A New School Year And A New Mindset — Preparedness For Teachers
My wife is a schoolteacher and is just starting her 23rd year in the classroom. As one of my primary responsibilities, I have been training people in active shooter preparedness for over a decade. I [...]
Suicide Is Not Painless, It Is Permanent
It was eight or nine nights after an event I was involved in. The community activists, the media (local and national), and several politicians had gone absolutely sideways and turned into a mob. The only [...]
The Role Of Inert Weapons In Law Enforcement Training
The use of inert training weapons is paramount for ensuring safety while honing critical skills. Two prominent brands in this field are Armament Systems and Procedures (ASP)Red Guns® and Ring's Manufacturing Blueguns®. Both are meticulously [...]
Umarex T4E – Ready For Force-On-Force
Since the Circuit Court's ruling in Popow vs. Margate (476 F. Supp. 1237 (DNJ 1979), the courts have been telling us that we need to conduct relevant training. That training needs to address decision-making and [...]
The Creeper In The Woods — A Lesson In Situational Awareness
After a recent run in the woods, I got to practice my self-defense skills. Here is what happened. Pulling into the parking lot, I looked around and noticed a man by himself. He was moving [...]
Giving Commands
Recently, body-worn camera (BWC) footage from a police department on the West Coast was sent to me. While the sender wanted to discuss something else, the commands given were of interest to me. Or, I [...]
Where Did These Words Hurt You?
Anytime two or more shooters get together, there will be disagreements, discussions, or differences on something, just like with any other group. The discussions between those shooters can be more spirited because of their emotional [...]
Where Are They Taking My Gun? — Post-Shooting Forensics
Whether you work for a department having civilians or sworn in charge of your forensic investigation unit, there are certain common denominators throughout the country. Understandably, no matter what the circumstances of an officer’s shooting [...]
From One To The Next — Some Handheld Light Techniques
We are far more likely to use and need a hand-held flashlight than we are a pistol-mounted light. Never mind lights mounted on shotguns and carbines. Those are for another discussion. Before we get into [...]
Tactical Anatomy
In recent years, tactical anatomy has had a renaissance. Some instructors are again emphasizing it while integrating it into their coursework. Others (like this author) make it a primary focus. What we have lacked is [...]
Pepper & Sticks
Change "The only thing cops hate more than change is the way things are." I don't know where to attribute that quote because I've heard it so much over the years. We tend to complain [...]
Giving Commands
Recently, body-worn camera (BWC) footage from a police department on the West Coast was sent to me. While the sender wanted to discuss something else, the commands given were of interest to me. Or, I [...]
Emergency Dental First Aid Kit
Suffering a dental injury is always stressful and often very painful. Having it happen during a crisis takes it to a whole other level. Being prepared for these events provides you with options and buys [...]
TacMed Solutions 5th Gen SOF® Tourniquet
Current medical protocol considers the tourniquet an initial lifesaving intervention to control massive hemorrhage from an extremity. Tourniquets are the standard of care due to their ease of use, rapid application, and complete stoppage of [...]
Tactical Anatomy
In recent years, tactical anatomy has had a renaissance. Some instructors are again emphasizing it while integrating it into their coursework. Others (like this author) make it a primary focus. What we have lacked is [...]
Survival Medications: A Review Of Jase Medical Base Case
(Editor’s note – making preparations like these for yourself and your loved ones allows you to be better focused on the task at hand during a widespread disaster or emergency.) In this article, we examine [...]
Inattention Or Just Confusion?
Over the past few (several?) years, the firearms training community has seen an influx of new and non-traditional students. These students are often new gun owners with minimal prior exposure to firearms. One frequent issue [...]
Focusing on Manual Safeties
As a trainer, I work with cops from a wide variety of agencies, and it’s always interesting to me when students from diverse backgrounds make the same mistakes in training. One example that I see [...]
Shifting From One Side To The Other
Lateral Transitions - No, not Literal. Lateral - moving side to side, sideways. Why? Two-fold. 1st, BadGuys move. Few people will stand there and not move once gunshots begin to be fired. You see it [...]
On Target: Reading Wind and Trajectory
Understanding the impact of wind on a projectile's trajectory is crucial for precision shooting. Trajectory refers to the path that a projectile or object follows through space because of external forces acting upon it. For [...]