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Old September 13, 2005, 12:16 AM   #1
ShottyTim
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House clearing and blinking

Hey guys, I'm just returning from the range the other day and i have a question, first for some reason i was closing my eyes and catching myself in certain shots, even though i have been shooting for a while, and 2 what are some good house clearing techniques that i can perform by myself, i have taken a tactical course taught by a local former LEO but nothing on house clearing, thanks very much for your time guys.
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Old September 13, 2005, 03:56 AM   #2
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This is the way to clear your house if you have any choice in the matter. Works like a charm.

1. If indoors, get to your safe room.
2. Gather family in the room at the same time.
3. Close door.
4. Aim firearm of choice at door.
5. Call police.
6. Wait.


If outside the home,

1. Do NOT enter.
2. Call police.
3. Wait.

Clearing a house or other building is perhaps the most dangerous thing you can do, short of walking down a street at night dripping $100.00 bills. I cleared buildings and structures for training from 1977 to 1992 (Army), and for real from 1997 to now. It is NOT fun.

If you have a real need to clear a building, contact a good training school and go from there. Better yet, find any Infantry soldier or Marine that has been to Iraq and let them teach you.
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Old September 13, 2005, 07:38 AM   #3
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Actually, that Marine or soldier may not be a lot of help, being backed up by the rest of a squad or platoon. Clearing a house solo is a sucker bet.

An addition to the previous suggestion would be to ask the cops to bring the doggy. Having a madly barking K9 show up often makes the clearing go much faster
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Old September 13, 2005, 07:44 AM   #4
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Gabriel Suarez writes on house clearing techniques, which I suppose one can practice if one thinks one hears a noise, but doesn't really know if anyone is in the house.

If you *know* you have an intruder, then I agree with the other guys - your strongest tactic is to choose a position with good cover and with a good view of a bottleneck that anyone will have to come through to reach you, cover it with gun, then call the police to actually sweep the house.

If you go looking for the intruder, then *they* can hear you coming, find good cover in a position where you need to go through a bottleneck to reach them, and cover it with their gun. Not good for you.
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Old September 13, 2005, 10:13 AM   #5
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Powderman is 100% correct. There is no reason to clear your house under normal circumstances. A situation like we had in New Orleans or another post disaster situation with lawlessness and anarchy is an exception.

If you want to experience how dead clearing a house will get you, have a friend hide in an old house, building, etc, with a paintball gun or simunitions. Try to work your way through the house without getting hit. It is darn near impossible since they have the element of surprise and can see you coming before you see them.

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Old September 13, 2005, 10:28 AM   #6
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Thank YOU!

This came up in a discussion about what gun is best to use for home defense and I advocated that you should not clear a house, but if you MUST you should use a handgun for maneuverability and a free hand for performing other tasks (using phone, lights, picking up kids to take them to safety, wrestling with BG, etc.).

If you KNOW there is an intruder, unless you MUST leave to retrieve family, I advocated that you should ALWAYS pick a safe room and aim a shotgun, .223, or handgun or other favorite weapon of choice at the bottleneck.

This caused heated debate and one person insisted on clearing the house with his .223.

I think that will make you dead!
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Old September 13, 2005, 10:46 AM   #7
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I would never try to clear a house at night by myself. If I hear a strange noise downstairs, I throw on some clothes, grab the duty belt and pistol, and tell the dogs it is now time to earn their kibble. I send them downstairs while I wait upstairs in a position of cover. If a frenzy of barking and cursing ensues, I would dial 911 while maintaining my position of cover and defense at the top of the stairs. All of the family sleeps upstairs, so the only thing downstairs are property goods, and I have insurance for those.
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Old September 13, 2005, 11:26 AM   #8
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Maybe this is a silly question but... assuming you suspect there may be someone in your house, you gather the family into a room and call the police. Now when the police arrive, how do they get in the house to clear it?

If they do manage to find an entry point, how do you identify them as police before opening the door? Ask them the dispatchers name perhaps?
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Old September 13, 2005, 11:34 AM   #9
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Seems it may be situtational...
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Old September 13, 2005, 12:41 PM   #10
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Pittbug: Advise the dispatcher on the phone if you believe that someone is in the house, and you can't get to the door. The officers will find a way to enter. You (more than likely, the city/county) will be stuck with a repair bill, but it's small potatoes anyway.

Sendec: Yes! Bring the puppy. I like to see the puppies frolic playfully with people they find in hiding. There's something SO heartwarming about seeing a cheerful, docile (NOT!) Belgian Malinois or a Shepherd gently mouthing ( ) a felon's arm.

Also, let me clarify something I said earlier.

You do NOT clear a house alone. PERIOD. There is only one exception, and that is if a loved one is in the house and unaccounted for. Example: Big bump in the night, everyone's in the bedroom with you but your 10 y.o. son/daughter.

Get that barker, get your high intensity flashlight and take care of business.
I also advocate the use of a good set of electronic earmuffs, such as Peltor Presidentials. These will actually amplify low level sounds, while protecting you from the shock and effect of weapons blasts in an enclosed area.
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Old September 13, 2005, 12:43 PM   #11
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Quote:
Maybe this is a silly question but... assuming you suspect there may be someone in your house, you gather the family into a room and call the police. Now when the police arrive, how do they get in the house to clear it?
I have a spare set of housekeys attached to a chemlight glowstick. I activate the glowstick and toss them out the bedroom window to the driveway below. I tell the 911 dispatcher that responding officers should look for the glowstick and let themselves in the front door as they see fit. I also tell the dispatcher that I am armed and in cover, but I will put down my firearm upon police entry into my house.

My cover position allows me to look out the window to the driveway. If I see a number of marked sheriff cruisers pull up, and someone gets out and picks up the glowstick, I wait until they enter. I would then make voice contact and follow their instructions. Neither of us wants to be shot at that time.

Clearly, this protocol is situational, and is largely based upon the fact that I can directly observe who is responding to my 911 call.
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Old September 13, 2005, 12:46 PM   #12
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MillCreek--

Excellent idea, and good post!
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Old September 13, 2005, 05:17 PM   #13
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As MillCreek says, you *definitely* want to tell 911 that you have a firearm and where you are - I'd ask them what to do... somehow there needs to be communication and expectations established, and guns lowered at an appropriate time - otherwise either the responding officers or the homeowner could shoot the other.
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Old September 13, 2005, 05:55 PM   #14
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MilCreek's advice is what the NRA teaches in its Home Defense course. It is excellent advice. But that assumes you know or strongly suspect that the BG is already in the house. I dont think that happens too often. More often it is the "something went bump" scenario. I wont call the PD for a light cover that fell down. Too many of those will make my calls unwelcome.
I dont know what the answer is.
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Old September 14, 2005, 09:31 AM   #15
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Definitely don't clear your house if you can help it. Every SD class I've taken has echo'ed what powderman said.

One time I came home to find my front door open. Remembering what the instructors said, I called the cops and the 4 of them cleared it for me. Seems my friend's 13 year old didn't quite close the door all the way when we left.
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Old September 14, 2005, 01:41 PM   #16
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Never clear a house solo, you WILL be killed.

Any defender has at least a 3:1 advantage, maybe more depending on his preparation. This holds true for large miltary units, small squads, and individuals.

By "sweeping" you give away YOUR 3:1 advantage of holing up in your saferoom, probably more like 5:1 or 6:1 if set up properly, and give it away to the badguy hiding behind the sofa when he heards you coming. At best you get a "meeting engagement" where neither is on the defensive, you both walk around a corner and bump nto each other, and then it comes down to a coin flip.

The only time to leave the saferoom is if a dependant was unable to reach it. The should be trained to hide while you come get them, and you should only go for them if you know exactly where they are... go get them and come back to the safe room. They should also be taught to scream LOUDLY if found by the BG, and to drop to the ground if standing when you appear.
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Old September 14, 2005, 05:25 PM   #17
DT Guy
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Attach a small, laminated map of your house (including you holed up in your room) to the key to drop to the police and you're good to go.


If you HAVE to clear a house, here's an article originally on Armed Females of America on it...but as stated above, it's not something to do unless the situation demands it:

House Clearing-Part 3

In this edition of the Firing Line, we’re going to start discussing some techniques for effective and safe house clearing. But be sure you’ve caught up with Parts 1 and 2 before reading on.


Now that you’re aware of the complications involved in clearing a house or apartment, we’re going to start discussing some basic techniques you can use if the situation absolutely requires that you search your home for an intruder. Let’s be clear about that point-we’re going to discuss what I consider the best method for a solitary civilian to search their own home-this is not the way an entry team would do it.

Let’s use our example from Part 2-you’re asleep on the second floor of your home when you are awakened by breaking glass and muffled voices from the first floor. While you have pre-teen kids that have rooms on your floor, your teenager sleeps in a bedroom in the basement, so you have to go and ascertain that he’s safe. Waiting for the police to respond would endanger your child, so you must act.

The first step is to try and gather some basic intelligence. If you have a dog, what is your dog doing? If you have a dog that barks at the slightest provocation and he’s sitting quietly by your door, that might be an indication that the noise is benign. If your floors squeak, or your doors creek, have you heard any noises that indicate someone moving about? The one big advantage you have in your own home is an intimate knowledge of the layout and idiosyncrasies of its construction. Use that knowledge now.

Retrieve your firearm and your flashlight. You’re going to move through your home with your firearm pointed forward and down, with your finger off the trigger. This is commonly called the ‘ready’ position. Try and avoid having the gun extended out at arm’s length-instead, keep your elbows down and close to your body. This prevents your firearm from preceding you as you approach a corner, and also makes it easier to protect your gun if you get in a scuffle with an intruder.

As you move through your home, you’re going to follow some basic rules:
 Don’t turn on any lights if you can avoid it. With your eyes adjusted to the dark, you should be able to move fairly efficiently in your own home. If you can’t do that, turn the lights on from a position of cover, if possible, and move away from the switch as soon as possible.
 Use the flashlight intermittently. Don’t walk around with it on constantly, for obvious reasons. If you have to do this to search your home, you’re probably better off turning on the lights. ‘Blink’ your light at potential hiding areas, letting the quick flash illuminate the area like a flash of lightning. As soon as you flash the light, move. Never light without moving immediately afterward.
 Keep your firearm ready, but avoid pointing it wherever you point the light. Yes, I know that entry teams do this, but they have a great deal of practice with their trigger discipline-and even then, there are tragic errors at times. Keep the weapon pointed forward and down until you have a target.
 Don’t worry about banging doors open like they do on TV. Instead, put a premium on moving as quietly as possible.

A basic precept of clearing a space is not turning your back on anything that has not been cleared, or thoroughly searched. Working alone, you will find situations where this ideal must be compromised. Still, work toward that goal.

As you leave your bedroom, take a quick glance out of your door, keeping your body behind the wall, not the door. If the hallway outside appears clear, move quickly and decisively out the door and to the next corner or position of cover. It’s important not to hover near doors or in hallways-these are the areas that professionals refer to as ‘fatal funnels’-areas where an aggressor can predict your movement. If someone is waiting for you to come after them, it’s common sense that they’ll prepare to encounter you where they know you’ll be, and that’s a doorway or hall. You must leave these areas as quickly as you safely can, and spend no longer in them than necessary.

Before we wrap up this edition of the Firing Line, here’s another homework assignment:

With your flashlight and a banana (alright, it doesn’t HAVE to be a banana-anything that will work as a substitute firearm is fine), practice moving through your home following the above principles. Consider how you will open doors, and how and when you will have to employ the flashlight or room lights. This rehearsal should find you modifying your movement each time you repeat a specific task, since you’ll likely identify better ways to move as you practice.

When you’ve done that a few times, consider playing ‘hide and seek’ with a partner, and in darkness that resembles real life conditions. (“Pax”, from The High Road forum, suggests using your kids, armed with rubber band guns to keep you honest-an excellent idea!)

In the next edition, we’ll look at some specific approaches to various floor plans. In the meantime, stay safe.


Sorry for the long post!

Larry
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Old September 14, 2005, 05:40 PM   #18
ShottyTim
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thanks sooo much larry, that really opened my eyes, i appreciate it, i know you at all cost shouldnt but i was looking for post on if you have to how should one practice it, thanks again guys, keep um coming.
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Old September 14, 2005, 06:47 PM   #19
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One more thought:

If you are going to prepare for the eventuality, then prepare--and train hard. It is absolutely a no-brainer that as cops, the two scenes we practice the most are vehicle stops and building searches.

Take inventory of your home, and think like a criminal. Think of all the places that you could possibly hide and ambush someone from.

Like the previous poster said so eloquently, using your children for a game of adult hide and seek can reap tremendous dividends--especially if your child or children are in the adolescent or teenage stage--the size of adults.

Tell them to hide anywhere they can--ANYWHERE. You will be surprised at the spaces a flexible adult can fold themselves into.

Walk your house--in the daylight first, then at night; then after you have it down pat, work in pitch blackness until you can move quietly at a high rate of speed through the house without hitting anything.

Preparation is the key. If you believe that you are going to have to clear your own home, practice well and incessantly.

Of course, there are the appropriate firearms, lights, optics and other tactics--but, that's another topic.

Basic principle--if you can avoid it at all, DON'T.

But practice just in case you have to.
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Old September 14, 2005, 08:06 PM   #20
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thanks powderman, great post.
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Old September 14, 2005, 08:23 PM   #21
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How do the police get in?

Some suggest that when you call the law, you tell them to come around to the window in the room where you are hunkered down. Have a spare set of keys on a big key chain and toss them out the window.

Having played a terrorist/active shooter hidden in a warren of offices and opposing entry teams looking for me, I can assure you that the team is at a terrible disadvantage with a determined opponent with some training.

An untrained homeowner just wandering around is not going to do well if the BG is looking to kill them.
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Old September 15, 2005, 09:23 AM   #22
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Outstanding Thread!

This whole thread has been great and very illuminating. Makes sense to hunker down and wait for the law.
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Old September 15, 2005, 10:31 PM   #23
DT Guy
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Hmmm....I think I found a link to the first few of those houseclearing articles:

#1

#2



HTH,

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