Clearance Exercises

Clearance Exercises

Introduction – Investigation of a Threat

First Scenario –

  • You are in your home asleep
  • You hear noises in your house leading you to suspect intruders

Sub-Scenario One –

  • All the occupants are in the bedroom with you

Sub-Scenario Two –

  • Children or other occupants are located in other rooms and are considered defenseless

In Sub-Scenario One, the best solution is to barricade the door (if you don’t lock it or barricade it normally,) acquire your weapon if you keep one, access a cell phone (preferable to the house phone, you should keep it next to the bed) call 911 and let them know there are possible intruders in the house. Keep 911 on the phone, take cover, call out for the intruders to leave, that the police have been called, and that you are armed and will defend yourself.

In Sub-Scenario Two, best solutions are less obvious. If there are two of you, one should use the cell phone, call 911, and take cover, armed if possible. The other (you?) should be armed with a weapon and a flashlight. Since you have others in the house, great care must be taken in muzzle control and even engaging the intruder, to not endanger others in the process or to provide the intruder greater control. The projected response time of your local law enforcement is also something to consider. If they will respond in a few minutes, it may be best for you not to be wandering about with a gun in your hand and be mistaken for the intruder. If you live out in the country and if you have small children, for instance, that might be used as hostages or shields, then you may opt to investigate personally. “If seconds count, the police are only minutes away.”

Second Scenario –

  • You arrive home after being gone for the weekend to find the front door open and a backroom light on in the house
  • No one was left at home

Sub-Scenario One –

  • You are in an urban environment
  • You have a cell phone
  • You are by yourself

Sub-Scenario Two –

  • You are in a rural environment
  • You have no cell phone coverage
  • You are by yourself

Sub-Scenario Three –

  • You are in a rural environment
  • You have no cell phone coverage
  • You are with someone else

In Sub-Scenario One, the first solution is to use the cell phone and call 911, ask for police or sheriff assistance and let them know you are waiting outside. Give them your description, and depending on your police force, you might consider letting them know you are armed. In either case, they may well tell you to leave the premises until they arrive to alleviate more complicated scenarios.

In Sub-Scenario Two, you could backtrack to where you have cell coverage, or the nearest telephone, such as a neighbor, if nearby, and call. The second option is to investigate personally with great care. Think about if you have other options. In this scenario, you have no backup if anything goes down.

In Sub-Scenario Three, you have a few more options and more liabilities. Sending someone for help while you find a good cover area to observe the house could be a rational option. But if you decide to investigate, or if your cover is blown and you engage unsuccessfully, do you want to leave your loved ones at the mercy of the intruders?

Third Scenario –

  • You have been gone from home
  • You are arriving home at night
  • Although nothing looks suspicious, you would like some assurance of a clear house before the family enters only to find a bad scenario

This is the most common scenario. The threat is less likely, but the techniques are the same as when the possibility of a threat is higher. And it is a good time to reinforce your skills in a lower threat, lower emotion laden environment. Of course, you will need a weapon and a flashlight. In this scenario, turning on the lights is less of an issue, since no one is home to be awakened and wander out, but it still gives the bad guy more advanced warning. Clearance of the house is as we will describe in the range depiction. Get to know your house, and where people can get around you, behind you, or surprise you with little distance.

In all scenarios, your first choice should never be to go looking for trouble.

Go over the following techniques:

  • The high compressed ready – how to proceed through the house
  • The use of flashlights or interior lights
  • Constrained areas, doorways and closed doors
  • Cutting the pie
  • Engaging from cover or around objects

Other discussions :

  • Lasers
  • Red Dots
  • Night Sights