AVOID-ESCAPE-SURVIVE (also referred to RUN-HIDE-FIGHT)
Today I am going to focus on just AVOID (RUN) and ESCAPE (HIDE).
How do you avoid danger? Escape a deadly threat? And become a good witness?
I have talked a lot about situational awareness. Situational awareness, though an excellent concept and practice, is just part of an effective personal protection plan. Anyone who would smugly assert that “situational awareness will always keep you out of trouble” is either incredibly lucky, very inexperienced or a liar (and possibly all three). Without the necessary tools and skills to act on it, situational awareness will only alert you to when you are about to be attacked and allow you to think about how badly you wish you’d decided to carry a gun for a few more seconds.
Here are some pointers on how to keep out of harm’s way, and if you wind up in harm’s way, how to stop it as effectively as possible.
If possible, don’t be where violence is happening. This means trusting the hair on the back of your neck and that quality we like to call “common sense.” If it seems like there’s about to be violence, get out. If it seems like the kind of place where violence is more likely to happen than in other places, don’t go there. You will almost always have control over where you must go and how long you have to stay there. If you follow the old cardinal rule, “Don’t go stupid places with stupid people and do stupid things,” your chances of ever facing a deadly threat will be very low. “Very low” isn’t “zero” though, and therefore we plan ahead.
Now, you’ve done your part to avoid such places or circumstances. But we also know that the bad stuff can still come our way or into our space. Be aware of your “OUT” wherever you are. An escape route is key to your avoidance. There have been several recent shootings in open public areas. Wherever you might be, always know the best and quickest way out of that immediate area. Don’t RUN aimlessly.
If it is at your workplace you should have already familiarized yourself with all exit paths. You can avoid danger at different stages of the scenario, incredibly early because you recognized possible danger, or extremely late, when the danger has threatened your space. Escaping a deadly encounter is your best course of action.
When the threat has boxed you in, sometimes your option might be to HIDE and let it pass. In active shooter situations that occur in schools, teachers are taught to lock the classroom door and hide the students from view. This works because unless the attacker is specifically after you due to some personal connection, they will not take the time to work on breaching that door. They will simply move on looking for more possible victims.
SURVIVE or FIGHT will be covered in the next article. (part 2/2) It is quite complex.
STAND YOUR GROUND vs. DUTY TO RETREAT
Arizona Revised Statute 13-404 states: A person is justified in threatening or using physical force against another when and to the extend a reasonable person would believe that physical force is immediately necessary to protect himself against the other’s use or attempted use of unlawful physical force.
However, are your prepared, trained and equipped to Stand Your Ground? We believe at Johnson Group TAC in preparation and situational awareness. We teach tactical mindset: “the ability to have the thought process that comes with training and experience by using your cognitive thinking to quickly determine your next course of action.” We are Official Partners with USCCA (US Concealed Carry Association) so we can train and educate our students in becoming the most effective and highly skilled responsible Armed Americans they can be.
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
JohnsonGroupTAC.com
602-448-8283
