Tactical Problem solving
Tactics Validation - Are you certain that your tactics are solid?
As an LEO and LE firearms instructor in Colorado, I have quite a number of certifications and have trained officers throughout the state. I believe that I have a good idea of the types of training to which we are exposed as officers and instructors in this state. I have also had the fortune to help train patrol and tactical officers in Texas. My path to be a more effective instructor lead me to CSAT which is my primary source for tactical instruction.
One of the most important lessons that I've learned is that tactics aren't something to be taken for granted and must be validated to ensure they work as desired.
Paul Howe has vast amounts of knowledge and experience in this realm and is a stickler for ensuring that the tactics that he teaches are simple, easy to remember and execute, and valid throughout the spectrum of tactical application. Understanding that what we do is rarely if ever risk free, the goal is always to give the officer the greatest advantage possible leaving the bad guy with few if any options for success from his standpoint. "Boutique" tactics that have limited application and won't work throughout the spectrum are invalid and potentially dangerous. There are a number of instructors out there making lots of money teaching these kinds of tactics.
Unless an officer or tactical team has been exposed to enough situations that have critically tested their tactics, how are they to know their validity? A better question might be, "Do you want to test your tactics in real life situations or know beforehand that they work?" Do you believe and take for granted that the tactics that you've been taught are valid simply because a person or entity for whom you have some level of respect said so? Paul's answer to that question would be to test them out for yourself and see if they are valid or not. This process is called Tactics Validation.
In my agency, I embarked upon a mission to validate certain tactics that we use around vehicles. Vehicle contacts are a huge part of our day-to-day enforcement activities. Some of our tactics are unique to what we do, so we tested them. We found that what we thought were good tactics, are not. We have also found that academy doctrine for certain vehicle tactics are not so hot either. An example that Paul uses is CQB. His method is slightly different than what most teach, but has been proven to put you at a greater advantage than other entry methods.
There are specific ways to do this type of work and they require expertise in a number of disciplines, especially reality based force-on-force training. Simply running scenarios is not enough. This is purpose built problem-solving work that requires the best minds in your outfit working together. I can teach you how to work through this process for the tactics that your agency/department uses. This is eye opening stuff. The safety of your officers and the liability for your agency is worth the effort. Contact me for your initial consultation.
