Preparing for hostage situations?
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HeyCO
1 post
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Hats off to anyone that has given decent ideas or advice. Being a hostqage is not something you can prepare for. However having a union and an admin. that will ACTUALLY support you is the first step. Then forcing them to give training will help. Remember to train for prevention first. If all else fails, train yourself. Find a local martial arts club, or knife defense class. Anything. Being in the postion of having to save a friend, partner, or co-worker or your self is the worse feeling. Start with working out, being in top physical form and enough confidence to know what to do and when to do it. God bless anyone that ever comes face to face with becoming a hostage. |
rolbsned65
4 posts
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The most important issue in preparing for a hostage situation is to know what one is. The majority of the hostage situations I’ve heard of and/or dealt with have started out as an active assault on an officer or staff member. These can be prevented by acting at the time of an assault and not standing by while an officer or staff member is being beaten. Secondly your ERT/SORT Team needs to be trained in ending hostage situations. The use of force policies for your department need to be clear in these situations. Political correctness and or misinterpritation of policies can cause problems, big problems. Lastly, your staff need to be trained on what can happen to them during these situations, and yes this means the possibility of rape and contraction of the diseases we face and manage to stave off on a daily basis. The ACA is a good place to find videos on the subject as well as the Arizona Department of Corrections. While training your Officers and staff be leery of telling them your ERT/SORT Tactics for these situations. A scared officer will tell all if he/she thinks it will help save them. |
Igoturback
16 posts
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Hey the guy that’s says he’s not rob, hats off to you, your soooo right. |
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robolding
1 post
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While there is no 'silver bullet' to prepare for the possibility of a hostage situation, the answer is and always has been basically two fold. First there is the question of vigilance. With all security oriented activities, the constancy of vigilance in relationship to performance of duties and observation of events and potential ramifications are key. It is of course difficult to maintain alert vigilance on a day to day basis year in and year out. However every effort must be made to motivate staff and maintain as high a level of alertness as can be constantly over time. That implies a need for constanct 'reminder trainings.' Second (and related to the first as well), a strict adherence to security procedures must be made 'part of the culture.' Distractions related to 'kidding around' and deviation from duty requirements must be addressed consistently from the academy onward. Managers must be careful to assess 'added duties' on a routine basis to ensure that grandiose new ideas and activities do not overshadow basic security procedures and set the stage for hostage events (as well as assaults, escapes, etc.) to occur. Too often small disagreements and issues are allowed to interfere with the cooperative efforts of staff to work as at team and ensure that proper security remains the priority consideration. Tough guy attitudes do not substitute for vigilance and well executed security procedures. This should be a constant focus of leadership at the corrections facility level. It is simple, basic and unfortunately difficult to maintain as a focus over time. But it is also the most effective means to prepare for potential 'hostage events' in a prevention oriented manner. |
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