In today’s violent society we are losing officers at an alarming rate. Within the past few years we have seen officers killed while responding to , entering, or searching a structure: places like Pittsburgh, Detroit , Oakland and San Diego to name a few. These incidents varied from domestic disturbances, suspicious persons, barricaded gunmen, to warrant service. These are the types of standard calls that officers answer every day and yet we continue to lose officers. There is no way we can eliminate casualties in such a dangerous and un-predictable occupation, but with the use of better tactics and teamwork we can minimize how many casualties we take.
The problem: Most officers perform as individual entities. They handle calls for service, affect traffic stops, initiate arrests, perform custodial searches, transport prisoners, settle disputes, investigate crimes, conduct interviews/interrogations and resolve a host of other problems on a daily basis. They condition themselves to get the job done, whatever that job may be, including the dangerous job of clearing structures. With some exceptions, officers can handle most of these duties by themselves and do so successfully, however, clearing a structure, effectively and safely requires teamwork.
Because entering a building and searching for other humans is inherently dangerous, it should not be performed alone; it normally requires a minimum of two officers. However, if both officers are to enter a room, they will invariably give up ground that they have already secured because they have lost sight of the remainder of the structure. This is not only ineffective, it is unsafe. For if both officers are searching, who is providing security?
Once officers have cleared a room they then have to re-orientate themselves and determine where they will proceed next. This may be repeated throughout the clearing process, which waste valuable time and allows the potentially lethal foe an opportunity to gain the advantage by formulating plans, locating escape routes, reloading, or potentially taking hostages. By applying a few techniques and principles, we can move officers through an area in a coordinated, systematic fashion, with minimal communication and greater efficiency.
The technique is called “Line-Backing” and can be used to clear any type of structure with as little as three to four officers. Line-Backing is a method of moving a group of officers through exposed areas by covering angles of attack. Officers form a line (stack) with a lead officer (number one) followed by at least one other officer. Attached to number one is the shield officer. The shield officer is responsible for covering the angles to the opposite side of the entry point, or areas that leave the search element exposed to unsecured threat areas. The shield officer also maintains the integrity of the formation by controlling the speed and movement of the number one officer. Additionally, once officers begin to search areas, the shield will maintain security and determine the teams next move. Line-Backing starts as soon as the officers enter the structure from the initial breach point. The technique works from the perspective of the OODA Cycle (Observe, Orientate, Decide, Act). The technique requires officers to move dynamically when necessary (moving through danger zones) and stealthily (slow & deliberate) when the opportunity presents itself.
The Breach (Clearing with four officers)
Ideally, officers position themselves to either side of the entry point. This is done so officers can attempt to clear as much of the initial area as possible from their position of cover/concealment at the door. Officers closest to the entry point assume a low profile known as “tuck & duck” (front officer kneeling or low-profile), this technique is used whenever officers are stacking on corners and doorways. The next closest officers straddle the front officers from over the top. This affords multiple sets of eyes and muzzles for added coverage. Once officers have breached the door, they begin to observe the initial area to be cleared. If officers encounter anyone, they have three options of engagement; verbally, physically, or by fire. Suspects who are observed should be called out to the officers and taken into custody by using cover/contact principles of engagement. Once the officers have oriented themselves to the lay-out and hazards of the initial entry, the side which holds the greatest threat will be entered first. This determination is made because it is the largest part of the room, or it contains the greatest number of secondary threats. The officer who is visually orientated to that side of the room enters first. This is followed up by officers entering from alternating sides until all are occupying the initial entry area.
The Entry
Once the team has entered the initial area, they do not want to continue to advance or “run the walls”. Each step an officer takes creates another angle within the area which may not be covered by supporting officers. Officers should move only as far as necessary to allow the rest of the members to vacate the “fatal funnel” and make entry into the room, this is generally not more than a few feet. At this point we have established two sets of officers on either side of our entry point. One set will be designated as the cover/search team and the other set a position of dominance. Which set becomes the cover/search team and which becomes the position of dominance will be dictated by the side which contains the most immediate threat.
Room Clearing
Once the determination has been made, the cover/search team will begin to clear their area while the position of dominance will hold, covering down on the room, or secondary threats. The cover/search team is exactly what its name implies, one officer searches while the other officer covers, or protects. This is accomplished by the searching officer systematically clearing their side of the room along the perimeter. While this is being done, the cover officer acts as a shield by attaching him/herself to the searching officer in order to protect them from any angle within the room as they proceed. The cover officer (shield) should not become concerned with the area being searched; each officer’s safety is dependent on the other, which results in a mutually supportive technique. The cover/search team will continue in this fashion until they clear the entire area, or come to a choke point where they are unable to proceed. If this occurs, each team will change responsibilities, whereby the cover/search team holds in place and becomes the position of dominance and the position of dominance team now becomes the cover/search team. Once the entire area has been cleared, the initial foothold has been secured.
Footholds
Once the initial foothold has been established, officers move systematically and fluidly through the structure establishing “footholds” along the way. Each time a new area is secured it becomes another foothold. These footholds are then used as a base of operations and may be occupied for as little as a few seconds in order to clear the area and determine the next move, or an un-determinate amount of time for; planning, re-consolidation, re-loading, triage, a base for negotiations or any other measure necessary to complete the mission. Whichever the case, footholds are transitional areas used while continuing to clear the structure.
* Note: If this is being accomplished with three officers, one officer (shield) will hold the hallway while the other two officers make entry into the room. The officers entering the room will initially position themselves to either side of the door just inside the room. After a brief orientation, a decision must be made as to which side is to be cleared first (danger-close) at which point both officers will join together and form a cover/search team. These two officers will remain together until the entire room has been cleared.
While officers are searching the room, the officer who is holding the hall (shield) is doing so from a “tuck & duck” position. This is done for several reasons: (1) So they present a smaller target, (2) That when the other officers check back-up to the doorway they are able to position themselves over the top of the door officer (shield); providing better coverage of the hallway and allowing the second officer to orientate to where they are moving next, (3) As a visual cue: When the door officer (shield) stands up, it tells the other officers in the room that the team is moving to the next entry point. In other words, the train is pulling out and everybody better be on-board, if not, this must be immediately communicated, before the train pulls out.
The shield, along with providing protection to the entry element as they move from point to point, determines where the team will move next and who will be the shield and who will be the number one going into the next room/area. By making these assessments, while the other members are completing the search of the room, the team is able to maintain a degree of fluidity while clearing the structure. When a team of officers becomes comfortable with these tactics, the only words that need to be communicated is: “Where are we going and what do you need.” A possible response from the “shield” would be: “Clear right, cover left.” “I’m the Shield, I need a One.” The first (closest) officer would then reply, “I’m the One, stack on me.” This would indicate to the other members that the team would be clearing a door/area to the right and that the “shield” would be providing cover to the left. Everyone in the stack would know where they were going and what their responsibilities were based on their position in the stack and no further instruction would be necessary. However, during initial training, officers are encouraged to assist one another in making determinations of direction of movement and assignments until the techniques become familiar.
This is the basis of “Line-Backing”. There are other tactics and principles that must also be covered in order for officers to be successful during a building search, some of which we have briefly discussed, such as; danger close, fill from rear, contact/cover and others we have yet to discuss. If officers can master these skills, prepare themselves mentally and be properly equipped, we have done arguably all that we can to deal with circumstances which are beyond our control and which place us at a disadvantage in our most dangerous encounter.
At the end of the day we are all police officers, who professed an oath to protect and serve, whenever and wherever that may be and by so doing we must commit ourselves as officers, trainers and administrators to be prepared to the greatest extent possible.
Daniel S. Danaher,
Executive Board Member, Tactical Encounters Inc.
Executive Board Member, Tactical Encounters Inc.
Dan is a Sergeant with 22 years of law enforcement experience. He is currently assigned as the Training Coordinator for his agency.
He is a former Marine Non-Commissioned Officer, where he served as a Rifleman, Scout/Sniper and Marksmanship Instructor. Dan also served in the Persian Gulf, on the USS Okinawa and Mobile Sea Base Hercules in Operations Earnest Will and Prime Chance, during the Iran/Iraq War.
Prior assignments/duties include: Patrol, Special Operations Unit, Motor Officer, Range-Master and Narcotics & Surveillance Bureau. Dan was also the former Senior Team Leader for the Western Wayne Special Operations Team with over 18 years of SWAT experience as both a Sniper and Entry Team Leader. Dan has been a member of his Department’s Color/Honor-Guard for 20 years.
Dan holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Criminal Justice from Madonna University.
He holds instructor certifications in the following areas: Firearms, Patrol Rifle, Rapid Deployment, Defensive Tactics, Ground Fighting, Spontaneous Knife Defense, Taser®, Personal Chemical Agents, Strategies & Tactics on Patrol Stops, SWAT Tactics, Low-Light Tactics, Confrontational Simulation/Reality Based Training and Live-Fire Shoot-House.
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