Close Quarter Combat
In the current discussion of Run, Hide, Fight (RHF) in schools, particular attention has been given to the "Fight" portion. When it comes to having individuals close with and engage an enemy, this is the very definition of Close Quarters Combat (CQC). There are many names this concept be called, but there is no denying that this meets the definition, "Hand-to-hand fighting at close quarters."The RHF video has reportedly had nearly three million views, and has certainly spawned great discussion, and rightfully so.
The video, created by the City of Houston's Office of Homeland Security (Ready Houston) was not made with schools in mind, but for adults in the workplace who have the responsibility to make their own decisions about their safety. These adults comprise an autonomous population who can decide how best to apply the RHF concepts.
Ready
Houston wanted to make a catch phrase similar to "Stop, Drop and
Roll" to help people remember what to do in the rare event a shooter
attacks their workplace. In that regard, they have been highly
successful. Their efforts have certainly raised awareness of Active
Shooter Response for adults. While I may
disagree with parts of RHF, they are to be commended for raising awareness, and
jump-starting a much needed discussion.
There
are elements of RHF that are applicable to schools. However, schools and
hospitals are comprised of largely non-autonomous populations that will be
incapable, for various reasons, of making decisions about their safety. Therefore
those responsible must make these decisions. There is a vast difference
between an individual making a decision for themselves and a person making
decisions that will affect a group. The tactics a school, or hospital,
chooses to use should reflect that difference.
I,
nor anyone I have been professionally associated, have ever advocated that
adults faced with a life-or-death situation of an Active Shooter in the
classroom should go out like a lamb. Where we differ from others is in
how we instruct educators (Or hospital personnel) up to that point, and in how
the school (or hospital) addresses the decision-point should CQC be needed.
For
example, police officers and military personnel receive tremendous amounts of
training in CQC, and their leaders have the statutory authority to order them
into harm's way. Education personnel receive no such training, beyond a
few hours in a workshop, and educational leaders have no statutory authority to
order their teachers into danger. In Indiana, the law allows teachers to
"opt out" of administering life-saving injections to students.
While there is no case law concerning Active Shooter training, it is only a
matter of time, and courts rely heavily on precedent.
Until
such a time as the statutory authority is provided, schools should stress an
All-Hazards approach to preventing, mitigating, and preparing to respond and
recover from more likely events. Such planning may include Active Shooter
Incidents. Planning should be unique for each district, and should not
include "canned plans" that are the same for every school.
There should be a frank, honest, on-going discussion on how best to secure our schools. That discussion needs to continue.
