School safety, security, and violence prevention resource

TOWARD STOPPING THE GUN TOTING THUG BEFORE HE LIGHTS YOU UP! 

 

Yesterday (May 27, 2009) a security officer at the Taj Mahal Casino in Atlantic City, NJ was shot down.  Killed right where he stood.  Just like teachers and school security, casino security personnel are rarely armed, so I thought now would be a good time to revisit the life preserving survival skill of recognizing when an individual is carrying a concealed handgun.

 

One caveat.  Even if you become aware that an armed person is in your classroom or school place, that knowledge may not prevent him or her from unleashing Hellfire on you.  You can read some possible life preserving disarming tips in the next post.

 

• The 4 A’s.  Obviously, being observant is a key here.  Being alert is a key survival skill.  It may buy you the second or two you will need to prevent your death and that of others.
  1. AWARE.  Be aware of changes or anomalies in your environment.  We are talking about your classroom or school hallways here, so you should know what a safe and routine environment looks like.  Anyone or anything that causes ripples or changes by his or her presence, etc., should cause your Spidey Senses to throb.
  2. ASSESS.  Evaluate and assess what you are seeing.  If something kicks off your gut feelings by the way he or she moves, looks at you, etc., take it seriously.
  3. ANTICIPATE.  Always have an action plan.  Ask yourself what would I do if a student or an intruder barged into my classroom with a gun?
  4. ACTION.  Be willing to and prepared to act when action is needed.

 

• TRUST YOUR GUT FEELINGS.  Millions of years of evolution is making the hair on the back of your neck stand up and screaming in your ear, “Get your ass out of here or take the gun away from him, now!

• BODY LANGUAGE IS 90% OF COMMUNICATIONS HERE:~

       

•  
  1. The gun or knife is in his waistband on his hip, so he will favor that side as he walks.
  2. He will short-step on the side where he is carrying the weapon when he goes up and down stairs (because the weapon is against his hip flexor).
  3. He will subconsciously turn away toward the side where the weapon is secreted when a teacher or security walks directly toward him.
  4. He will hold his jacket, shirt or coat closed as he walks.
  5. Every moment or so, he will touch or pat the area where his weapon is secreted, subconsciously reassuring himself.
  6. If the weapon is in his coat pocket, his collar will be unusually tight to his neck, and, if the weapon is heavy, the collar will also be twisted.
  7. He will hold the pocket where the gun is secreted when he walks or runs to keep the pocket from flying away from his body.
  8. He will also hold that side of his coat as he sits or rises.
  9. He will favor heavy coats, even in hot weather, to help him better secrete the weapon.
  10. He will often give himself away just before he liberates the weapon from its hiding place.

Ø       By opening and/or pushing back his coat.

Ø       By grabbing the bottom of the pocket with his non-gun hand to stabilize the coat as he extracts the firearm.

 

IN THE NEXT POST.  GETTING THE SHOOTER BEFORE HE GETS YOU!

Until then, Stay Safe,

 

Hammer

 

 

 

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Posted on May 28th, 2009 by Harry A Widger
Filed under: Administrators, College, High School, K-6, People Involved, School Grade Level, School Safety Issues, Security, Shootings, Students