Civilian Guide for ballistic shield use

Take a minute and think about this. You’re at work and it isn’t a particularly exciting day in the office. In fact, it’s quiet. Then suddenly, it takes a dangerous turn. You hear shots fired from another area of the building. It’s an active shooter.

At this point, your heart is beating quickly. From the look of things, you know there are just two options. It’s either you stay put and hide under the desk, hoping that the shooter doesn’t see you. Or you tactically approach the shooter to take him down and protect your coworkers. What do you do? Do you run? Do you attack him? Do you seek shelter? Or lay low?

These might be the only options you have as a civilian without a ballistic shield. But if you have a deployable ballistic shield, you might have another better option. A safer one, at that. Now, no matter how many SWAT movies you’ve watched, taking down a gunner while remaining as protected as possible by a ballistic shield is a difficult thing to do. However, there are steps you can take to ensure that you are protected even with a ballistic shield.

It is important to stay calm and act cool. The truth is that adrenaline and anxiety can let things get out of control rather quickly. So, instead, focus on your breathing, inhaling, and exhaling both slowly and deeply.

If you decide to attack the active shooter while operating and moving with your ballistic shield, you need to maintain an aggressive stance. Having a combat stance can help you stay grounded and can save your life too. Focus on being hidden completely behind the shield, with your non-dominant hand holding it steady and pointing it towards the shooter. In a case where you by chance have a handgun, you should hold it with your dominant hand.

Don’t forget to hold your shield up high and control your speed when moving.

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