How to Survive a Massacre Part 2
In part 1 we discussed the difference between cover, concealment, distance, and using 'dead space' to hide us from the killer or his/ her line of sight/ weapons fire. We could consider this as Getting Out and Hiding Out.
Now lets talk about what to do if we can't find cover, concealment, or dead space. You might think of this as Lock Out, Call Out, and Fight Out. If your thinking to yourself "hey there's a lot of 'outs' here" well your definitely ahead of the game. What we are doing is what is called the Out Drill. I can't really take credit for it. The guy who developed this is Lt. Col. Dave Grossman, PhD who is bar none one of the experts on violence in society.
Lock Out: Its pretty simple since you can't get out. You put enough barricade between you and the Killer. If that means that you can lock doors great! Sometimes though doors don't lock so you have to be creative. That means you move things in front of the door to make a barricade. If its in a school you use desks, chairs, blackboards. Everything and anything you can find to barricade the entrance. I also heard about a scenario where someone let loose lions, rhinos, and tigers in a zoo and people were being mauled. Guess what some of the survivors did? thats right they piled into the restrooms (since they were made of block) and barricaded the doors with everything they could find. Which meant taking the doors off the stalls and wedging them between the door handle and the floor. In these situations you use whatever you can to save your life. Now is not the time to be concerned with property damage. Something else that works really well is a door stop. Rubber and wooden wedges used to hold doors open can also be used to hold doors shut.
Call Out: In Fight Like A Girl you'll hear us say things like "you have to stop the killing". The best way to do that is to get help. Never assume that someone else is calling for help. When people are taught CPR they are specifically instructed to point to someone and say "you go call 911 and report back when you have done so". In a high stress situation people do not always think straight or function well. Therefore you may have to become direct, even verbally aggressive with someone to get help "YOU CALL 911 ON YOUR CELL PHONE " (yes I am shouting) "TELL THEM THAT YOU ARE AT___________AND SOME GUY IS SHOOTING PEOPLE WITH A (rifle or pistol, if you don't know just say rifle)". Why rifle vs. pistol? Because someone with a rifle is a much greater threat than a pistol and it will bring a lot more firepower to bear on the S.O.B. So what happens if you can't call, maybe you don't have a cellphone or can't get to it? How about one of these things:
No it won't bring the SWAT Team, but it will bring the 'Combat Engineers'. Several angry guys with axes, fire hoses and ladders. They can make openings in walls and get people out. They can fight the shooter with high pressure water cannons, and they can put the guys with guns onto the roof or into second story windows. And where there is fire there will also likely be police cars. That is people with guns who will find and kill the killer.
So now that we are talking about killing the killer, our last way to survive a massacre is to do the unexpected and that is Fight Back or Fight it Out. For whatever reason you are in a situation where you cannot Hide Out, Get out, Lock Out, Call Out and imminent death is upon you. You must fight it out. There are countless stories where 2 or 3 people have tackled a killer and subdued him. But how do you fight? Ideally with a weapon, if your in the office, throw anything that is big or solid (trashcans, staplers, weighted tape dispenser, chairs, 3 hole punch, etc.). Throw these at his head. If you must close with him either try to knock him/her down or use a pen, pencil, letter opener, and anything that you can direct a good amount force with (sharp or blunt doesn't matter - actually blunt objects that impale hurt more) and keep striking the person in the face and eyes. Don't stop! Even if you are shot never stop. Nobody ever died of a broken bone, keep fighting or retreating. Tell yourself, I am not going to die here! I will live to a ripe old age! Mindset is everything.
Your probably thinking. Brian you are crazy. Yes. But that's beside the point.In today's schools they are now teaching students to do this very thing. The training is called ALiCE and it teaches kids these very same principles. But why stop in schools? Even if your workplace isn't forward thinking you should be! Look around, consider your escape routes, where can you go to Lock Out, what can you use for cover or concealment, lastly what can you use to fight it out? Personal safety isn't just a right, its a responsibility. use it.
Stay Safe!
In part 1 we discussed the difference between cover, concealment, distance, and using 'dead space' to hide us from the killer or his/ her line of sight/ weapons fire. We could consider this as Getting Out and Hiding Out.
Now lets talk about what to do if we can't find cover, concealment, or dead space. You might think of this as Lock Out, Call Out, and Fight Out. If your thinking to yourself "hey there's a lot of 'outs' here" well your definitely ahead of the game. What we are doing is what is called the Out Drill. I can't really take credit for it. The guy who developed this is Lt. Col. Dave Grossman, PhD who is bar none one of the experts on violence in society.
Lock Out: Its pretty simple since you can't get out. You put enough barricade between you and the Killer. If that means that you can lock doors great! Sometimes though doors don't lock so you have to be creative. That means you move things in front of the door to make a barricade. If its in a school you use desks, chairs, blackboards. Everything and anything you can find to barricade the entrance. I also heard about a scenario where someone let loose lions, rhinos, and tigers in a zoo and people were being mauled. Guess what some of the survivors did? thats right they piled into the restrooms (since they were made of block) and barricaded the doors with everything they could find. Which meant taking the doors off the stalls and wedging them between the door handle and the floor. In these situations you use whatever you can to save your life. Now is not the time to be concerned with property damage. Something else that works really well is a door stop. Rubber and wooden wedges used to hold doors open can also be used to hold doors shut.
Call Out: In Fight Like A Girl you'll hear us say things like "you have to stop the killing". The best way to do that is to get help. Never assume that someone else is calling for help. When people are taught CPR they are specifically instructed to point to someone and say "you go call 911 and report back when you have done so". In a high stress situation people do not always think straight or function well. Therefore you may have to become direct, even verbally aggressive with someone to get help "YOU CALL 911 ON YOUR CELL PHONE " (yes I am shouting) "TELL THEM THAT YOU ARE AT___________AND SOME GUY IS SHOOTING PEOPLE WITH A (rifle or pistol, if you don't know just say rifle)". Why rifle vs. pistol? Because someone with a rifle is a much greater threat than a pistol and it will bring a lot more firepower to bear on the S.O.B. So what happens if you can't call, maybe you don't have a cellphone or can't get to it? How about one of these things:
No it won't bring the SWAT Team, but it will bring the 'Combat Engineers'. Several angry guys with axes, fire hoses and ladders. They can make openings in walls and get people out. They can fight the shooter with high pressure water cannons, and they can put the guys with guns onto the roof or into second story windows. And where there is fire there will also likely be police cars. That is people with guns who will find and kill the killer.
So now that we are talking about killing the killer, our last way to survive a massacre is to do the unexpected and that is Fight Back or Fight it Out. For whatever reason you are in a situation where you cannot Hide Out, Get out, Lock Out, Call Out and imminent death is upon you. You must fight it out. There are countless stories where 2 or 3 people have tackled a killer and subdued him. But how do you fight? Ideally with a weapon, if your in the office, throw anything that is big or solid (trashcans, staplers, weighted tape dispenser, chairs, 3 hole punch, etc.). Throw these at his head. If you must close with him either try to knock him/her down or use a pen, pencil, letter opener, and anything that you can direct a good amount force with (sharp or blunt doesn't matter - actually blunt objects that impale hurt more) and keep striking the person in the face and eyes. Don't stop! Even if you are shot never stop. Nobody ever died of a broken bone, keep fighting or retreating. Tell yourself, I am not going to die here! I will live to a ripe old age! Mindset is everything.
Your probably thinking. Brian you are crazy. Yes. But that's beside the point.In today's schools they are now teaching students to do this very thing. The training is called ALiCE and it teaches kids these very same principles. But why stop in schools? Even if your workplace isn't forward thinking you should be! Look around, consider your escape routes, where can you go to Lock Out, what can you use for cover or concealment, lastly what can you use to fight it out? Personal safety isn't just a right, its a responsibility. use it.
Stay Safe!
No comments:
Post a Comment