As they say, “We interrupt your regularly scheduled program for this special report.” A few weeks back I was invited to attend a training class, one well worth reporting. So, we’re taking a detour – off the beaten path - from the fundamentals of the threat response to look at Alabama’s Department of Conservation and Natural Resources’ Rural Operations training for law enforcement.
Most people look at rural operations - tracking, working the brush in a formation searching for a missing person - maybe a violent fugitive - or treating life threatening trauma with the bare necessities as “mystical” arts. But, like any other skills these techniques can be learned through instruction and like always, plenty of practice.
Having lived in the “rural” most my life, I’ve always been interested in these specific skills. I’ve taken a few classes, but it has been a while. When Matt Weathers, Chief of Alabama’s Wildlife & Freshwater Fisheries Law Enforcement Section extended the invitation to attend his department’s new Rural Operations class, a two-day class being held in Guntersville State Park – ten minutes from home – I immediately responded, “Yes,” and marked it on my calendar.
Wildlife officers are always in the field. They’re often the first responders to an emergency, whether it’s an elderly person missing, an injured hunter or an armed, violent fugitive. The skills needed to handle almost any type situation, usually isolated and far from assistance are very specific, and not something you can learn from reading a book or watching a video. "We recognized the need for this training nearly a decade ago,” Chief Weathers said, “putting all the pieces together took time."
The “pieces” included “… institutional knowledge that has been passed down from game wardens for over a century,” Chief explained. The twelve instructors chosen to teach Rural Op’s, who all have prior law enforcement and military experience, were sent to the best instructors in the country to refine their specialties. They brought this knowledge – which has already saved lives - back to Alabama and combined it with what officers have been learning in the field for the past one-hundred plus years. During all this, research was done on how to fine tune the presentation and provide officers with realistic scenarios.
The goal of the Rural Ops class is “to present time-tested man-tracking techniques” to new officers and sharpen the skills of veteran officers alike. Ideally, this will help keep them safe when working in the field. The two-day class is broken down into three 3-hour blocks – Tracking, Medical Skills, and Formations and Movement. There was a demonstration with a tracking dog, which if available is an incredible asset and can be much more efficient than an individual looking for visual “sign.” The final day put everything together during Force-On-Force scenarios using “real” weapons firing marking rounds. These drills tested the students’ skills and reinforced how effective the techniques are.
The techniques used to track a lost person or a dangerous threat are the same; the application of these skills varies according to the situation. Time is critical when searching for a lost person. You’re moving quickly to find them secure and safe. Searching for a dangerous threat is a slow, deliberate action. As a team you have to maintain security in every direction. Each team member must know what their role and responsibilities are for each formation - the File, Linear, Wedge and “Y” – which are selected according to the terrain. They have to stay focused the entire time, and be able to rotate positions due to fatigue - or a sudden attack from any direction. These are very specific skills.
The Rural Operations class has been a huge success, and Alabama’s instructors have been invited to other states to teach their officers. And, it’s not all about “rural” officers; many of the techniques can be used in urban environments too. Plus, even in the most “citified” location, you don’t have to travel far to find wilderness.
Tiger McKee is director of Shootrite Firearms Academy, which is celebrating its twenty-fifth anniversary. He is the author of The Book of Two Guns, AR-15 Skills and Drills, has a regular column in American Handgunner and makes some cool knives and custom revolvers. Visit Shootrite’s Facebook page for other details.