MM

Active Threat Protocols & Procedures

Immediate Action Rapid Deployment - Active Threat Priorities

  • Priorities:
    • Neutralize the threat.
    • Ensure public safety.
    • Follow normal Law Enforcement (LE) priorities:
      • Officer safety.
      • Public safety.
      • Subject safety.
  • Evaluate Situation:
    • Assess the threat.
    • Apprehend the subject.
  • Communication:
    • No unnecessary radio chatter.
    • Swiftly enter the building through the main point of entry.
    • Yell "Police! Stop!"

4 C's

  • Check:
    • Check yourself.
    • Check weapon and its condition.
    • Tactical reload.
  • Communicate
  • Combat: Tactical breathing to slow down.
  • Time to slow down when you no longer hear the threat after initial contact. Pause, apply the 4 C's, and reassess the situation.

Active Threat Definition

  • One or more people who seek out to harm others.
  • Involves a killing spree.
  • Could be an armed barricaded threat.
  • Threat with violent actions deployed.
  • Objectives:
    • Locate and remove the threat.
    • Rescue victims.
    • Deal with hostage situations.

Making Contact with Active Threat

  • "Contact" implies that we don't know things for certain
  • Threat focus (\sigma).
  • Watch right, left, front, and rear and focus your attention.
  • Contact allows officers to know what's happening.

Procedures After Initial Contact

  • Continue yelling "Police! Stop!" so everyone can hear what is going on.
  • Stack left/right.
  • 4-6 seconds for assessment.
  • Context: room on the left, next room on the right. (reference: 355)
  • "Clear" indicates that the searched area has no threat inside; announce loudly.
  • "Blue coming up," "2 blue coming out" indicates law enforcement presence.
  • "Blue, blue, blue" indicates to other law enforcement that you're also law enforcement.
  • Need 1: need help in the room.
  • With you: with your partner in the room.
  • With me: he's coming with me to provide assistance.
  • "Team ready" indicates that your team is ready to move.
  • "Team move" or "Moving" indicates movement.
  • Nesting until you hear more intel. Safe room for victims.
  • "Green Corner" - go down this hallway.

Formations

  • Hallway formation.
  • T-formation
  • Point.
  • HITT (High-Intensity Tactical Training).
  • Tomb area of responsibility.
  • Don't focus on others, focus on the task at hand.

Team Roles

  • Team leader & assistant team leader:
    • Point - yells "Police! Stop!" to let everyone in building know.
    • Team leader - decision-maker with the most experience.
    • Assistant team leader.
    • Rear guard - radio communication providing facts on the radio.

Hallway Tactics

  • In the center of the hallway, try to be off the wall.
  • Moving down the hallway - quickly!
  • Sense of Urge: move with purpose.
  • Rear guard stays behind.
  • Team leader will switch to the left, the assistant team leader to the right in formation.

Two-Officer Team

  • Yell police stop.
  • Roles: Front, right, rear.
  • Rear never walk backwards.

Single Officer

*Yell POLICE STOP!
  • Serpentine through corners. You will want to go through each corner behind each other, providing cover for each other.