Safety and Survival Seminar Izaak Walton Linn County 8.17-18.19

Taught a 2 day seminar including Active Shooter Response, Casualty Care and Prolonged Care

Active Shooter Response Seminar Highway Equipment Company 1.16.19

Conducted and ASRC seminar for new hires

Mandalay Bay FEMA After Action Report

FEMA released its report on the Mass Shooting at the Route 91 Harvest Festival in Las Vegas on 1 Oct 2017.

Some interesting highlights that bolster positions I have promoted for some time in regards to civilian preparedness and medical response.

"Good Samaritan stories of civilians—as well as many off-duty first responders and military—aiding, protecting, and providing care to the wounded were a major success observed in this response. These efforts were essential to saving many lives before emergency medical crews were able to access the site. A medical director for emergency preparedness at a trauma center that received patients from the Boston Marathon bombing in 2013 explained, “Time is the most critical factor…People would talk about the golden hour. Really, what we’re talking about is the golden minutes.”3 Transportation and basic first-aid “Stop the Bleed” care provided by local citizens and other concertgoers enabled many wounded to later access the life-saving care they needed "

From the report:
Recommendations: Fire Department and Law Enforcement

 Ensure that response agencies have mechanisms in place to coordinate with civilian volunteers and organize donations, efficiently incorporating these resources into operations.
Support community “Stop the Bleed” first-aid training and education programs. "

Active Shooter Response Covington La. 8.14 and 14.2018

Helped Bearco training with ASRC

Active Shooter Response 7.16.18

Active Shooter Response Seminar Pekin Insurance 5.21.18

Gave a daylong seminar to varying groups of employees. Active Shooter Response is an important topic. About 500 employees participated. 

ASRC 3.31.2018

CVO Guntalk Episode 027 “What Now?”

Run Hide Fight....There is no order

Active shooter response programs teach in a linear format that is designed so that the student can learn the knowledge in a logical order. The ALICE program uses Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, Escape, The Department of Homeland Security encourages you to RUN HIDE FIGHT!!! The program I teach talks about Evade,Barricade Respond. What is missed in the national discussion about these programs is that none of them are designed to follow a specific order.

In a chaotic spree killer situation people are going to react as individuals first. They are going to react based on their ability to process information,their experience,training,physical abilities and mindset. Each response will be individual and unique. Any training program that assumes that a coordinated group response is guaranteed is setting victims up for failure. While group action may occur it will only occur after individuals have decided what is best for them.

Evade
Evasion is the act of getting somewhere the killer can not reach us. This is always the best option. However based on the immediate situation it might not be the first option. It is very likely an individual might have to barricade, arm themselves, then run. One may have to run to a position of cover that is short of actually exiting,barricade and fight only to run again.

Barricade
Barricading is the act of making it harder for the killer to get to us. It can involve piling heavy furniture in front of or locking the door. Covering windows,turning off the lights, being quiet. Hiding is a form of barricading. What ever action you can take to make it harder for the killer to get to you is barricading.

Respond
Respond is any act we can do to to keep the killer from hurting us. Should you choose to respond you need to do it like your life depends on it, because it does. You want to attack eyes,joints, vulnerable areas of the anatomy and shut down the attackers "computer". This is not the time for compassion or squeamishness. This is life or death and you need to mentally prepare yourself for that. If the attacker has a firearm as long as you are not in front of the muzzle it can't hurt you. Redirect it, look for opportunities or lulls in fire. Malfunctions or reloads are a good time to act.

All of these things may happen simultaneously or not at all depending on the situation. When you are developing an active shooter response plan you need to develop a defense in depth. Make a minefield for the attacker to hinder their ability to hurt you. Constantly look to improve your situation and arm yourself with improvised weapons. Your plan will evolve based on updated information.

Try this 10 second drill wherever you go

Where are the exits (traditional and non traditional)
Possible cover?
Who looks like a threat?
Who looks like they will help me?
Who looks like they won't?
What improvised weapons do I see?
What plausible scenarios might happen here?

Be safe and keep training

Active Shooter Response Class 2.3.18

ASRC x 2. A long day but successful.

Active Shooter Response Course Edgewood-Colesburg CSD 8.21.17

86 more school employees with the knowledge they need to have a plan.

Active Shooter Response Course Trinity Lutheran School 8.15.17

20 more educators better prepared to help themselves and others

ALERRT

I was recently afforded the opportunity to attend the two day 16 hour ALERRT course with some other officers from the department I am a Reserve Officer for. ALERRT advertises itself as the "National Standard" for law enforcement response to active shooter situations. 

The instructors were experienced LEO from departments in LA,TX and IA. They all had SWAT or tactical team backgrounds however this is not a tac team course. ALERRT is for the patrol officer that may respond to an incident of this type and often may work with 1 or 2 other officers with whom they have never trained . There is a potential for even a single officer to engage. The context was very appropriate to my situation, as my department is small with only a few officer's on duty at one time. Our back up potentially could be delayed based upon geography.

I won't go into specifics of training as this class was for LEO only. I want to talk about my impressions however. On day 1 our head instructor made a statement which instantly won my respect. He stated that ( I am paraphrasing) "LEO are not adequately trained." My first thought was YUSH!!! I am on the same sheet of music here!! I have long maintained that many LEO and more specifically anyone who carries a firearm for self defense do not take training seriously enough. There is a responsibility we have to the community to be the best trained individual we can be. And not just with our weapon. We need to be familiar with  pre assault cues, grappling, trauma management, communications, de escalation, physical fitness and a myriad of other subjects. We need to continue to advance our abilities without the attitude "They aren't paying me" or " It won't happen here". It is unfathomable to me why this class did not have a waiting list. It wasn't even completely full and that is a problem that needs to be corrected.  I will make mention however that my department had the single biggest contingent and we acquitted ourselves well during the training. 

This course also validated many other things that I teach during my own instruction. Although if I didn't believe in it I wouldn't be teaching it, it is satisfying to get independent validation. Primarily how the body reacts under stress and how these reactions affect our ability to engage a threat. For instance I teach kinethestic alignment of the shooter and the fact that you will not need your sights or find them particularly interesting when the threat is inside 9-15 feet. This point was validated when during a room clearing sequence I was ambushed by an unexpected second gunman. I recall lowering my center of gravity, squaring towards the threat, punching my weapon out until it stopped and pulling the trigger as fast as I could. What I don't recall is ever looking at my sights. I was looking at the chest of the gunman as they fired back, my weapon was vaguely in my line of sight somewhere between us. I achieved 3 center mass hits acrossed a standard class room. This information was extremely valuable to me. 

I enjoyed this course and am glad I had the opportunity to go. Any of my LEO friends that haven't gone need to get themselves to the next available course

First Responder Casualty Care Iowa County 6.3.207

Went over some TECC/RTF principles with a group of EMS,Fire and Police

Active Shooter Response Course 5.20.17

Great group of folks at the Masonic Lodge. Thanks for having me

Active Shooter Response Course North Tama High School 4.10.2017

Active Shooter Response Course 2.25.17

Great class. Everyone worked very hard and had some smiles