At the end of this past year I recently conducted a few "Fight for Life" – Officer Survival Seminars in Baton Rouge. The students in these classes were highly motivated, dedicated and skilled officers – all of the great ingredient's to a great class, and believe me these were great classes, as it is my honor to train with the real world warriors such as these. Unfortunately some were very, and I mean very surprised, shocked, and even embarrassed at the results they received from their own issued duty gear. Like many officers they wear what is issued however some of the officers in these classes were involved in their own selection process of their gear.

1. How does it really perform – This is a tough question; I mean the gear was made in controlled and organized environments, and followed a series of set instructions – and when the gear was tested to ensure it would perform when needed in the correct manner and purpose of their design – this only seems logical

a. However logic, organized, and controlled doesn't come close to the situations, encounters and environments we work in as law enforcement. In fact we work in environments that will require use to access our firearm and draw our weapons wearing cold weather gloves or with slippery fluids on our hands or even with a broken or badly sprained hand or fingers.

b. We will have to access and draw our firearms in situations that demand us to be focused on other more serious concerns like breaking away from a threat, attempting to control a subject or even fighting for our own lives.

2. During our "Fight for Life' seminar the officers realized their gear failed them in the most common situations we get into as law enforcement and it takes not only familiarization with your gear but gear that is designed to be functional under the most sever situations.

So please – get this information NOW – so when SHOWTIME occurs you are in control of the outcome!

"For this new year's resolution – shouldn't it be the most important one of your lives" – Dave Young

According to the ACLU, the UCR in the last few months shows that more officers have died in ambushes then any time in US History – this brings to light a few important issues we need to discuss and not take for granted. If officers are ambushed then we can agree that when the attacks occurs the officers involved will be responding – reacting – either through a trained, practiced and rehearsed response or out of anxiety, fear or panic.

We NEVER KNOW when the time will come when our lives or the lives of others WILL depend on OUR PERFORMANCE! This is a phase I want you to very intimately associate yourself with. And for the sake of some who might not know what I am talking about break it down.

• We NEVER KNOW - for a police officer - there is not any one time of the day that is more dangerous then another. In the beginning of the shift, during lunch, writing a report in our cars, or at the end of the shift – bad guys are on 24/7 and so are we!

• When the time will come – A.M. or P.M, Christmas or New Years, on the first day of your shift or the last day – we need to adopt this small but important acronym – A.A.A.- meaning anytime, anywhere and any place!

• When our lives – for as long as blood pumps through our veins and our heart beats we live and our loved ones count on us

• Or the lives of others - our partners, co-workers, family, friends, the society we are sworn to protect

• WILL depend on OUR PERFORMANCE – this is simple – the only last or second place in life is a controlled sporting event – in our world if the other guy is better we could die – so our commitment to excellence is not only on paper but in the performance of ourselves, our gear and our weapons

Now is the time to stand – NOW is the time to practice....why some might ask....because lives depend on it. May God send you legions of angels to protect you, keep you and your families safe, and THANK YOU for allowing us to be safe.

"No matter where your religious beliefs may lay, if we are not practicing today for our opponent tomorrow there is a strong chance our tomorrow could be TODAY" – for some of us the word practice can mean many different things. However in our field of protecting and serving – this takes a more intimate meaning. A long time ago I was told if I wanted to get better in anything I am trying to do then I need to dedicate a certain amount of time daily to work on the things I am terrible at. As I grew older this piece if wisdom as not only been true but life altering. If we only practice on the things we are good at then only certain things get better – and the things we are still terrible at will actually get worst. But if we practice on the things we are terrible at those things get better and then the things we are already good at will progress naturally.

Take for instance the presentation or drawing of our firearm. Trigger control is definitely important however – the inability to draw our firearm smoothly and when we need to then trigger control actually means nothing. One of the most famous saying from Wyatt Earp was, "Fast is fine but accuracy is everything." Most have translated this to the actual pulling of the trigger with control, breathing, aiming etc...when in reality I believed this encompassed the entire act of firearm handling – it is not how fast you pull the trigger or how fast you can grab your firearm; but how accurately grip your firearm from the draw and get it to target for accuracy.

So designate some time each day to practice your firearm accessibility, drawing, presentation of the firearm just as much if not more than the actual pulling of the trigger. Stay Safe, Stay Strong and most importantly Stay Alive!

"What do you wear vs. what do you use – there is a big difference between the two" -Dave Young

Many times I ask an officer – what type of firearm they carry – and I get a fast and confident reply; however when I ask what holster they carry – MANY do not know the answer to that question. The truth is most officers do not buy their holsters or equipment and many are issued gear and equipment with little to no training on the functionality of their own gear.

1. What you wear– Every officer who works in patrol wears a uniform and a duty belt with all of their equipment, defensive tools and firearm. Wearing your equipment is a far cry from actually using your equipment. Having your duty belt on your body is a far cry from actually using your gear. So until that moment happens – the reality of it working and performing as you expect is still a myth, and a myth that could get you killed.

2. What you use– Many people wear running shoes, but until they actually run, they are only running shoes. This is the same category of officers who are issued duty gear without actually going through a series of familiarization exercises to get the proper feel and performance level of their gear. In closing think about these possible scenarios; you are sitting in your car and have to draw your firearm or you are on your back and have to draw your firearm or you are fighting for your life and you have to draw your firearm--now! If you are not 100% confident in the performance of your gear, the moment to find this out is not during the moment of truth; don't you think? Comments (Comment Moderation is enabled. Your comment will not appear until approved.)