You know, Defense Techs descriptor says the future of military, law enforcement and national security… and Ive admittedly been negligent in the whole law enforcement part of it.
Well, no longer.
My good friend David Woroner who is the head honcho with Survival Consultants International down in West Palm, Florida, wrote an assessment of the Va. Tech murder spree back in April, and updated his report a couple days ago with the release of the official investigation by the Virginia state government.
Dave is a veteran security contractor and consultant with international experience. You might remember — hes the inventor and manufacturer of the Wor4 Tacrail.
Ive posted his April assessment to be followed by his latest review of the Kaine report.
(Originally posted April 18 Editor)
Time for some changes… finally?
I have spoken for years not only to corporations but to educational facilities, outreach programs, and many other places where people congregate.
What I have said so many times has come home to roost once again. The awful rampage of one man, only armed with a semi-automatic pistol, can be and was devastating. I have tried to get the message outtried to implant a simple piece of knowledge that “everything can change in a second.”
There are a few things I would like to address and, as a professional, feel it is my responsibility to do so again here and now. Any place where people congregate is, and has been, a target for a “lone active shooter” or a determined group to rain down the horror we have again witnessed. It doesn’t matter if it’s a local mall, school, church, etc.… These ill-intentioned people seek “clusters of people.”
Some mentalities that must change:
An active shooter within a closed, confined space is only going to stop when one of several things happens:
They run out of ammunition
There are no targets within range
They take their own lives
An armed professional engages and “removes” the threat
Behavior must changedo not “hunker down.” Move in any way possible away from the threat as quickly and safely as possible. The youngsters at Columbine who may have cut themselves or injured themselves getting out of a second story window made a much wiser choice than simply staying where they were.
What colleges, corporations, and other facilities cost for a person to learn, work, etc. these days demands that each large buildingon a campus for instanceshould have an armed professional within. If there was an armed security agent in any of these places, surely the toll taken would have been less. A trained and skilled security agent/retired law enforcement/active duty law enforcement officer who is armed has a much greater chance of ending an “active shooter’s” rampage. Without question, it is my opinion that an armed professional should be located within the ranges of these places where numbers of people congregate.
“It won’t happen here…”
Well, I think that point is shown to be absurdly wrong with the latest rounds of homicidal, suicidal Kamikaze-type attacks in small school houses, large campuses, and shopping malls. Usually a director of security is then forced to hire “baton only” type security. This must change. You don’t bring a club to a gunfight.
When will the “higher echelon” of business, educational, and other entities finally realize that there are a lot of highly-trained men and women that would gladly accept these positions? Is the money more important than the well being of the people who visit you? Think for a moment, if you will, how many ex-law enforcement and soon to be ex-soldiers will be coming home. There will be a large pool to draw from. It would be about time to find these folks, offer them a decent living wage, and know that children, women, and brave men (a 76-year-old holocaust survivor) would not have to die needlessly.
Finally, there are a multitude of other ramifications, opportunities, techniques, and more to be had and obtained to assist in keeping people safer. In the end, there is no guarantee, but some people “up the ladder” should now, hopefully, get the message. Anytime, any place… yes, there are monsters.
Well post Daves Part II: Assessment of the Kaine Report later today.
{ 19 comments… read them below or add one }
…armed professional engages…
…should have an armed professional within…
…security agent/retired law enforcement/active duty law enforcement officer…
…armed professional should be located…
…director of security is then forced…
…would gladly accept these positions…
…to assist in keeping people safer…
Perhaps “David Woroner who is the head honcho with Survival Consultants International” is a bit biased?
We are unable to defend ourselves? We must have the owners of all venues pay for armed gaurds? And then pass the costs along?
And last your first paragraph is somewhat baffling. Is private armed security “the future of military, law enforcement and national security”?!?
I am not saying that paid for security is bad.
I have trouble seeing what the benefit of an “armed professional” is over an armed civilian, especially if the sole purpose of the armed professional is to provide an immediate response to the laughably unlikely situation of a school shooting. If you’re concerned about having a gun in the right place at the right time, then put that gun in the hands of a student who has spent the time to obtain a conceal carry license. Allow students to carry on campus, and you increase school safety without any cost to the college or the government.
There’s no guarantee that allowing concealed firearms on campus would have prevented or mitigated the tragedy on VT. But given that there is no evidence that conceal carry decreases safety, and plenty of evidence that conceal carry has saved lived, it should be allowed on college campuses.
oh, please.
Paramilitarizing the campus cops is not the answer. Nice fear mongering, perhaps you would like to leave a business card Mr Tough Guy bad ass.
This is one event. Made all the more ‘shocking’ by the 24 hour a day coverage and breathless news breaks. How many of these have we had in a decade? How many colleges are there? Feh…
Be Afraid! Be Afraid! instead of providing and real alternatives to suffering another VATech this second rate business promotion piece is just another example of the sorry assed state of defensetech…
Most college campuses have regulations today banning students from possessing or carrying firearms on campus. While this seems sensible and well-intentioned, it basically leaves the law-abiding student populace completely vulnerable to this type of incident. There have already been multiple case histories where a student has stopped a rampage on campus by killing a perpetrator with a firearm that was retrieved from their car or residence on campus. Of course, police and college officials always downplay these incidents and the media ignores it…vigilante justice is not PC, nor will ever be endorsed,condoned or accepted (no matter what the outcome) by the ‘armed professional’ legions (which includes law enforcement as well as private security firms).
As the previous commenter mentioned, these shootings are very rare incidents and putting security personnel in every building on every college campus in the U.S. is totally unnnecessary and unrealistic. An ‘armed proffessional’ would not have prevented the V-Tech tragedy, but it is possible it could have reduced the number of fatalities.
David W. does have a good point about having an action plan for evacuation of a building in place and noting that ‘hunkering down’ is probably the worst thing that one can do when a rampage shooting is underway.
I don’t expect the ACLU will come to defend the fundamental right to possess a firearm in one’s home in order to defend themselves from nuts like Cho…however, they will make heavy investments in time and resources to ensure your child has the right to display a ‘bong hits for Jesus’ banner on campus.
Thank goodness they have their priorities in order when it comes to the defense of our Bill of Rights.
Society just needs to come to the solemn realization that tragedies like this are inherently unpreventable, and that suicidal maniacs are going to carry out kamikaze acts despite any kind of feel-good preventative measure. Just like those silly ADT security commercials where the defenseless housewife is home alone and the would-be criminal is scared off by an alarm or sign. In real life, the police would show up just like on TV, only after people are dead – like in Virginia. If we are willing to put limits on the ability for students to carry weapons for self protection, then we have to be willing to live with the consequences.
My single-action Colt .45 is no match for Cho’s semi-auto Glock, but it is better than using a chair for self-defense or trying to hold a door shut in order to save the lives of my fellow students, my professor and my own.
Sadly, there was plenty of evidence that pointed to Cho’s instability and violent tendencies long before the incident occurred, and as the report notes, campus officials failed to take it seriously enough to do something about it until it was too late. That doesn’t necessarily mean the tragedy would have been prevented, but hopefully it has been a wake-up call for other potential similar incidents. One would have thought that Columbine drove college officials to take it seriously enough to have rules in place to remove students that show potential violent tendencies.Clearly, Cho’s prior actions and writings pointed to trouble ahead.
Hello All,
I always appreciate the commentarys even though I may not agree with them. Thats why were here, to “get it out in the open”.
I would ask you to understand one thing…..(needs caps) SURVIVAL CONSULTANTS CREATES SYSTEMS PRODUCTS AND DEVICES We do not hire out ourselves? I had my day, but thats not what we do. The difference between an armed professional and a well intentioned, great citizen w/ a CCW (and Im all for letting students, faculty, etc legally carry.) is apples and oranges. I am not going to defend myself from “haphazard personal shots.” You make your own minds up.
Read the second segment, and I think you might see that while I am STRONGLY in favor of placing armed professionals in ANY place that attracts large groupings, Im not in that business? What gives? Nobodys’ paying me for this, and Im sure not gonna make any money off it.
SCI creates systems, products and devices for those that go “In Harms Way”…… And our Motto is “Bring Em’ Home Alive” That includes Soldiers, Students, etc. NO, i do not want a “police state.” But do we have to turn the Metropolitan Areas of this country into Gaza? or any other place where people like to commit mass murder before we get it? Anyone look at the Israelis’ lately? Go to your local airport, and walk up to an El Al counter…. :) Best, David Woroner, President, SCI
well said, Mr. Woroner
oh, and folks?…..kindly stop flaming DT! It’s not tech, it’s entertainment with a little tech thrown in; as such, it’s great escape, a little learning, a little grandstanding, a little venting.
Relax! where’s the love for Christian, Ward and all our other friends who take a little time out and share some fun stuff?
Hey Folks, I am enjoying checking in on this.
I do hope however, that you will at least give (PART 2) a read, to clarify alot of points you folks are making. I believe in a simple philosophy, “An Armed Citzenry is a Safer Republic.” I do not want to send “Blackwater” to Universities. I don’t want to turn Univ. L/E into roving ParaMilitary Teams.
You will read* (Christian has advised he needs to hold off until tommorow for Part 2) *that I simply place a plan that while still missing some components (and what I miss, I truly appreciate hearing from you.) < If we discuss, with dignity and respect eachother, there is a great deal of knowledge that can be put together just from this thread….After all, if you read it up to now, its gotta alot of great ideas, really haven’t read any terrible ones….So, lets all sit back, take a breath and wait for the bell on ROUND 2 (Ding!!) Have a good evening and its my honor to have this forum to share w/ you my thoughts. Sincerely, D. Woroner, pres. SCI
Hey Folks, I am enjoying checking in on this.
I do hope however, that you will at least give (PART 2) a read, to clarify alot of points you folks are making. I believe in a simple philosophy, “An Armed Citzenry is a Safer Republic.” I do not want to send “Blackwater” to Universities. I don’t want to turn Univ. L/E into roving ParaMilitary Teams.
You will read* (Christian has advised he needs to hold off until tommorow for Part 2) *that I simply place a plan that while still missing some components (and what I miss, I truly appreciate hearing from you.) < If we discuss, with dignity and respect eachother, there is a great deal of knowledge that can be put together just from this thread….After all, if you read it up to now, its gotta alot of great ideas, really haven’t read any terrible ones….So, lets all sit back, take a breath and wait for the bell on ROUND 2 (Ding!!) Have a good evening and its my honor to have this forum to share w/ you my thoughts. Sincerely, D. Woroner, pres. SCI
VA Tech had hundreds of armed guards on campus already.
They needed to:
Take stories of violent intimidation seriously (there were several that VA Tech ignored)
Have a lock down when a murderer is on the lose.
They did neither.
So now you are criticizing the police? these guys put their asses on the line every day. Go back to waxing your pistol shallow water sailor boy. Why do you try so hard to prove your manliness, are you gay?
You guys have not read the victims reports on the wikipedia have you? These are some of the things i noticed and are left as a random thought for you all to ponder.
A soldier did die trying to tackle the idiot.
Two Professors did die trying to save the students they taught one succeeded the other did not.
Bicycle chains were used to lock the doors so no one could escape. Professors and Classmates alike shunned this man and made him feel unwelcome disliked and pretty much expelled him from his classes. Students all think it is someone else’s responsibility for their safety parents think pretty much the same thing. It is YOUR responsibility no one else’s.
I get so tired of hearing hire more security, ban guns, and sue the officials for not keeping my kid safe. It is just not cost effective and generally not a good deterrent. Common decency would have been a good deterrent, as well as charity of the heart. It was plane as day obvious he was having problems at school, yet everyone doing something about it was doing the wrong things to him there needed to be balance to restore his balance.
Oh well there are my random thoughts
D~W
“So now you are criticizing the police? these guys put their asses on the line every day. Go back to waxing your pistol shallow water sailor boy. Why do you try so hard to prove your manliness, are you gay?”
No Sir, Are you a Police Officer?
Quote: “An active shooter within a closed, confined space is only going to stop when one of several things happens:
They run out of ammunition
There are no targets within range
They take their own lives
An armed professional engages and “removes” the threat” End Quote.
An armed “professional”? How about an armed CITIZEN?
Hi All,
Im gonna offer you something to look at.
If AFTER YOU VIEW VIEW IT, you tell me your this adept w/a pistol fine………ok?
But if you watch them and your NOT, ADMIT IT! So its time to put up or umm shut up.
http://www.berettatactical.com/forums/thread/247.aspx
Paid armed professional can be a good countermeasure against a student going mad. However, it also adds the risk of the armed professional going mad; he’s a human too, with his own problems, and in case of a war vet possibly also with latent case of PTSD.
Once again, everyone misses the point. There were “trained professionals” on site at Virginia Tech. They were unable to stop the threat because they could not reach the threat. Until this country begins to obey the Constitution, namely the Second Amendment, and allow armed citizens to carry weapons, this kind of senseless tragedy will never stop, no matter how many “trained professionals” are around.
How do I go about getting my firearm license, is take correct? I search but nothing comes up. A refferal would help. website . pawn shops?