Rapid Response Focus on your goal

Note: The following is an overview and

should not be considered as training.

Search out the threat and stop the violence

You must get to the shooter or shooters

and stop their violence

Contact Team or Single Officer

If bad guys are shooting, you know where they

are by the gunfire – move to them quickly

Bypass other rooms and areas If they are not shooting

• Use your intel (verbal, visual, radio) to move quickly to the shooters.
• Slow down and do quick entries/searches as you move where needed
• Avoid walking into an ambush

Challenge or engage the shooter(s) when you encounter them

If life not in imminent danger, transition to SWAT mode

• When the shooter has stopped, it has now become a hostage situation.
• Wait for the local law enforcement team to arrive and pass control to them.

Typical movement mistakes

• Not moving smoothly
• Getting too tense
• Moving too fast
• Moving too slow
• Failing to communicate with each other
• Every officer trying to command the team
• Moving into each other’s line of fire
• Not maintaining areas of responsibility
• Breaking role

Training is the key!

All members of the team that are authorized for a sidearm must have appropriate training.

Rescue Team

• Follows entry team
• Removes victims (including officers)
• Must be capable of becoming contact team if perpetrators encountered
• Fire/EMS personnel rescue team issues
• Non-sworn
• No tactical skills
• No training
• Armed?
• Not likely to enter an un-secured area anyway
• TEMS exceptions

Conclusions

Most incidents over by the time the first police officers

are on scene.

Immediate action by on-scene church security officers is

the most likely tactic to have a positive effect.

Israel had similar problems in their synagogues and schools

They arm the population

They arm the teachers

Synagogues and schools are no longer targets