Last issue I spoke mainly about AVOID and ESCAPE, today I want to concentrate on the third option which is Survive or Fight. Now many of you might be thinking that avoid and escaping is surviving, but let me introduce you to a different mindset where Survive means that you did everything possible to deescalate the known threat and assist in the saving of lives or the evacuation of persons from the threat area. Through 10 years of military service and 20 years in Law Enforcement I have been faced with threats and deadly encounters. After the incident has come to a resolution, I’m always running several things through my mind, such as:
- Did I do everything possible to deescalate the situation?
- Was I properly prepared for the situation? Physically, mentally, necessary equipment….
- And, did I do everything in my power to save lives and neutralize the threat?
Unfortunately, being involved in a deadly encounter has mental ramifications that last many years past the incident, sometimes for a lifetime. What makes it much easier to deal with is if you’re not second guessing your actions during the encounter or asking yourself if you did enough. Just recently I was having a discussion with my 17-year-old nephew. We were having a conversation about guns, practical uses of weapons and the mindset needed to use a weapon in self-defense. I asked him if he were in a situation such as an active shooter incident, what would he see as his role during the incident? I would like to ask the readers of this article the same question.
There is no wrong answer, the decision you make today will determine what role you play during the incident. If you decide that in a deadly encounter such has a home invasion, active shooter, or a work place violence that you are going to survive then that mindset needs to be determined now. As mentioned before, survive doesn’t mean just saving your backside, but doing everything necessary to help any victims and neutralizing the threat.
This is a risky way of thought and I don’t recommend it to just anyone. With that said, I can also say that with training, situational awareness, and the proper mindset, anyone can get to a place where they can make the decision to fight back.
For example, In Police Training for Active Shooter situations, officers are trained that as soon as 2 officers arrive on scene and the threat is still active, they must enter and attempt to neutralize the threat. No waiting for several officers and absolutely no waiting for S.W.A.T. This standard of training is because the longer you wait the more the victims add up. Therefore, your decision needs to be decided prior to the incident.As a SWAT Instructor I held several Active Shooter training courses for officers. Even in a training scenario some officers hesitated in making that mental decision to go actively search for the shooter or shooters. It is a mental process that comes with training and a confidence in your skills. There are several incidents where legal gun owners have stopped deadly threats.
The basis for this article is not to convince you that you should go Rambo or Die Hard when confronted with a deadly encounter, but more to open your eyes on predetermining what role you want to play if in such a situation. Keep in mind, the Pulse Night Club shooting in Orlando, FL. lasted for 3 hours before police killed the shooter. People were actually in the club for 3 hours faced with the threat of this mad man. Forty-nine people died.
It is unfortunate that we live in a country where this violence occurs. My opinion is that the violence will only increase. With so many calls to Defund the Police and Re-Imagine Policing it’s almost like we are going to be left alone to defend ourselves. So, ask yourself, what role will you play if faced with such a danger? Increase your percentage of survival by training and broadening your Situational Awareness. It’s a hard pill to swallow but if we all decided to Survive or Fight, the odds are greatly against the bad guys. “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” -Edmund Burke.
Oz Johnson is the owner of, Johnson Group Tactical, a Phoenix based Firearms and Tactical Training service. For any questions regarding my article, email me at [email protected].
Oz Johnson/Lead Instructor
JohnsonGroupoTac.com
602-448-8283
