Fight Intervention & Officer Safety

You will do under stress – What you are trained to do!

Be Prepared! As a School Security Officer, the expectations is that YOU will respond to any fight situation. Know your school districts policy on fighting - Know your departments procedures on how to respond to a fight call - Fully understand the limits of your training and your abilities! Know what the law allows you to do

People fighting are inherently dangerous – HAVE BACK-UP – If a fight occurs in front of you, radio for back-up BEFORE you take action – If you don’t have a radio, solicit another student to go for help – As you respond, assess the situation –What are you thinking as you respond? –Do you have all the information? –Am I ready for this? –Should I be doing this? –Assume someone is under the influence of an intoxicating substance

As You Approach the Scene Observe your surroundings – Know where you are – Know you escape routes – Know what could be used as a weapon – Be aware of your proximity to doors, hallways, stairwells and windows – Be aware of what others are doing – Pay attention to anyone leaving the scene in a hurry

As You Arrive On Scene Your first duty is the protection of the people at the scene; attempt to move them a safe distance from the combatants if possible and safe to do so – Try to get bystanders to leave the scene completely if possible – Try to identify any bystanders that may be trying to escalate the situation – Pay close attention to bystanders for weapons – As you move through a crowd, “pat-down” students as you move past them – If necessary, send a bystander to get help – If equipped, photograph the bystanders and combatants – Remove glasses, ties or anything that could be dropped, easily grabbed or ripped from you

On Scene STOP – OBSERVE – THINK – ACT Stop and gather your thoughts before you take action; even if it’s just to take a couple of deep breaths; remember - YOU ARE IN CHARGE – Observe the skill level of the combatants – Pay close attention to the combatants hands, looking for weapons of any kind – Asses the size and gender of the combatants; never assume that girl fighters are less dangerous! As you approach, watch your distance – As you approach, watch your distance – Never approach from behind if you can help it – Never “sneak up” on combatants, be sure to identify yourself – Get their attention BEFORE you make physical contact –Yell at them “HEY, YOU TWO STOP FIGHTING” –Blow a whistle –Make some kind of loud noise to get their attention

Make every effort to stop the fighting with voice commands before going hands-on – Try not to let bystanders get behind or surround you – Do not let the combatants maneuver you in- between them, the fight could be a set-up to lure you into a dangerous situation – Try not to go hands-on unless you have back-up present – Unless there is the potential of serious injury to the combatants, you may choose to let them fight until they tire – OFFICER SAFETY IS THE FIRST PRIORITY, student safety is second! OFFICER SAFETY IS THE FIRST PRIORITY, student safety is second!

Going “Hands-On” ONLY DO WHAT YOU ARE TRAINED TO DO! Make sure your equipment is secured – Approach at an oblique angle, strong side away – Do not have your radio or anything else in your hands unless you intend to use them – Attempt to separate the combatants – If attacked, DEFEND YOURSELF – If possible, control the strong side by placing one hand on the collar or shoulder and the other on the strong side elbow area and attempt to separate the combatants – DO NOT PLACE YOUR BODY BETWEEN THE COMBATANTS – Do not lead with your head, keep your hands in front of you and ready to defend from strikes or kicks

Going “Hands-On” cont. If you cannot separate the combatants, let them fight. They will tire. Their senses my be diminished and they may be experiencing tunnel vision – They my not be able to think clearly or respond to commands at that moment – They will be unpredictable – Once they are separated, keep them apart – Do not interview the combatants together – Take combatants to a neutral location away from the fight scene to interview – Remember, fighters are experiencing a “fight or flight” response; (“adrenaline rush”) and will need time to calm down – As you escort a combatant, keep them in front and to the side (your weak side), do not let them follow you –

Other Considerations Do not over exert your authority in the beginning. Doing so may further excite the situation – NEVER put your hands in your pockets – Do not let the combatants put their hands in their pockets – Do not stand with your arms crossed – Do not stand with your hands together and your fingers interlaced – When possible, keep a barrier between you and the combatants until they calm down – Keep your hands visible to the other person and in front of you in case you need to use them to defend or block an action – If you are overwhelmed, protect yourself and get out of the area

If you have to go hands-on DOCUMENT – Inform your building administrator and SRO or local law enforcement of the incident – Gather as many facts as possible – Identify witnesses and interview them separately – Discipline is not your concern, yours is to protect, and bring the combatants to the attention of administrations and let them handle discipline – On lookers should be disciplined the same as the combatants so get names – On lookers should be disciplined the same as the combatants so get names – Attend to any medical needs as necessary – Once the incident is over, do not talk about it with students – Whatever happens, DO NOT TAKE IT PERSONAL!

ABOVE EVERYTHING ELSE - OFFICER SAFETY COMES FIRST!

Bob King Director of Security Wenatchee School District (509) Randy Town School Safety Coordinator ESD 105 Yakima, WA (509)