Every person in
possession of an exposed weapon permit issued by the Bureau has a
legal and moral obligation to avoid using deadly or lethal force
unless there is an imminent danger to life. Further, a person with
an exposed weapon permit has an obligation to do everything possible
to de-escalate conflict situations that could lead to dangerous
situations.
The armed security
guard, alarm agent, private investigator, or qualified manager, who
has been issued a firearm permit, holds a position of special trust
and responsibility. An armed security guard has been entrusted to
carry a deadly weapon. That guard also has the responsibility to use
that weapon only if there is an imminent threat to life, only if
there is no other option to the use of deadly force and only if the
person has taken all precautions to avoid the use of deadly force.
An armed security guard
has an obligation to establish and maintain competency in the use of
the weapon carried on duty. Competency also includes being competent
in the techniques that avoid or reduce the possible use of deadly
force.
Competency in
techniques that avoid or reduce conflict includes an awareness of
how your behavior may affect another person in a conflict situation.
Awareness of the affects of your behavior may improve your
competency in handling conflict situations. Your behavior may
contribute to an increase or a decrease in the level of conflict in
such a situation. Your personal behavior involves the totality of
your conduct, including the words you use, the tone of your voice,
your facial expressions, body stance and body movements.
Threatening, aggressive, or offensive behavior may aggravate the
situation and make controlling the situation more difficult. At
worst, such behavior may increase the level of conflict and result
in a use of force that perhaps could have been avoided. On the other
hand, non-aggressive behavior, such as speaking politely in a calm
voice, not standing in a threatening manner and not placing your
hand on the weapon, may contribute to not escalating the situation.
You are responsible for
your behavior. In a shooting, your behavior may be thoroughly
reviewed. If your behavior is shown to have contributed to the
escalation of conflict that resulted in a shooting, you may be held
totally or partially responsible.
Participants in an
actual shooting often have very strong short-term and long-term
physical, emotional, and psychological reactions. These are normal
reactions.
One normal reaction to
a perceived threat is called the Fight or Flight reaction. The body
and mind naturally responds to a threat by preparing to fight (for
example, the shooting) or for a flight (for example, withdrawing).
Some typical short-term physical reactions to a fight or flight
situation are a greatly increased heart rate and breathing rate,
tunnel vision, tremors (shaking of hands), vomiting, and the loss of
control of body functions. Because it is extremely unlikely that you
will be wearing ear protectors in a shooting, the loud explosive
sound of the shot(s) will make your ears ring, maybe for weeks. You
may even
