4DANGEROUS DRIVING
DANGEROUS DRIVING
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BEING THE “ DESIGNATED DRIVER ” ALWAYS CARRIES A RESPONSIBILITY FOR THOSE WHO RIDE WITH YOU , BUT WHEN THAT ROLE IS UNDERTAKEN IN A HIGH-STRESS , HIGH-RISK SETTING YOU ARE TAKING THE LIVES OF YOUR PASSENGERS LITERALLY INTO YOUR OWN HANDS , AND IT ’ S NOT A ROLE FOR THE FAINT OF HEART OR UNCOMMITTED ! OUR NEWEST CONTRIBUTOR JIM WENZEL BRINGS HIS WEALTH OF EXPERIENCE TO PMCI TO TELL MORE …
The ultimate goal is to not be in a situation where we are forced to respond to a threat , however in reality , there are going to be cases that cannot be avoided . When faced with a threat , we want and need to respond effectively and survive . As professionals , we need to be committed to our training and continuously build upon our knowledge and skills needed to survive and protect a principal during routine and attack type situations . For this article , I would like to take you through what it takes to become a Driver in the world of Private Security and Military Contracting . I have had the opportunity to instruct at various levels from the basic Law Enforcement Recruit at the training academy to the proving grounds in the Private Sector which has included training civilian contractors , Tier 1 Operators , and members of various Federal Agencies that were preparing to deploy overseas .
My aim is to provide some insight and overview into various components of this demanding role and to show it takes a lot more than just grabbing the keys and hopping behind the wheel . Scenario : You have been tasked with being the Driver for your detail , the responsibility of the team ’ s safety has been placed squarely on your shoulders as you are the person that is required to get them from point A to B in a safe and efficient manner . Which of the 2 drivers described below do you wish to be :
Driver 1 : Conducted pre-trip inspections of the vehicles , ensured that they are detail ready , conducted a proper travel plan analysis and mapped out the area of predictable travel . This driver also conducted some surveillance of the route and determined routes for contingencies .
Driver 2 : Has been on many details throughout their tenure , delegated the responsibility of the pre-trip inspections to someone else although they will be the driver because they have seniority . Briefly looked over the travel plan and believes he has done this enough that he is ready to go .
What is tactical driving and what role does the driver play in it ? In a brief summary , tactical driving is the combination of defensive and offensive driving , it is a skillset that is developed to help combat vehicular ambushes . The driver is an integral part of this solution as they hold the keys , figuratively and literally to the survival of the team they are transporting .
PLANS FAIL , PREPARATION DOES NOT
The most common attacks occurring today by the primary terrorist organizations are of the remote control or standoff variety . The only way to defeat these attacks is to recognize pre-attack planning events such as surveillance . Which brings us to one of the many tasks that a driver should become familiar with and assist with since they will be the one in control of the vehicle . Know where to look for surveillance , this is done by conducting a Travel Plan Analysis and An Area of Predictable Travel .
With the driver assisting in the planning of routes , conducting dry runs , we are increasing survivability of the team and then allows the driver to do their main job when in the vehicle which is to assess the situations you are coming up on , make quick decisions , stay in control of the vehicle and get to where you are going alive and in one piece .
The other occupants of the vehicle are responsible for whatever other tasks need to happen along the way . No matter what the other tasks are , the driver needs to stay focused on the task at hand and keep a 360-degree awareness of what ‘ s going