I was excoriated not too long ago by one of our readers who thought I was excessively concerned with self-defense and survival issues. “Write something that can actually help me teach, you obsessive asshole!”
“Damn!” I thought. ”talk about being direct and to the point. Matter of fact, hard to miss the point.” And I actually was chastened and considered changing my themes, even though I am sort of an expert in these areas, but then the next time I started to post I noticed that the fricking web site is actually titled Keep Schools Safe, so here we go with another Obsessively Safety Oriented Post by The Hammer—
ON TRAINING STUDENTS AND TEACHERS TO BE “ACTIVE RESISTORS”
Summer’s virtually gone and in a few days most schools, from elementary to collegiate, will open their doors to their students. Teachers and professors are already there. Preparing. Lots of things to learn. Education is so important to everyone. It is our country’s future and all that.
But not too long ago a crazed gunman raked a movie theater, of all places, with gunfire. Walked up and down and across aisles of horrified women, children, men and slaughtered many of them while no one made a move to stop him. Few were able to escape the madness and the madman. The psycho fired and fired again and strode through the theater with impunity, finally leaving the theater the same way he had entered. Unnoticed.
So, here’s an idea of mine – one I have written about here before, but one I hope schools seriously consider now: Isn’t it time for our primary, secondary, and collegiate school systems to reconsider their Lockdown Protocols, Policies, and Procedures? Is it time to train our teachers, security staff, and students how to be “Active Resistors?”
Not saying that having Lock Down protocols in place is a bad thing. Matter of fact with reinforced doors and locks, many students can stay safe until police can arrive and neutralize the freak. But, Hell’s Fire, Louise, all too often an active shooter can enter unnoticed – especially if he or she is a student – and the whole insane event can go down before anybody can go into lock-down!
Lock Down
Once the LockDown System is activated, teachers and students are trained to lock the door(s), turn out the lights, lower any drape(s) or shades, and huddle in the dark, waiting for outside help to arrive and save them. If it works, which history has shown it often does, wonderful. But, essentially, teachers and students alike passively await their fate! Like sheep, in my view.
And it is my contention that the training and the system itself indoctrinates and orients teachers and students alike to remain passive victims when the shooter does break through the door and enters the room firing his or her semi-automatic weapon. And, if you think about it a second, isn’t it possible, instead of waiting and holding their collective breath, couldn’t they begin preparing for the worse-case-scenario while the active shooter is outside their door?
ACTIVE RESISTANCE AGAINST THE ACTIVE SHOOTER
Something different to consider. How about training students, teachers, and security on becoming aggressive against a shooter? Not just aggressive, but active-aggressive with some tactical planning. Maybe borrow some time-proven law enforcement strategies used and “perfected” by law enforcement? Okay, well, mayhaps you need a few examples to help you decide.
Like in Cazenovia, Wisconsin, September, 29, 2006, when 15-year-old Eric Hainstock strode through the hallway of his school with a pocketed handgun and a shotgun in his hands. A maintenance man boldly challenged Hainstock and swiped the shotgun from his hands without much trouble, but, then, high school principal John Klang approached the teenager to intervene and the boy pulled the pistol from his pocket and dropped Klang where he stood.
Even though we lost a principal at that Cazenovia high school, research shows that active resistance with armed shooters have already saved lives and averted a number of potential school deaths. For instance, Kip Kunkel strode into his Thurston, Oregon high school armed with a .22 rifle, a .22 handgun and a Glock 9mm semi-automatic pistol. No doubt Kip meant business and had plans on killing himself a lot of kids, maybe some teachers. Who really knows? He opened fire in the cafeteria, immediately killing one kid and wounding 23 others.
The thing is, though, guns eventually go dry, and when Kip paused to reload he was subdued by several students. End of massacre! Just like the planned massacre at Deer Creek Middle School in Jefferson County, Colorado ended when math teacher David Benke tackled active shooter/student Bruco Strong Eagle Eastwood after the boy gunned down two students and was scouring the hallways, looking for more victims.
So, you may be asking, what are some of the proven law enforcement tactics that the schools might consider as alternatives to locking down classrooms and huddling in the dark. trembling, waiting for help from law enforcement and maybe even providence?
ALTERNATIVE STRATEGIES
Truth is, I cannot say for certain what will and will not work, plus, every school is different. I suggest they research alternative strategies to prevent such a catastrophic event, and, if an active shooter does materialize what strategies to adopt as a possible alternative to the passive lockdown.
But there are obvious strategies that easily come to mind. Here are just a few:
- Have an organized Active Plan of Action of Aggressive Action once a Shooter enters a classroom.
- Train that Plan(s).
- Perform Dynamic Simulations, or scenarios as training exercise.
- Escape the scene whenever possible. Escape and contact others. Get help!
- Have Organized-Distraction Strategies and Equipment Available:
- Organized Distraction Strategies & Equipment include Fire Extinguisher and Flash-Bang Grenades (I know what you are thinking – Students with grenades? Wow! Idiotic. But, folks, let me say in my defense, unloading a fire extinguisher in some shooter’s face, or throwing a devise that explodes and delivers a stunningly bright light and frightening loud noise has stopped hostage-takers and terrorists in their tracks!
- Use Cover, Concealment, and Movement.
- Operate as a Unit and Throw Objects at the Shooter’s Head to Distract and then Attack him/her as a Group!
Armed Civilians Intervene
Is another seemingly idiotic alternative. Like at Pear High School in 1997 when student Luke Woodham blew away his mother in their home with a .30 caliber rifle and then decided “screw it, I might as well go shoot me up a schoolfull of kids.” Woodham then killed two girls and wounded about 70 other students and teachers. Assistant Principal Joel Myrick, stunned and shocked momentarily by the mindless violence and the lack of police intervention, found his way out of the school and retrieved a .45 caliber pistol from his car (in the school parking lot) and was able to subdue Woodham until police could arrive.
A clear example of how active and aggressive countermeasures can work to save students’ and teachers’ lives.
Stay Safe until my next post. By the way, I would love to hear your comments!
Hammer