DARC vs. ALERRT

[Fatboy]

When you talk about the squeeze then letting go, are you saying that you were taught to squeeze and hold while making entry so you stay close together? Or is my inner caveman not picking up what you're talking about?

I mean it kind of defeats the purpose of going opposite the guy in front of you if you're hanging onto their back. If its just a tap or squeeze to signal that there is at least a second guy ready to make entry, then I'm tracking.

ETA:

As far as leaving the hallway to clear a room, that is a general military tactic where speed is your security and the flow is constant even if you smoke check a dude in the room. Different units work their "flow" differently, with most conventional guys leaving the hallway for follow on forces and most special guys leaving a man out to own the terrain still.

Different strokes and all that I guess.

 

[mark1911]

I'm not, Justin, but will add this,

Goal is to enter together, with as little gap as possible. Rather than a trickling of entry personnel. There are techniques that enable this, some work better than others. Most of the time, a lack of correct contact allows for more of a gap prior to entry. Agree on not having to drag someone into a room.

Hallway security is important. Giving it up to focus on a room can be short sighted. Requires retaking the hallway, and a probable loss of 360 security. Understanding all are terrain dependent, and dependent upon resources, mission, etc.

When you talk about the squeeze then letting go, are you saying that you were taught to squeeze and hold while making entry so you stay close together? Or is my inner caveman not picking up what you're talking about?

I mean it kind of defeats the purpose of going opposite the guy in front of you if you're hanging onto their back. If its just a tap or squeeze to signal that there is at least a second guy ready to make entry, then I'm tracking.

ETA:

As far as leaving the hallway to clear a room, that is a general military tactic where speed is your security and the flow is constant even if you smoke check a dude in the room. Different units work their "flow" differently, with most conventional guys leaving the hallway for follow on forces and most special guys leaving a man out to own the terrain still.

Different strokes and all that I guess.

 

[Darth Tater]

I've been exposed to ALERRT stuff, and would like to make it to DARC one day. I haven't been to DARC (yet), so I can't comment on what they're offering.

I will say this: one big discriminator for most cops on cop budgets: ALERRT comes to the cops for free via grant funded mobile training teams. Cops have to go to DARC. The logistics there makes one a lot more accessible than the other. Then add cost and it's a huge discriminator for most. Not to say DARC isn't the best thing going...but it's not nearly as accessible to the masses.

 

[Gilevi]

It took me a bit to be sold on alerrt. but that was becouse it was level 1, once i got above 1 and did the other classes and instructor courses i got it and was sold. Do i think its the end all be all no. I dont agree with everything. But anyone can say that about any system.

Here is the biggest selling point, it gives a national standard to tactics and responce from an ics/nims stand point to a active threat. For us smaller city cops thats big becouse its going to be 6 or 7 agencies showing up including fire and ems and everyone else. Becouse of alerrt everyone is on the same page.

We teach our dept and the fire side alerrt and we do intergrated responce. We have been starting to work with other towns and cities now too. And its gone very smooth.

One of the problems with ALERRT as I see it only focuses on the individual response, and not any coordination or building of the responses as the scope of the potential threat increases like MACTAC was developed for. I feel there are also problems with the focus on not entering a room and doing everything from pinning and threshold evaluations. You say ALERRT may have already saved lives, but it is a matter of time before failing to take intoaccount those walls is going to get LEO's killed.

This is not true at all. They offer many courses that intergate that. One for example is "integrate responce to active shooter" and it was 4 days of intergrating all levels from the first guy on sceen to rescue task force to follow on swat teams, command and control ect. Awesome course. As far as not entering to room. They only advicate that went u got active intelligence on the location of the threat and ur responding direct to threat. Other wise ur clearing rooms especial on secondary sweeps.