This class was conducted in three parts: The first was indoor dry runs, learning the hows (and more importantly, whys) of clearing structures. The second was outdoor dry and live-fire practice emphasizing teamwork in flanking and movement by bounds. The last part of the class was back indoors, integrating flashlights into our methods for clearing structures in low light situations.

This refresher training was part of continuing education for volunteer security teams guarding houses of worship in the Phoenix metro area. The training took place at Gunsite Academy. After doing “dry” room clearing with SIRT pistols in the Playhouse, live fire in the Pit shoot house, and live fire on the Urban Scrambler, students rotated to the TacMed skills station on the Shotquad range. This article details what medical skills were trained and why.

Periodically over the last few years, Heloderm has worked with a preschool to train their personnel, harden their facilities, and develop practical action plans for the event of violence and other emergencies. This time, we reviewed Run Hide Fight principles (about a third of the students had not been in previous sessions) before EXERCISING their plans. Simulations included stimulus (blank fire) and the actual communications systems they have to use. This post summarizes what was trained on 05 Aug 2024, and why.

The development and combat history of the GI .45 (and its clones) has been exhaustively addressed elsewhere. This article mostly focuses on specific aspects of manipulating single action 1911 pattern pistols, with some of the safety feature engineering and lore thrown in for context. It wraps with my own experiences and lessons from carrying and shooting the M1911A1.

We celebrate every time another glass ceiling is shattered. But sadly, gender inequalities still plague us. For example, most predators are male, and most rape victims are still female. We don’t seek to increase the number of female predators; rather we seek to reduce the number of ladies being victimized. Here are some tools you can use to avoid becoming a statistic. Ladies’ Personal Protection is ideal for college coeds, high schoolers about to enter the dating scene, and those who close up businesses or work late shifts; but any ages, husband and wife teams, or any other combination of genders are welcome.

As we approach the 4th anniversary of George Floyd’s tragic and unnecessary death on 25 May 2020, pundits on opposite sides of what Lawrence Kasdan called “The Grand Canyon” still separating too many Americans of different colors are rolling out the same diametrically opposed versions of the event. I was not there, but as both a law enforcement Use of Force instructor AND a 30+ year EMT, I think there are lessons here that can prevent repeating the mistakes of the past–IF we heed them.

Teachers at a Lutheran pre-school spent an hour learning how to off-line various pistols, as continuing education in support of their school’s emergency action plan. There was also some exposure to countering edged weapons attacks. Although we did not expect anyone to achieve mastery in the limited time available, we hoped that this brief exposure at least convinced them they can defend their kids if necessary, even if unarmed and facing kinetic threats. This training summary outlines what was taught and why on February 5, 2024.

In life-threatening situations, we tend to get hyper-focused on the task at hand, to the exclusion of all other stimuli. While this may be a survival oriented response, it can also cause us to miss something important, like additional patients, or the person who caused the mayhem coming back to finish the job. Here are some ways you can stay global in your perpsective.

Bag valve masks are underappreciated tools for getting air into your patient, without getting close to their face and breathing the same air. This information can help you use BVMs more effectively with less risk to your patients.

In tactical medicine, we talk about the “hot zone, the warm zone, and the cold zone.” We make those distinctions to differentiate what kind of care we should be giving under which conditions. But its critical to realize that what’s cold and what’s hot changes rapidly in dynamic active violence events. There really is no such thing as a permanently cold zone.
For many years fire departments pushed back against any kind of tactical training. They had no problem running into burning buildings, but one bozo with a .22 anywhere in a 100 acre complex was “too dangerous.” This article gives the lie to the notion that EMS personnel can continue to operate without at least rudimentary tactical training.

Part II of our series on one of the most difficult dilemmas potentially faced by armed citizens picks up where Hostage Rescue in the Home left off. In addition to protocols that go beyond head shots, we delve into the tragic, nauseating world of child abduction, and what you can do about it.
Part A of this article discusses essential traits and skills required for hostage rescue.
Part B gives you options beyond head shots, should the opportunity for a CNS strike not present itself.
Part C discusses dealing with crimes against children.

The Friday before 2023’s annual AZ CSN Defending the Flock conference, we did four hour sessions to get deeper into subjects we could only touch upon during an hour and half breakout session. Two of those dealt with movement, and how it’s not always possible to get off the X. This annotated training outline covers aspects of hostage rescue and how proxemics affect use of force.

If someone breaks in and is kidnapping your kid, you (hopefully, backed up by your trained domestic partner) ARE the hostage rescue team. This article, first of our two-part series specifically addressing Hostage Rescue, discusses several fundamental concepts that you should probably practice with your family BEFORE you have to save your kids.

If you trade bullets with someone, expect to get hurt in some way. Your tactical training is less than it should be if it does not address how to help the wounded. This is not a comprehensive medical dictionary, but rather, explanations of some terms germaine to the “tactical medicine” / rescue taskforce world.

The Spanish learned, during their half-millenium occupation of the Philippines, how effective bolos are as close combat tools. Some Spanish bayonets were clearly modeled after bolos, intended for chopping as well as stabbing. This article discusses Philippine edged weapons, along with some of the history and identifying characteristics of two Spanish bolo blades and a Spanish Yataghan.

“Point” and “area” targets are military concepts that are directly applicable to active violence and counterterrorism. You should know more than just the difference between them, which is not rocket science. You should know how to avoid having a target on your back, be it the point or area variety. Some of this article was excerpted from a password protected summary of a site security survey I conducted at a high school in Arizona.

This was the second of two classes for educators at a pre-K to 8th grade school. In this session we practiced movement in response to stimulus (blanks from an AK), communication, and response to thrown IEDs. This summary adds additional detail regarding IED searches and recognition. We finished by practicing evacuation, researching useful escape routes from that mostly glass-walled school.

Students from a Tucson Junior High school learned principles of patient movement, both hand-carried and via improvised and purpose-built litters. This series of outdoor exercises, conducted over two days, developed teamwork, communication, and personal responsibility. But the main lesson was that we don’t NEED to be helpless in an emergency; we can be part of the solution, rather than part of the problem.

A small “tactical” flashlight can be a useful force multiplier for personal defense. It’s quicker to use and brighter than a cell phone light. It also hurts more when used for striking. Some flashlights come with crenelated bezels, essentially making them edged weapons. This article explores different use of force options, examining landmark court cases relating to the use of impact tools, and flashlights as impact tools. It also addresses some aspects of race relations as they pertain to the optics of using force.