Critical Communication, Code-words and Concealed Carry

We talk a lot about situational awareness and recognizing pre-assault indicators, and we should. However, we need to also think about how we convey a perceived threat to others.

In other words, we may need to protect others and ourselves in a given situation. We also may need to coordinate with others to counter the threat effectively.

Communication on flight 93 —

A well-known, non-firearm example would be the incident onboard flight 93. Flight 93 is the commercial plane that terrorists hijacked on 9/11. However, instead of being flone into the White House or another important target, the plan ultimately crashed in Shanksville, PA.

Although unarmed, some passengers coordinated to attack the terrorists who had box cutters. Even though the passengers were not armed, they used items about the plane to overwhelm the terrorists, stopping them from completing their mission.

Sometimes, we can perceive the threat and respond without communication—for example, we are the intended victim or when others are not around. The threat may also be proximate, or immediate action may be necessary where communication is unnecessary or impractical. In these situations, immediate action may be the best course of action.

But at other times, simply recognizing a threat and keeping it to ourselves is a wrong move.

If you sense danger and convey it to those with you, there is the opportunity to direct them away from you or to a position of safety while you address the threat. Moving loved ones to cover is especially important if they are unarmed or unable to define themselves. Of course, we don't want to purposefully get involved in deadly-force incidents with our loved ones nearby if we can avoid it. But there may be instances where our action is unavoidable or necessary.

Identifying a threat —

The methodology of identifying threats or practices of situational awareness is outside the scope of this post. However, it is important to note that we are always reactionary as citizen defenders. Because of this, we must first identify a threat before responding.

The earlier we recognize a threat, the sooner we can determine our response. If you have a child or another person relying on you for their protection, your options become more complicated.

Carrying the sole responsibility —

I realize that most everyday carriers probably assume the responsibility of providing security for their entire family. It is a noble and loving thing to do. However, involving your spouse in your training is beneficial in many respects.

First, they can more appropriately protect themselves when you aren't around.

Secondly, if the day to defend against an attack comes when you are together, you have more options and can enact a better overall response.

In actuality, armed or not, the second point is really driving the content of this post. Communication of potential danger to those around you may be necessary.

Strategies for communicating danger —

Everything is situationally dependant in that some strategies may work in a particular context and not in another. However, we can look at some general strategies that you may fit into a given response.

Code words —

Establishing codewords is one strategy I learned as a police officer in dealing with my beat partner, as well as my family while off-duty.

Working the streets with the same partner enabled us to understand the other's capabilities and tendencies. We also developed codewords that we could use to communicate without tipping our hands.

So, for example, if my partner Anthony was talking to a suspect, and I recognized the person had warrants or sensed some other reason they needed to be in cuffs, I just said, ‘hey Anthony, you know what time it is?” This was far better than saying something like “hey man let's cuff this guy up before he runs because he's got some felony warrants.”

There were also occasions that when I was off-duty and in a public place, I ran across people I arrested. Sometimes they were aware enough to recognize me without my uniform. With their response being unpredictable, my wife and I established some protocols. For example, if I said, “it's time to move,” she knew I identified something, and we needed to leave. If I said, “I gotta move,” I needed her to break away from me.

There may be a tactical reason to split up. For example, you don't want your family running to you in an incident if you are the one drawing fire. The command may also be used as a directive to take your child, break away and get to safety.

Non-verbal —

We can communicate a lot of information non-verbally. For example, my partner and I also used the ‘hang-loose' hand sign as a non-verbal cue to put someone in cuffs. In addition, if you spend lots of time with someone, you probably recognize each other's facial expressions enough to communicate certain things.

Non-verbal cues may be a strategy if you choose compliance and wait for the best opportunity to act.

Clear communication —

Communication with others may look like directing them to a safe exit.

If you determine the best course of action is escaping, your priority is clearly stating that everyone needs to listen to commands and follow directions to the exit. You may not necessarily need to explain every detail of the threat, only that there is a threat and it's time to move.

If you must direct strangers, use direct statements like ‘you're in danger here, you need to exit the building,' or perhaps ‘get inside that room and lock the door.' Again, it's impossible to anticipate every situation, but the point is to be direct, convey the importance of their immediate response, and do so calmly.

You may decide on a coordinated response with your spouse, friend, another concealed carrier, or someone else willing and able to act. For those with tactical training, it's important to remember that not everyone understands the jargon you might have used. Therefore, it is essential to use plain language in these situations and not overcomplicate things.

Other communication considerations —

If you're in a public place and choose to use a handgun, it's also essential to communicate that you are NOT the threat. When appropriate, you should loudly announce that you are a concealed carrier and not a threat to them. This is also an excellent time to give your description and ask them to relay information to the police.

Remember your ability to communicate non-verbally. Do not behave in a manner that makes you appear to be the bad guy. Running from the scene when the police arrive, pointing your gun at random people, or not complying with responding police orders are all things that make it difficult for police to distinguish you from the bad guy. There is a lot that I can say on this topic, but I'll save it for another post.

Finally —

Again, it is impossible to plan for every possible scenario. However, that doesn't mean we should wait and assume we will just make the right choices when the time comes. In fact, if you never think about these scenarios, you will have no point of reference from which to draw potential responses.

Think of how you can apply or modify some of these basic principles to suit your family and personal needs. Hopefully, you will never have to use them, but you'll at least have a playbook if you do.

Defending yourself or your family outside your home is one thing. But, have you thought about establishing proper procedures for defense inside and around your home? We developed a course called Complete Home Defense. It contains a wealth of information on home defense strategies and your response to threats inside and outside your home.