I read Deb Thomas’ post concerning the teacher who was confused by the Realistic Invasion Drill, for the lack of a better term, after police and security informed her – without preamble – that the school was being invaded by terrorists (my terminology, not the post’s).  I read the blog with more amusement than concern simply because confusion would be exactly what I would expect if I were running the drill.

 

Actually, I lie.  I would expect a veritable circus of emotions and reactions, including, but not limited to:  confusion, panic and something that would look like teachers and students either frozen in fear – like deer in the headlights – or running blindly into walls, desks, chairs and each other.  I would expect injuries and even law suits eventually.

 

Don’t get me wrong.  The drills had great value.  The school – I hope – learned much from the exercise, I’m sure.  But, please, do not confuse an exercise such as this with training.  The Realistic Invasion Drill (RID) should be viewed as a starting point and little else.  In my opinion, in order to save lives, RID must be followed-up with Dynamic Simulation Training, based on the time-tested principle of Stress Inoculation.

 

Stress Inoculation

I have been conducting Dynamic Simulation training for law enforcement, security , military and correctional staff  for years.  Dynamic Simulation, in a nutshell, inoculates high-risk personnel with large doses of survival stress- the exact same type of stress scenarios they could realistically face in real-life situations.  Research shows that experiencing stress in training – relative to our brain, emotions and our Central Nervous System – is the same as facing it in combat.  In my experience that is true:  The trainee’s system will be flooded by exactly the same type of stress hormones and impulses as he/she would be in combat.  The student will still experience the debilitating affects to his or her motor response system, including a raging heart rate; sweaty palms, increased respiration, an inability to concentrate, auditory exclusion, visual difficulties (including Tunnel Vision, Loss of Night Vision; an Inability to Focus and a Loss of Near Vision, among other dysfunction); an inability to verbalize thoughts, an inability to perform complex or fine motor skills, including punching in the numbers of a cell phone or other emergency communication devices, and, among other things, Critical Incident Amnesia.  The cool thing is the trainees will experience many, if not all of these elements of Survival Stress and yet ,if Dynamic Simulation Training is designed correctly, the trainees will eventually be able to successfully perform the preemptory Survival Motor Skills required to preserve human life in a safe, injury-free environment. 

 

Dynamic Simulations are designed realistically, but with the ultimate goal of eliminating trainee frustration and to build confidence in the required skills.  Concomitantly students who experience survival stress scenarios where, for instance, ruthless invaders lethally endanger school yards and classrooms alike, absorb what would normally be, especially if the trainees were experiencing the scenario in real time and in a classroom for the first time – as was the case with the aforementioned “confused teacher –“ mind-numbing and paralyzing stress in a training setting, in time become virtually immune to this type of survival stress over a relatively short period of training.

 

One crucial difference is the Self-Message before and after Stress Inoculation Training,  More likely than not, a teacher or student experiencing a critical life or death invasion (before Dynamic Simulation Training) would experience shallow, rapid breathing, may freeze in place and think to her or himself:  “Man, I am in Biiiiig Trouble now!  What the hell do I do?”

 

While the Stress Inoculated teacher or student breathes deeply, thinks clearly and says to him or herself:  “I knew this could happen and I am ready for it!”

 

Next Post:  More on Stress Inoculation Training.

 

By Hammer

 

 

I read Deb Thomas’ post concerning the teacher who was confused by the Realistic Invasion Drill, for the lack of a better term, after police and security informed her – without preamble – that the school was being invaded by terrorists (my terminology, not the post’s).  I read the blog with more amusement than concern simply because confusion would be exactly what I would expect if I were running the drill.

 

Actually, I lie.  I would expect a veritable circus of emotions and reactions, including, but not limited to:  confusion, panic and something that would look like teachers and students either frozen in fear – like deer in the headlights – or running blindly into walls, desks, chairs and each other.  I would expect injuries and even law suits eventually.

 

Don’t get me wrong.  The drills had great value.  The school – I hope – learned much from the exercise, I’m sure.  But, please, do not confuse an exercise such as this with training.  The Realistic Invasion Drill (RID) should be viewed as a starting point and little else.  In my opinion, in order to save lives, RID must be followed-up with Dynamic Simulation Training, based on the time-tested principle of Stress Inoculation.

 

Stress Inoculation

I have been conducting Dynamic Simulation training for law enforcement, security , military and correctional staff  for years.  Dynamic Simulation, in a nutshell, inoculates high-risk personnel with large doses of survival stress- the exact same type of stress scenarios they could realistically face in real-life situations.  Research shows that experiencing stress in training – relative to our brain, emotions and our Central Nervous System – is the same as facing it in combat.  In my experience that is true:  The trainee’s system will be flooded by exactly the same type of stress hormones and impulses as he/she would be in combat.  The student will still experience the debilitating affects to his or her motor response system, including a raging heart rate; sweaty palms, increased respiration, an inability to concentrate, auditory exclusion, visual difficulties (including Tunnel Vision, Loss of Night Vision; an Inability to Focus and a Loss of Near Vision, among other dysfunction); an inability to verbalize thoughts, an inability to perform complex or fine motor skills, including punching in the numbers of a cell phone or other emergency communication devices, and, among other things, Critical Incident Amnesia.  The cool thing is the trainees will experience many, if not all of these elements of Survival Stress and yet ,if Dynamic Simulation Training is designed correctly, the trainees will eventually be able to successfully perform the preemptory Survival Motor Skills required to preserve human life in a safe, injury-free environment. 

 

Dynamic Simulations are designed realistically, but with the ultimate goal of eliminating trainee frustration and to build confidence in the required skills.  Concomitantly students who experience survival stress scenarios where, for instance, ruthless invaders lethally endanger school yards and classrooms alike, absorb what would normally be, especially if the trainees were experiencing the scenario in real time and in a classroom for the first time – as was the case with the aforementioned “confused teacher –“ mind-numbing and paralyzing stress in a training setting, in time become virtually immune to this type of survival stress over a relatively short period of training.

 

One crucial difference is the Self-Message before and after Stress Inoculation Training,  More likely than not, a teacher or student experiencing a critical life or death invasion (before Dynamic Simulation Training) would experience shallow, rapid breathing, may freeze in place and think to her or himself:  “Man, I am in Biiiiig Trouble now!  What the hell do I do?”

 

While the Stress Inoculated teacher or student breathes deeply, thinks clearly and says to him or herself:  “I knew this could happen and I am ready for it!”

 

Next Post:  More on Stress Inoculation Training.

 

By Hammer

 

 

I read Deb Thomas’ post concerning the teacher who was confused by the Realistic Invasion Drill, for the lack of a better term, after police and security informed her – without preamble – that the school was being invaded by terrorists (my terminology, not the post’s).  I read the blog with more amusement than concern simply because confusion would be exactly what I would expect if I were running the drill.

 

Actually, I lie.  I would expect a veritable circus of emotions and reactions, including, but not limited to:  confusion, panic and something that would look like teachers and students either frozen in fear – like deer in the headlights – or running blindly into walls, desks, chairs and each other.  I would expect injuries and even law suits eventually.

 

Don’t get me wrong.  The drills had great value.  The school – I hope – learned much from the exercise, I’m sure.  But, please, do not confuse an exercise such as this with training.  The Realistic Invasion Drill (RID) should be viewed as a starting point and little else.  In my opinion, in order to save lives, RID must be followed-up with Dynamic Simulation Training, based on the time-tested principle of Stress Inoculation.

 

Stress Inoculation

I have been conducting Dynamic Simulation training for law enforcement, security , military and correctional staff  for years.  Dynamic Simulation, in a nutshell, inoculates high-risk personnel with large doses of survival stress- the exact same type of stress scenarios they could realistically face in real-life situations.  Research shows that experiencing stress in training – relative to our brain, emotions and our Central Nervous System – is the same as facing it in combat.  In my experience that is true:  The trainee’s system will be flooded by exactly the same type of stress hormones and impulses as he/she would be in combat.  The student will still experience the debilitating affects to his or her motor response system, including a raging heart rate; sweaty palms, increased respiration, an inability to concentrate, auditory exclusion, visual difficulties (including Tunnel Vision, Loss of Night Vision; an Inability to Focus and a Loss of Near Vision, among other dysfunction); an inability to verbalize thoughts, an inability to perform complex or fine motor skills, including punching in the numbers of a cell phone or other emergency communication devices, and, among other things, Critical Incident Amnesia.  The cool thing is the trainees will experience many, if not all of these elements of Survival Stress and yet ,if Dynamic Simulation Training is designed correctly, the trainees will eventually be able to successfully perform the preemptory Survival Motor Skills required to preserve human life in a safe, injury-free environment. 

 

Dynamic Simulations are designed realistically, but with the ultimate goal of eliminating trainee frustration and to build confidence in the required skills.  Concomitantly students who experience survival stress scenarios where, for instance, ruthless invaders lethally endanger school yards and classrooms alike, absorb what would normally be, especially if the trainees were experiencing the scenario in real time and in a classroom for the first time – as was the case with the aforementioned “confused teacher –“ mind-numbing and paralyzing stress in a training setting, in time become virtually immune to this type of survival stress over a relatively short period of training.

 

One crucial difference is the Self-Message before and after Stress Inoculation Training,  More likely than not, a teacher or student experiencing a critical life or death invasion (before Dynamic Simulation Training) would experience shallow, rapid breathing, may freeze in place and think to her or himself:  “Man, I am in Biiiiig Trouble now!  What the hell do I do?”

 

While the Stress Inoculated teacher or student breathes deeply, thinks clearly and says to him or herself:  “I knew this could happen and I am ready for it!”

 

Next Post:  More on Stress Inoculation Training.

 

By Hammer

 

 

 

 

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Posted on June 24th, 2008 by Harry A Widger
Filed under: Administrators, Building safety, College, Disasters, Gangs, High School, K-6, Parents, People Involved, Predators, School Grade Level, School Safety Issues, School bus safety, Security, Shootings, Students, Violence