borrow tools from fire department
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Availability
BREACHING TACTICS
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Manual: Most common, least expensive, easiest to train, easiest to deploy, can manufacture or procure, but the tools (e.g., Ram, Hooligan or other pry tools, sledge hammer, bolt cutters) are often heavy and unwieldy.
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Ballistic: When utilized correctly, shotgun breaching is safe, efficient and effective. 12-guage shotguns are easy to obtain, inexpensive, familiar, easily modified, easily accessorized, and munitions are inexpensive and easy to utilize. But you’re introducing the sounds of gunfire, so communication is imperative to avoid blue-on-blue situations.
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Improvised: Tire iron, flashlight, BFR, baseball bat, vehicle.
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Mechanical: Hydraulic or pneumatic devices -- not normally equipment officers have.
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Explosive/energetic: Safe and effective tactic in defeating most obstacles.
BREACHING TRAINING
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Regular and consistent training is necessity.
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Start with a single officer and work toward team employment – build door frames, unutilized donated doors/windows; find structures set for demolition; damage not required – can simulate.
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Documentation – video is good.
POLICY
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Develop policy and procedures for the tactic – protects the officer and the agency.
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SOPs should cover: purpose, justification, deployment procedures, communications, training required, reporting/documentation.
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Develop policy to protect and provide guide for officers.
