The Changing Makeup of Our Day to Day Lives and Your Training

[JFK]

I got up early this morning, 4am to the Orlando news. Some of this stuff has been on my mind for some time.

I know that many of us have talked in passing, or actively about the changing of our American day to day life. We as "tuned in" folks have seen this coming for years. It is now undeniable that it is here and will become a part of our life, as it is in much of the Middle East, Southeast Asia, etc.

I have been analyzing my movement, attention, and defensive tactics, and response playbook to these what ifs. I don't have much of a point to this post, more of an objective to open a conversation.

Two things that are on the top of my mind. How do we prepare? How do we stay free, encourage our way of life and still protect our loved ones?

For you trainers out there... Have you thought about changing your course work? Do you have course work for such event? Topics that would be interesting to me as a civilian:
- Threat identification in a chaotic environment
- Communication with authorities and loved ones during an active shooter situation
- Triage and stabilization of multiple casualties until first response
- Multiple active shooter environments - how to barricade, hide, defend or contain
- Use of force in a crowded environment

How have you changed your day to day in the last few years? In just the past few years I have done the following as a direct realization to the possibility that this might be a situation that may happen:
- I now keep a tourniquet nearby at most times, even traveling for work.
- I have increase the fist aid kit in my truck to handle multiple wounds.
- I keep two tourniquets in my truck at all times
- I keep (2) gallons of water and (5) gallons of fuel in my truck at all times
- In large group environments I am more diligent about my entrances and exits
- I have started to identify "emergency plans" in group situations. Nothing major, just in my head. (exits are xxxx.... cover or hiding is xxx... group should meet xxx if separated, etc.)
- I have started to explore the idea of keeping a long gun secured in my truck. However this can be its own discussion on pros and cons.

What are your thoughts?

[SeriousStudent]

I have followed the same thought process, but the thought of having a firearm stolen from a vehicles worries me a lot. So I do not leave a firearm in the vehicle.

I do bring a long gun on trips, which can be either an AR, an AR pistol, a shotgun or a lever gun. It just depends on the trip and destination.

Thanks to nyeti for the new lever gun.

[Beat Trash]

After the Mumbai attacks, I thought of the possibilities of a similar terrorist attack in the US and what could I do to better be prepared should I become involved in a similar incident. After the various active shooter terrorist attacks throughout Europe recently, I thought it was just a matter of time before something would happen within CONUS.

And now Orlando...

I've been an inter-city Leo for 24 years, so my faith in humanity is about where you'd expect it to be, before factoring in the terrorist type of active shooter incidents.

When at work, I have access to a lot of resources. But when off-duty and/or out of town, options are obviously limited.

I can carry a handgun under LEOSA. The few restrictions on my ability to carry a pistol involve being in places that I'd most likely not visit anyway.

I carry a handgun whenever possible. I don't carry anything smaller than a M&P9c or a Glock 19. I used to carry just one spare magazine, but I now carry two spare full sized magazines. Funny thing about that is I find carrying two spare magazines more comfortable than carrying one. Helps balance out the weight of the gun on my hips I guess.

I always keep at least a quarter of a tank of gas in my vehicles, preferably a half tank. But this is for a lot of more boring reasons than active shooter incidents.

My wife is a travel nurse specializing in critical care/emergency room type of stuff. While working at one contract last year, she was working with a Doctor who was also running the Air Care Helicopter program for a level 1 trauma center. The two of them got together and came up with a, "Blow Out Kit for dummies" (Wanna guess who's the "Dummy"?) I bought the items online and put them into quart size Zip Lok bags. At least one bag in every vehicle. If nothing else, you can do a lot with an Israeli bandage and a CAT TQ. I may go on line and buy some more of the stuff and make up some more kits so as to have a couple in each car.

I've thought of putting a carbine in the trunk of my personal vehicle for when I'm off work. But two things keep me from doing so. One is securing the weapon from theft. I could spend the money and get a locking rifle mount and install it in the trunk. But the second thing to consider is running around during an active shooter incident, not in uniform and armed with a rifle. The issue of being mistaken for a threat by responding LEO's is a concern. At worst I could be shot by responding officers. At least, i delay some officers response to the actual threat as they have to safely stop and investigate me and WTF I am doing at their incident. This is even more of a concern the farther I am outside of my jurisdiction. Law Enforcement is regional. Another thing I considered is how likely would I be, realistically, to be able to get to the car, retrieve the rifle and respond back to engage the threat in time that it would matter.

On long trips, when able to, I do bring a rifle along. But this doesn't stay in the car over night. And it's not so much for dealing with an active shooter incident, but that's another topic.

After reading of the Orlando incident this morning, I gave the concept some thought as to what I can do to prepare myself. I kept coming up with software responses vs. hardware responses.

Personally I plan on working out more and training more.

[PNWTO]

I have followed the same thought process, but the thought of having a firearm stolen from a vehicles worries me a lot. So I do not leave a firearm in the vehicle.

I do bring a long gun on trips, which can be either an AR, an AR pistol, a shotgun or a lever gun. It just depends on the trip and destination.

Thanks to nyeti for the new lever gun.

I'm curious what your TOE is for travelling with a long gun. Example: for an AR do you just break it down in a backpack with a few mags and take it to the hotel room?

[Beat Trash]

I'm curious what your TOE is for travelling with a long gun. Example: for an AR do you just break it down in a backpack with a few mags and take it to the hotel room?

Not SeriousStudent, but for me, yes, using one of these.

http://www.brownells.com/shooting-ac...prod41025.aspx

[hiro]

"Blow Out Kit for dummies" (Wanna guess who's the "Dummy"?) I bought the items online and put them into quart size Zip Lok bags.

I'm a dummy too. Can you please list the contents and what training is needed to use them?

I'm sure I can find a similar kit listed at the better online stores but it's the idea behind the kit that makes sense to me and cuts to the chase.

[GJM]

For me, carrying a handgun and ammo that you might have a chance in an Orlando type situation. No more single stack pistols or revolvers as primary.

[Beat Trash]

I'm a dummy too. Can you please list the contents and what training is needed to use them?

I'm sure I can find a similar kit listed at the better online stores but it's the idea behind the kit that makes sense to me and cuts to the chase.

Sure

CAT TQ
http://www.rescue-essentials.com/cat...t-black-gen-7/

Israeli Bandage 4"
http://www.rescue-essentials.com/isr...ncy-bandage-4/

Quick Clot Z fold
http://www.rescue-essentials.com/qui...e-le-z-folded/

Chest Seal
http://www.rescue-essentials.com/hyf...eal-twin-pack/

Z-Pack dressing
http://www.rescue-essentials.com/z-pak-dressing/

And two pairs of rubber gloves.

For now, all of this fits inside of a Zip Lok quart freezer bag. In time, I'll buy some type of pouch to store the stuff in. But for now, I'd rather spend the available funds on the gear and have more of the gear available than to have cool kid pouches that are half empty.

As far as training, my agency gave everyone about 15 minutes of training on the CAT TQ a couple of years ago. I also watched a YouTube video... It's a toss up which source taught me more. Once I practiced using a training TQ a few times, it really isn't that hard.

The rest of the items have instructions on the packaging, including pictures for those who can't read English. The Doctor's that I have discussed the topic with basically said that my goal would be to stop the bleeding as much as possible and as quick as possible. The Z-Pak dressings are for stuffing into holes that weren't there previously, then adding a pressure bandage on top.

I'm not trying to be a Trauma Doc or a Medic. I have a lot of respect for those folks. Just trying to stabilize until the victim can be extracted and/or tended to by someone with more knowledge and skill than I possess on the topic.

The down side is that this is not something that I can or would carry around on my person all the time. When I'm at work and circumstances dictate I have a Patrol Rifle in hand, then I have a blowout kit on a sub load on my leg. (That one is NOT in a Zip Lok bag by the way...) But for going about my everyday life outside of work, I don't carry medical supplies on my person.

[hiro]

Sure

CAT TQ
http://www.rescue-essentials.com/cat...t-black-gen-7/

Israeli Bandage 4"
http://www.rescue-essentials.com/isr...ncy-bandage-4/

Quick Clot Z fold
http://www.rescue-essentials.com/qui...e-le-z-folded/

Chest Seal
http://www.rescue-essentials.com/hyf...eal-twin-pack/

Z-Pack dressing
http://www.rescue-essentials.com/z-pak-dressing/

And two pairs of rubber gloves.

Thank you

[JFK]

I would love to hear from trainer, especially civilian trainers. Is there a market for this type of training, or is it a small market?

What about LEO? What has your agency adapted, or added?