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TACTICS FOR THE UP AND COMING SWAT OFFICER
In this article we will give you the basic of all basics in Room Entry. There is no “1 way, or my way” to do tactics, its all based around Finding a Way and Making a Way. The basic components of an operator is Trust, Surprise, Speed.
TRUST
The first letter in T-eam, and one of the main factors in surviving an operation. You have to remember once that door opens or you make that decision to cross that threshold, you have “transitioned” into the Superbowl of tactics, where there is winner and a loser.
SURPRISE
The element of surprise has passed, and now its game on! So before you enter room make sure you gather as much information as you can. Read the doors to ensure which way the door opens. Before breaching, check the door to see if it’s already unlocked. Make sure you have an alternate entry if all possible. I ran into a situation where the door, unknown to me, was reinforced by a 2×4 across the middle of it (old school). The door was three steps up and because I was the tallest it appeared to have been a better breach for me. Upon approach I noticed the door had a deadbolt on it so I had to get a some momentum and some extra hip into it. I hit the door at about 9 o’clock of the door knob and, strike 1! The next hit was around 6 o’clock and, strike 2 but it buckled a little and the door cracked in the middle. One more to go and, it was a foul ball. I split the door in half and we went on to the alternate entry and once inside I found the door reinforced. Always have a plan B to the plan B.
SPEED
You can only move as fast as you can clear the room and accurately shoot. If you take off and leave your team mate you have defeat the purpose of the stack. Smooth is fast and fast is freakin awesome. Get out of the doorway and make room for the team. Don’t eat the crap sandwich by yourself. Sharing is caring, for lesser words. Before entering the room you should have cleared at least 45% of the room, depending on the type of room, being U-shape or L-shape. The entry is the action on your part but responding to fire from a bad guy is reaction. Golden rule is action is always faster than reaction, but accuracy makes the difference between winning and losing. I can’t express enough, train, train, train, train. You can be the world’s best target shooter, but under stress you are as worthless as an ice cube in the winter.
Known vs Unknown, Likely vs Probably not
Known is what you can see; a corner, an open room, clear left clear right. If you can say I know there’s nothing there and a person cannot fit or hide, that’s a known. If you see an armed person or the subject that you are searching for run into a room, or around the corner, and you have to pass open areas to get to them, that is a known.
Unknown is just the opposite to include closed doors, dark areas, hidden compartments, areas blocked by barriers, underneath beds or even behind couches. Don’t be that lazy guy or get complacent that you don’t look in the nook or cranny because there has never been someone hiding in that particular area on any of the other operations. I was part of search warrant of an apartment. It’s still up in the air as to how this guy was able to hide in this spot unless he just so happened to look out of the window just as we were exiting the trucks. Once the search of persons was done we began searching for the narcotics. We made it to the kitchen and began looking thru the cabinets and looked under the sink where it was obvious that only a child could fit, well at least we thought. Just as we opened the door we found a 20 year old man weighing about 110 pounds skinny, in the fetal position, looking like a raccoon. Funniest thing I’d ever seen.
360 coverage
This is just as important as the entry itself, plain and simple Find Work! If it’s a large structure with multiple room and halls, you at one point will have to give it up to take care of what’s in front of you. After you have cleared your corner and the room is deemed clear, get back on that door and be ready to take the hall or next room you have to enter next. Up , down, left and right there’s always work to do.
Remember you are only as perfect as your practice. Train for survival, not for defeat. Always think: WHATS MY NEXT MOVE?
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FIND A WAY OR MAKE A WAY