www.responseaustralia.net

2 www.responseaustralia.net

RESPONSE AUSTRALIA

eMAGAZINE

April 2010—Issue #15

Doug Nicholson Editor

Mailing Address:

PO Box 171 Maroochydore 4558, Qld

Australia

All Correspondence, including electronic (emails) become the property of Response Australia eMagazine. By submitting to Response Australia eMagazine, the author agrees to allow Response Australia eMagazine to publish said correspondence and

allow editing as necessary.

All material appearing in this publication is copyright and may not be reproduced in whole or in part without express permission of the editor. Email forwarding of the magazine in electronic format and/or the homepage URL is permitted.

Response Australia is an electronic publication, distributed bi-monthly. To sign up to receive this e-magazine, go to

www.responseaustralia.net

All opinions stated by Authors within articles are the sole responsibility of the authors alone.

Unless stated otherwise, all images in this publication are obtained from public sources.

Response Australia eMagazine is a registered business in the State of Queensland. Business number BN20570326.

3 www.responseaustralia.net

Letter from the Editor

VALE

TWA Trade Expo - LES Australia

Critical Response & Extreme Medical, Eripio

SignalOne, SORD

LEGEAR, Segway

Tactical Advantage QLD, Centurio Australia

TWA Training - ISR Matrix, AIIMS

Pro-Com Consulting

Extreme Medical & Critical Response

PFC Training - Searching for Adversaries

AUSTAC

RA News

In This Issue:

Page 04

Page 05

Page 07

Page 08

Page 09

Page 10

Page 12

Page 16

Page 17

Page 18

Page 19

Page 22

Page 27

4 www.responseaustralia.net

Letter from the Editor

“RA” April 2010

Welcome to Response Australia’s fifteenth

issue.

As always the last couple of months have

been a busy time for our Law Enforcement community, those men and women who face

down evil when the rest of society is

sleeping.

A very under-publicised incident occurred in

NSW where a crew responding to a noise

complaint were set upon by a mob and their

vehicle was set alight while they had to flee to safety.

Another Officer was dragged two hundred

meters along a suburban street when

dealing with a “simple” traffic matter, and Police had to diffuse a number of suspect

packages in a residence. The additional shootings, deaths in custody,

and sieges pale in comparison to spate of

Police pursuits resulting in collisions. At last

count, in the last two months four Police were injured, four people killed, and a

number more were injured due to frontline

Police being forced to conduct unsafe pursuits as a result of negligent policies and training.

Wake up Management, and start doing your job.

One bright light in the darkness was Tactical Week Australia. Just from the training point

of view, there was more relevant and

effective training conducted in one week at

TWA than has been done in decades at Australia’s Police training facilities, whether

it be Defensive Tactics, firearms skills or

tactics.

Slowly, but surely, this wealth of training

that is freely available overseas, and truly the “world’s best” is encroaching upon the

viciously protected nepotistic fiefdoms of

so-called “training” in our Law Enforcement

agencies.

It will be interesting to see if our Police

Managers will be held accountable for their

bare-faced lies regarding their agencies adhering to non-existent “world’s best

practice” standards.

But, that is probably nothing more than a

pipe-dream.

With VicPol’s Chief Commissioner Overland

showing that high-ranking Officers can

commit serious crimes with no subsequent investigation or discipline taken, while initiating internal investigations over very

minor email misuse that amounts to normal human interaction, we have to wonder when

it is that Management of our Law Enforcement agencies will start to realise

their purpose, their duty, their job. It is not the frontline Police Officer shedding

blood, sweat and tears that exists to serve

Management. Those brave men and women

serve no one but society itself.

So why do Management exist? It used to be that they were leaders, who led our men and

women in their arduous duty. But they have

shed that image for one that favours the organisation, which is a shame, as it detracts

from the reason Law Enforcement exists.

Management is meant to support those on

the frontline to do their job, to “Protect and

Serve”, and not the other way around.

Demand more from your “Managers” and do

more for your subordinates. It’s your duty.

Stay safe

Doug Nicholson - Editor

5 www.responseaustralia.net

VALE

Sergeant Don Brown - March 1, 2010.

Sergeant Don BROWN, 55 years old, QPol, passed away after a courageous battle with cancer. Sgt Brown served for over 36 years, with the majority being in the Gladstone and Mackay districts.

Senior Constable Peter WEBB - March 5, 2010

Senior Constable Peter WEBB, 46 years old, QPol, of Dutton Park

Police Station, Brisbane, passed away after a hard-fought battle with

cancer.

S/C WEBB leaves behind a wife and young son.

Sergeant Anthony VANGORP - March 22, 2010

Sergeant Tony VANGORP, 47 years old, VicPol, the well-respected OIC of Healesville Police Station, and veteran of the fatal 2009 bush-fires, died of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound at Healesville Police Station. Sgt VANGORP had served for 30 years, and leaves behind his wife Nadeane, and children Chantelle and Natasha.

Farewell, and thank you for your service.

6 www.responseaustralia.net

7 www.responseaustralia.net

Tactical Week Australia had a number of reputable

companies attend to display their wares and services on the Tuesday and Wednesday of Tactical Week Aus-

tralia (TWA). Being that this was the first ever TWA, I was interested to see not only which companies would

attend, but who would turn up to look at the kit and services on display.

Now, similar conferences / trade shows force vendors

to attend for the entire duration of the conference, but

attendees can only look at the displays during breaks between conferences. TWA was different in this regard

in that the afternoon of the Tuesday, and the morning of the Wednesday were dedicated solely for people to

attend the exhibitions.

There were a wide variety of people who attended the trade show, including Police, Military, Corrections, Se-

curity and Trainers from all states, as well as Military

Special Operations personnel attending in an official capacity, and even US Department of Defence mem-

bers from the US Embassy in Canberra. I’m sure there were others that I missed. I was actually surprised at

the large number of visitors to the Trade Show on both days and that people were still trying to visit the

facility two days after the event.

I spent a lot of time with the vendors, not only to see

their products and services, but to gauge their thoughts of the trade show. The comments were over-

whelmingly positive, especially in regards to the time set aside just for the exhibition in comparison to other

“conferences”. On the very first day of the Trade Show I was told by one vendor that the Show was already

more value-laden for his company than an entire week at the Land Warfare Conference.

The overview below of the vendors and equipment is in no particular order.

Law Enforcement Supplies (LES) Australia

LES Australia was a strong supporter of Tactical Week

Australia, and they had a wide range of clothing and equipment to display. This kit included:

Woolrich: Tactical and covert clothing for Police and

Military duties. Having reviewed Woolrich previ-

ously, I know that this clothing does what it’s

meant to do, being both sturdy and comfortable. Their covert range of shirts also appeared fashion-

able enough to wear in almost any setting.

Arktis: Arktis is a UK clothing and equipment com-pany. Although predominately Military-orientated, it

is equally suitable for Law Enforcement applica-tions.

Deenside: Deenside manufactures riot-control pro-tective equipment. It is rumoured that a certain

Federal agency uses Deenside for its riot control members.

Don Hume: Leather gear, being holsters, magazine

pouches, belts etc. Don Hume is well known in the industry, and their gear is used by plainclothes and

covert Officers world-wide.

Revision: There are a few videos abound on the internet showing revision eyewear receiving multi-

ple blasts from a shotgun without breaking. It is proven eye protection in a wide variety of

“fashions” suitable for both Military and LE applica-tions.

Words and images by

Doug Nicholson

8 www.responseaustralia.net

Tactical Assault Gear (TAG): I only know TAG by

reputation, but what I have heard is overwhelm-ingly positive. LES Australia was displaying TAG

packs and their releasable armour carrier MOLLE vest.

London Bridge Trading (LBT): Again, LBT is only

known to me by reputation, but their equipment’s quality and sturdiness is well-known in the right

places. The LBT gear displayed was also a pack and

a non-releasable light-weight armour carrier MOLLE vest.

LES Australia has a lot more products in stock. To see

what they have to offer, visit www.lesaustralia.com.au

Critical Response / Extreme Medical

Critical Response and Extreme Medical are two sepa-

rate companies who work closely together. Critical Re-sponse provides medical training from first aid up to

remote area, tactical medicine, and paramedic train-ing. This includes the Trauma Response Course which

focuses on severe trauma and dealing with ongoing tactical considerations, such as likely to be encoun-

tered by Police, Corrections, and Military personnel.

Extreme Medical is mainly focused on the provision of

first aid / medical equipment, including equipment de-signed for the tactical / military operator, and also

conducts training courses.

Both companies can provide general equipment / training, or they can supply specific mission-orientated

equipment / training. Their staff are experienced in both combat operations and medical operations, mak-

ing their companies a valuable source of training and

equipment, as opposed to those companies who think combat care is the same as simply being in remote

locations.

Critical Response conducted training within Tactical Week Australia, and that training is covered elsewhere

in this issue.

Extreme Medical displayed a range of medical equip-

ment for the tactical operator, including modular and removable trauma kits, mission-specific medical packs

and pouches. One item that gained my interest was the “Spring Activated Infusion Pressor”. This device

negates the need for IV bags to be raised above the patient to be gravity-fed. It’s use in the field during

tactical operations was readily apparent, making the provision of fluids to the patient that much more effec-

tive in the dynamic environment of combat.

Extreme Medical can be contacted at

www.extrememedical.com.au and Critical Response at www.criticalresponse.com.au

ERIPIO Smart Rescue Gear

ERIPIO is the Australian distributor of hydraulic rescue

and entry tools and compact stretchers for Police, Mili-

tary, Fire and Rescue agencies. The range of equip-ment that was displayed and demonstrated at Tactical

Week Australia were all man-portable and hand-operated, meaning there is no requirement for sources

of compressed air or electricity.

9 www.responseaustralia.net

Eripio’s products have been used extensively in opera-

tional environments in at least 25 western countries, for the last 15 years.

A sampling of their products includes cutters, door

busters, spreaders, rams, pumps, and bar busters. The demonstration of the hand-powered man-portable

cutters easily cut through the heaviest-gauge padlocks and chains available in Australia. One of the spread-

ers, the HN-540, is designed to be used in confined

spaces and even while abseiling, being attached to a

sling and still able to apply a force up to 5000kg. The equipment could be used separately, or carried in

backpack kits dependant on the mission. In addition to the breaching / entry tools on display

were a range of man-portable folding stretchers, in-cluding one designed to be used by a single person on

stairs, (EMS Compact Stretcher). Weighing only 7kg and folding into a small size pack, the combination of

wheels and skid plate on the end of the stretcher en-

abled a patient to be transported by one person safely down stairs.

ERIPIO Smart Rescue Gear can be contacted at

www.eripio.com.au

Signal One

Signal One is a law enforcement and security uniform

and equipment supplier. They had a wide range of products on display, including the Quiqlite which they

say they are the exclusive Australian distributor for. Quiqlite is a handsfree light source that attaches to

uniform pockets, hat brims etc that was originally de-signed by a US Law Enforcement veteran.

Additionally, Signal One displayed a wide variety of

equipment and brands, including 5.11, Leatherman, Hatch, Uncle Mikes, Vehicle-mounted lights, metal de-

tectors, and associated equipment and uniform items.

Signal One has a comprehensive array of products, which can be viewed at www.signalone.com.au

SORD

Having used SORD equipment overseas I was a little

disappointed that SORD did not have a full display at the Trade Show, but they did update me on their cur-

rent operations and future goals.

SORD just won the contract to supply a high-profile

Australian Police Tactical Group with their armour car-riers and pouches, as well as being one of three com-

panies being considered to supply the Canadian Mili-tary with Load Bearing equipment. SORD has de-

signed a multi-cam version of DPCU which is becoming popular with Police units who require an effective cam-

ouflage uniform without being mistaken for military personnel.

10 www.responseaustralia.net

SORD’s range of products has been used extensively

by our Police and Military in arduous operational envi-rons, and you can expect to see more from them in

the future.

To see more of what SORD has to offer, visit www.sordaustralia.com

LEGEAR

The entire back wall of the Trade Show venue was covered with LEGEAR’s giant banner. I’m not sure if

Josh and Ben were intending to push the “size mat-ters” concept, but I heard more than one visitor com-

ment on it. The LEGEAR van was also prominently parked in front of the venue, making it clear that they

believe that advertising sells.

So, once you were well and truly aware that LEGEAR

was present, what was there?

As usual, LEGEAR has a wide variety of well known and reputable brands. Blackhawk!, 5.11, Maxpedition,

Damascus, Tru-Spec, Converse, Fenix....and more. LEGEAR has also started manufacturing their own line

of equipment including riot helmets and shields.

Two of the products that I was particularly interested

in was the Blackhawk! Dynamic Entry Thunderbolt ram, and the 5.11 Light for Life rechargeable LED

torch.

The Blackhawk! Dynamic Entry Thunderbolt ram is a single-person door ram with rubberised, almost elastic

-like handles, which increase the amount of energy transferred from the operator to the ram and into the

area being rammed. Having kicked in more than my

fair share of doors, I wish I had one of these in the boot of my patrol vehicle in prior years.

The 5.11 Light for Life flashlight is a maglite-sized

torch that has no batteries, can be charged in 90 sec-

onds, with 50,000 charge cycles able to be conducted. The default setting is 90 Lumens, which is slightly

less than high-end incandescent bulbs, and far more than the traditional maglite. The torch has a maximum

output of 270 Lumens, which is basically like having a handheld spotlight.

LEGEAR is online at www.legear.com.au

SEGWAY

One of the more interesting displays at the Trade Show was the Segway stand. There were two versions

of Segway, the i2 and x2, (do I call them vehicles?), available for visitors to use. I initially fought my desire

to jump on one and see if I could get it airborne...but more on that later.

11 www.responseaustralia.net

Segways have been in Australia for some time now,

being used for tourist rides on beaches on the Sun-shine Coast, and have in fact been trialled by National

Parks & Wildlife for their Rangers. NP&W are currently leasing a few before further procurements are ap-

proved.

The advantages I can see with this mode of transpor-tation, from a Policing point of view, are predomi-

nately in crowded locations. The Segway is much

faster than walking, with a height advantage of at least 6 inches, which you cannot obtain with a quad

bike / ATV, Bicycle, or golf-buggy. It is only slightly wider than shoulder-width, another advantage over

quad bikes and golf-buggies, and being vastly more manoeuvrable than a bicycle at slow speed. It can lit-

erally turn in its own width.

The Segway is also crowd-friendly in that if you run

over someone’s foot, although noticeable, does not cause damage. Yes, a bunch of us let a Segway user

run over out feet to prove this point.

These vehicles, for lack of a better term, can be outfit-ted with lights, panniers, GPS devices, and even mo-

bile data terminals. Apparently Paramedics use them in the US to provide rapid response in crowds, upload

all the patient’s readings to their MDT which sends the

readings to the attending Ambulance, maintaining a record of patient treatment from initial arrival.

There are both an urban environment, (the i2), and “beach buggy” variant, the x2, with the x2 having

wider and more rugged tyres, suitable for beaches and

bush tracks. There was even comment that the x2 easily conquered steep sand-dunes that people could

barely walk up.

The Segway is battery-powered, with the battery last-ing for 20-26 kms. This may not sound like much, but

after riding one of these for up to an hour, pushing its capabilities as much as I could, I can vouch that the

Segway showed no sign of weakening.

And learning to use it takes about 5 seconds. I was

quite surprised at how easy it is to use. You literally step on it, take a few seconds to learn how your bal-

ance moves it, and away you go! It is very stable, as I repeatedly tried to make it lose balance or traction by

turning suddenly at maximum speed, and it could not be upset at all. Except in reverse, but more on that

later.

Australian legislation does not permit the use of Seg-

way on public roads, but for events such as parades, formula one racing, triathlons etc, where public roads

are shutdown and crowds make vehicle access diffi-cult, the Segway is a worthy consideration for rapidly

attending emergencies.

12 www.responseaustralia.net

A word of warning though - I ignored the advice that

trying to turn quickly while rapidly reversing is a bad idea, and after ending up flat on my back on the hard

concrete, thankful that I was wearing a safety helmet, I realised that the advice of experienced operators

should probably not be ignored. I’m so glad everyone else thought it was funny...

The Segway demonstrator can be found at

www.1800segway.com.au

Tactical Advantage Queensland

One of the most interesting products on display was

the helmet- / hat-mounted camera, the VIO brand POV 1.5. Holding 3-6 hours of video recording, de-

pendant on the memory card, the POV 1.5 provides good quality video, and is rugged enough to be used

in tactical operations. It seems that the PPOV can also

be mounted on long-rifle picatinny rails, which would be very beneficial to training exercises, and possibly in

justifying actions in court. Tactical Advantage Qld also offers a Len Shield for the POV 1.5 at no cost, to keep

out dust and bugs.

Also on display from TAQ were products from Peltor, (my favourite brand of hearing pro), Safariland, LED

Lenser, Damascus Gloves, Spyderco knives, Turtleskin

gloves, Hatch Patrol Bags and a couple of Pelican spot

lights.

Pelican is better known for their range of unbreakable cases, and these spotlights essentially look like noth-

ing more than a couple of large Pelican cases until de-ployed, producing a taller-than-me, (I didn’t have my

tape-measure with me), battery-powered LED spot-light, with the lowest setting being a whopping 1000

Lumens, and the high setting being twice that again!

Definitely a useful item for throwing in a critical / emergency incident response vehicle.

Visit www.taq.com.au to see more.

Centurio Australia

Centurio Australia is a new player in Australia, with

established business in both North America and

Europe. Their products relate primarily to tactical ap-plications, being Torches, Knives, and Distraction de-

vices.

Their range of torches, being incandescent-lit, were of

solid construction and also designed to be used as im-pact weapons. They were all precision-machined ano-

dized aircraft aluminium construction with shock iso-

lated bulbs, and weather-resistant. I was a little con-cerned that they appeared to be only powered by the

expensive CR123 lithium batteries, but Terry showed me the battery insert that allows the much cheaper

AAA batts to be used as well.

The knife on display, the “Tribunus” was a fixed-blade knife, made from stainless steel, and with seatbelt

cutter and glass breaker built into the handle of the

knife.

Centurio’s distraction device, nick-named the B.A.D., (Baffled Advantage Device), was a battery-powered

noise and light device, advertised as the “only real non-lethal flashbang in the world!” I found the B.A.D. to

be an interesting concept, and am sure there is a spot

13 www.responseaustralia.net

for it in “the toolbox” of tactical and training options.

Centurio’s European background is noticeable with the naming of some of its product range, such as the Ba-

varia and NRWPolizei, as well as with the images in their catalogue. Hopefully we will see more of their

product range in-country in the near future as Centu-rio Australia becomes more established.

Centurio Australia can be contacted via terry@aus.centurio.biz

Tac Week merchandise

Pimps n Mercs

Although Pimps N Mercs clothing did not have a dis-

play stand at the Trade Show, they had supplied Tacti-

cal Week Australia with a range of t-shirts specifically for TWA. They are a new clothing company founded

by Australian Military veterans, and I for one am look-ing forward to seeing more from them. Pimps N Mercs

are online at www.pimpsnmercs.com

Additional Tactical Week Australia merchandise avail-able included a fixed-blade Benchmade Nimravus

knife, caps, a very nice coffee travel mug, and more. There is still some TWA merchandise available, and

can be found at www.tacticalweekaustralia.com/

merchandise.html

LEGEAR, LES Australia, Centurio Australia, Signal One, Tactical Advantage Queensland, Pacific Bladeware, Aus

Web Gear, Contact Magazine and Premier Defence provided prizes and giveaways for TWA.

Planning is currently underway for Tactical Week Aus-

tralia 2011 and enquiries are welcome from partici-pants, exhibitors, trainers and sponsors at

info@tacticalweekaustralia.com

Trade Show conclusion

As already stated, experienced vendors were very happy with the return on their time at the TWA Trade

Show, especially when compared with other confer-

ences and expos held within Australia. There was a lot of valuable networking that occurred during the Trade

Show, and in future I would like to see some time set aside specifically for this purpose.

I personally would have liked to have seen the Trade

Show go for a longer period of time, and I believe Tac-tical Week Australia, after seeing the initial response,

will extend the time available.

I was under the belief that there were meant to be

scheduled demonstrations during the Trade Show from each and every vendor, but due to the vendors simply

being constantly busy, this didn’t occur. There were constant demonstrations for visitors, but I think hav-

ing a specific schedule of demonstrations would be of value to both visitors and vendors.

There were a large range of products and services available, and with future TWAs, this will only become

larger.

In short, if you did not attend, either as a vendor or as a visitor, then you missed out on a valuable opportu-

nity.

I hope to see you at future events.

14 www.responseaustralia.net

15 www.responseaustralia.net

16 www.responseaustralia.net

The main aim of Tactical Week Australia is to provide

“leading edge operational and industry skills training, demon-

strations, lectures and discussions”. As the majority of training provided was

of an introductory nature, my reviews were only of that introduction, and should not be taken as a review

of the full training courses provided by the company / instructor.

In this series of articles, the courses covered are done so in the order they were conducted.

ISR Matrix

Session description:

ISR Matrix originated in Florida USA. I.S.R (Intercept,

Stabilize, and Resolve) is the guiding philosophy be-

hind the system. An officer's primary objective is to safely and efficiently intercede, control, and resolve a

situation regardless of the level of resistance he or she encounters from verbal on through to deadly force. A

uniform yet dynamic system, the I.S.R. Matrix allows for rapid escalation and de-escalation of force within

every response level as it relates to the resistance level being encountered. It completely enables and

empowers officers with the guidelines and means to

handle any situation while using the minimum appro-priate levels of force to overcome resistance as it tran-

spires and evolves. As a working matrix of intercon-nected or interwoven options it exists as a highly effi-

cient, uniform, and very adaptable system of Defen-sive Tactics. It functions as a complimentary network

of training approaches, working concepts, and highly effective techniques that are readily accessible within

the legal framework or use of force guidelines cur-

rently in use by law enforcement agencies internation-ally. ISR Matrix has provided ongoing training for the

US Defence Departments OSI Anti-Terrorism Special-ity Team and is the preferred Defensive Tactics pro-

gram of various other Police and Military units.

The ISR component of Tactical Week Australia covered

2 phases, being 3 days at the start of the cycle, and the final 2 days. ISR training has been covered in a

prior issue of Response Australia eMagazine - www.responseaustralia.net/issues/Issue12.pdf

The final 2 days of the ISR training was Law Enforce-

ment specific, covering such subjects as:

- Revision of all ISR physical management subject

control; - Weapon retention: holstered, drawn and while

drawing; - Disarming;

- Fouling the opponents draw; - Team tactics;

- Confined spaces; - Ground recovery;

- Vehicle extractions;

- Arrest set ups; - Introduction to attached striking and basic clinch

with cloth; - Fluid transitions through subject control and all use

of force options - both escalation and de-escalation.

ISR was also demonstrated during the Tactical Week Trade Show, with a certain Tier 1 unit showing very

real interest in its capabilities.

I can only emphasis what I have said previously about

ISR in that it is the defensive tactics solution for Po-lice, far above current OST training in place. For more

information, visit www.isrmatrixaustralia.com

AIIMS

Session description:

The Australasian Inter-Service Incident Management

System (AIIMS) was adapted from the American Na-tional Inter-agency Incident Management System

(NIIMS). AIIMS provides a single management struc-

ture that facilitates the bringing together of all re-sources, from one or several organisations, to work

cooperatively and cohesively in resolving an incident. Its application is intended to:

• minimise the impact on the community and environ-

ment; • provide for the welfare of people involved in control-

ling the incident;

• effectively and efficiently control the incident; and

Words and images by

Doug Nicholson

17 www.responseaustralia.net

• provide a safe working environment.

This module will introduce the AIIMS framework and

highlight how it could be best utilised in a multi-agency response to a major critical incident affecting

law enforcement, military or security personal. AIIMS has been adopted by all of the Australian fire and land

management agencies members and the Australian Council of State Emergency Services and many other

agencies also use the AIIMS structure for their Inci-

dent Management System. The instructors are experi-enced emergency services incident controllers.

Personally I thought this session was of more value to

Managerial levels than the frontline operator, as it concentrated on the different chains of command for

dealing with critical incidents, including logistical sup-port. The instructor was an experienced Manager from

the Queensland Fire and Rescue Service, who had

used this system for a multitude of critical incidents.

The session went for the morning, and I think the trainees appreciated the opportunity to relax after

three days of hard physical training due to the prior ISR training cycle.

I did not think there was much value to this training

session from a tactical (frontline) point of view, and

would have been beneficial to Managerial staff, so it is a shame that they were not in attendance for this ses-

sion. To find out more contact Tactical Week Australia at info@tacticalweekaustralia.com

Pro-Com Consulting

Session description:

Pro-Com Consulting designs, develops and delivers purpose built communications programs to Govern-

ment and corporate clients. Projects include the devel-opment and roll-out of a new communications package

for the Australian Customs Service nationally and more recently developing crisis negotiation capability

for specialist groups within Australian law enforcement agencies. Pro- Com does not advertise and relies only

upon good reputation and word within the law en-

forcement, military and private sectors from those ex-posed to the program.

This session provides an insight into the Adaptive

Communication process and the many communication and negotiation strategies and techniques employed.

“Adaptive Communication‟ uses a system known as “REAL‟ and teaches officers to talk naturally whilst

thinking tactically, to develop their own style delivered

within a set of professional communication boundaries and based on the elements of Adaptability, awareness,

strategy and delivery. It provides a consistency of ap-proach and caters to everything from PR and traffic

stops through to negotiation. This session will begin with the history of negotiation in Australia, principles

of negotiation and factors influencing use of force. A

number of theory elements will be discussed and this

session will also feature various role plays, practical exercises and live coaching.

Pro-Com Consulting is an Australian company that

provides training in how to speak with people during critical incidents. Instead of the step-by-step approach

of programs such as Verbal Judo, which were difficult, if not impossible, to remember under stress after a

half-day lesson, Pro-Com teaches that it is the strate-

gic goals that are important, and not the specific words you use to get there. Pro-Com recognises that

everyone is different, and as such people should “talk naturally, think tactically” when dealing with an inci-

dent.

The staff’s background in conducting Police negotia-tions in Australia is extensive and provides them with

the knowledge of how effective communication works

in Australia, as there is a definite difference in how both our Police and public relate to each other com-

pared to other western nations.

The goal of “effective communication” is that it achieves a desired result, and this theory can be ap-

plied to all forms of communication, whether it is ne-gotiating with an armed offender, interviewing a wit-

ness, or dealing with the media.

In the Policing environment of today, the people that

Police deal with are more aware of their rights and op-tions, and less fearful of the perceived “authority” of

Police. As a result of this, Police need to be smarter with their communication techniques, as they cannot

rely purely on their presence, but need to use reason-ing, combined with an inquisitive mindset, to allow

them to effectively communicate with people.

Pro-Com, in their introductory session, covered both

theory and practical exercises. Trainees were faced with the very realistic acting of one of the instructors,

Mark Plumb, and dependant on their body language, tone, words, and their line of reasoning, Mark would

provide realistic feedback, whether it be acceptance, anger, or the more stressful scenario of getting closer

or further away from the perceived edge of a building

top.

Although Pro-Com Consulting’s training appeared, to me anyway, to be more relevant to crisis / hostage

negotiation, I can definitely see the value of their training to all operational Police and Corrections per-

sonnel in dealing with public and offenders alike. Pro-Com has provided training to an Australian Federal LE

Agency, and I would recommend them to any LE

agency to assist in improving their communications training.

Pro-Com Consulting can be found online at

www.procomconsulting.com.au

18 www.responseaustralia.net

Extreme Medical / Critical Response

Session description:

Extreme medical offers tactical medical skills training

using skills proven in current global conflicts. They pride themselves in providing the very best advice,

most applicable equipment for your needs and the most up to date training for your environment using

the very latest „best practice‟ techniques.

Training methods include reality casualty care simula-

tions and courses are delivered by ex Special- Forces medical experts. This module will build upon your Sen-

ior First Aid training to introduce tourniquets, haemo-static agents, penetrating chest wounds, gunshot

wounds and more. Scenario training including the use of moulage (special effects make up) ensures the

mock injuries you will assess and treat accurately de-

pict real-life incidents and increase your chances of taking life-saving action with the real moment arrives.

One of the training sessions I was looking forward to

was the Tactical Medical skills training from Extreme Medical and Critical Response. These two Perth-based

companies work very closely together in providing quality Tactical Medical Training and Equipment.

Coming from Military SF backgrounds, Jerry from Ex-

treme Medical and Brad from Critical Response provide

quality training in an area I feel is sorely lacking for our Police and Military operators. There seems to be a

general lack of recognition that high-risk tactical inci-dents require a different medical approach than Senior

First Aid or “Remote Area” first aid training. I know a certain Australian Police Tactical group whose medical

plan for a downed officer is simply to call an Ambu-lance, and at least two Police Tactical Groups do not

even have a dedicated medic position in their unit.

It was unfortunate that Jerry was unavailable for the

training due to a family emergency, but Brad from Critical Response imparted a lot of useful knowledge in

his introduction training on the Tuesday morning. His background includes operational experience with an

Australian SF unit, and is a qualified Paramedic. He

was very approachable and was able to impart medical

training without resorting to complex terms or proce-dures.

As a result of medical research done in the last few

years of tactical and military operations, it has been realised that 90% of combat deaths, (and I include

Police deaths in this figure), occurred prior to reaching medical treatment facilities, and the vast majority of

these were due to blast injuries or penetrating

wounds, (including gunshot wounds).

Critical Response’s training in this regard focuses on providing tactical operators the skills and knowledge

on dealing with trauma in a tactical setting, as op-posed to the nice comfortable environment of first aid

training.

The first aspect I found interesting was that instead of

just using “DRABC” to provide patient care, the more tactically-minded response is the Patient Assessment

Triangle, which includes assessing the scene, primary patient survey, secondary patient survey, vital signs,

and patient history, (a good team medic will know the history of his / her team-mates). Aligned with this

method of response is keeping in mind that in a tacti-cal setting, dead is dead, and the best medical treat-

ment you can give your team-mate in a gunfight is to

WIN the gunfight! Common-sense really.

19 www.responseaustralia.net

It was good to see the training and use of tourniquets,

Israeli bandages, and haemostatic agents, as opposed to this almost paranoid attitude among other Austra-

lian First Aid trainers that tourniquets are an evil that must never be mentioned, (I’m serious here). As part

of the training package, a large section of raw pig was shot on the facility’s indoor range with two nine-

millimetre handgun rounds, and provided to students to learn how to pack a the wound tracks of gunshot

wounds.

Additional discussions was conducted on the make-up

of a trauma kit as opposed to a first aid kit, and there were lots of practicals in how to deal with trauma to

the chest, being one of the more serious trauma to deal with.

Critical Response conducts a number of different train-ing courses, including pre-deployment training for

those about to deploy to high-risk environments.

Brad at Critical Response can be contacted via their

website at www.criticalresponse.com.au

Progressive Force Concepts Searching for Adversaries

Session description:

PFC Training is the training division of Progressive F.O.R.C.E. Concepts, LLC, a Las Vegas-based company

dedicated to the advancement and delivery of use of force and tactical instruction to law enforcement, se-

curity professionals, military personnel, and qualified private citizens. Our focus is simple - to save lives.

Whether you face danger as a result of an occupa-tional hazard or an unfortunate circumstance, our

principle and performance-based training methods will

condition you to prevail in a real-world conflict. PFC prides itself on breaking free of traditional paradigms

by forging ahead with simpler, yet more effective pro-prietary material. PFC creates independent free think-

ers who will never quit…and never be caught unpre-pared.

Progressive Force Concepts is headquartered in Ne-

vada, USA, and their training cadre is comprised of

personnel who have extensive experience in high-risk operations, in both the Military and Law Enforcement

world. Additionally, they appear to follow the same

train of thought that I have pushed for years, being that you will never know everything. As a result, the

Chief Instructor, Brian Hartman, describes himself as simply being the “student-in-charge”, showing his un-

derstanding of the above concept.

One of the PFC instructors, Chris Doughty, is a regular contributor to Response Australia eMagazine, and as a

former Australian Police Officer and Soldier, his knowl-

edge provides that valuable edge in this region for the US-based company.

Although PFC was scheduled to provide a number of

training overviews, their allotted time was reduced at the last minute, therefore they decided to focus on

one skill, Searching for Adversaries, to provide the trainees with a beneficial skill set, as opposed to

merely showing a lot of different skills and concepts in

a short period of time, and for me this indicated the instructing cadre’s dedication to providing trainees

with real skills. It would be very easy to “show off” their courses and training options, which would pro-

vide no real benefit to the trainees, so I applaud PFC’s decision in this regard. As they funded their atten-

dance themselves, this makes their decision to focus on training as opposed to advertising the more admi-

rable.

As with any good trainer, Brian outlined that even

though PFC believed in their training concepts, he wanted trainees to find fault with it. They wanted it

tested, as opposed to insisting that what they taught was gospel. Due to their training differing to the stan-

dard room-clearing concepts of button-hooks and cross-overs, the PFC techniques were more logical in

their approach, ensuring operators faced room-clearing as a problem to solve instead of relying on a

balls-to-the-wall aggressive assault. Although sound-

ing slower in its approach, the basic concepts, once mastered, allow the user to methodically but quickly

move through room-clearing in a fluid manner.

But enough of the kudos and onto the actual training.

Due to security concerns I won’t go into detail on the

20 www.responseaustralia.net

training techniques, or the flaws with traditional tech-

niques.

Brian outlined at the start of the training that with the vast majority of debriefs conducted after an assault /

clearance, two points are constantly outlined:

The need for more / better comms; The need for more / better training.

Sound familiar?

As with any Use of Force training evolution and Aus-tralian trainers please take note – The trainees should

be trained to deal with the worst case scenario. Take a look at your area of responsibility. Is there a school,

shopping centre, twenty-story building? If so, have you been trained on how to clear it with your crew /

team / partner? Or are you meant to simply cordon and contain while someone is inside killing innocents?

There are a number of factors to consider in both

training and actual operations when searching for ad-versaries, with PFC listing “21 Principles of Indoor

Combat” as being of utmost importance in this regard, with all these principles being directly attributed to the

success or failure of an operation. Some of these are:

He knows you are coming. Do you really think there is a need to use hand signals and whispers after using

distraction devices and kicking in doors?

Move only as fast as you can think. Problem-solving as

opposed to rapid assaults.

If you f*&# up, then f*&# aggressively. Something I used to beat into my junior partner’s heads con-

stantly.

The world is not built left or right handed. This is one

of many areas Australian LE / Military training is sorely lacking in. We need to be able to shoot from

either hand as required.

For any reason and every reason, BREATHE. I do not know why breathing is not a core component of Use

of Force training in Australia....but it should be.

And the very first of their 21 Principles is simply this:

You are going to get shot. Our Police and Military are trained to die when they are shot in training, which

ignores an important statistic - The survivability rate when shot with a handgun is 85%. So we should teach

our Police and Military to keep fighting after being shot, as opposed to padding them to protect them

from training ammunition bruises, or dying when shot once by an opposing role-player. There’s a difference

between hurting and dead.

With most buildings in western nations all being built

in accordance to codes and regulations, it needs to be understood that there are only three types of rooms

that you will need to clear when hunting bad guys, so PFC’s training obviously focuses on these three types.

Why complicate matters? PFC training outlines their desire for simplicity.

PFC’s training, even in only one day, outlined the im-

portance of being efficient, (reducing wasteful time and techniques), and being calm when faced with

stressful situations. There were no secret ninja moves or Holy Grail techniques, but simple concepts and

problem-solving skills that can be learnt, practiced, and implemented by any street cop or soldier. And in

these days of increased violence, active-killer inci-dents, and terrorism, training your frontline personnel

in clearing rooms and buildings is adhering to the re-

quirement of training them for the worst possible sce-nario, instead of simply telling them to wait for

“specialist” units to attend.

One thing we need to realise that the incidents in Aus-tralia of Police being shot, stabbed, etc, have not been

long drawn-out siege incidents, but your average call for service that any GD’s crew would attend. Let’s cre-

ate a scenario here:

Domestic Violence call: General Duties crew attend the

scene, and hear screaming coming from the residence. Fearing for the safety of a person, they enter the

building. Being trained by PFC in Searching for Adver-saries, the two Officers quickly and safely clear the

building methodically. They come to a door, the lead

21 www.responseaustralia.net

Officer quickly assesses, and gives a simply descrip-

tion and instruction to his partner. They take a second to position themselves and enter the room, and as

soon as they deem it clear, they re-enter the hallway and move to the next room. The bad guy hears the

oncoming concise and confident communication of the Officers and realises he’s facing professionals who

know what they are doing, and becomes more nerv-ous by the second. The Officers position themselves

outside the door, and being able to assess the room

from the hallway, are able to make a decision on the appropriate action whilst still in the hallway, as op-

posed to aggressively entering the room and finding themselves in a high-risk incident for which the only

option is either retreat or lethal force.

The confidence gained from being trained in these

skills would actually lessen the requirement for lethal

force in many incidents today, while also rapidly con-trolling an incident, which is far more preferable than

having Police simply hope the offender stays in posi-tion until more Police arrive.

The skills have the added benefit of not requiring spe-

cialist training rooms / buildings for skills mainte-nance. Any room or building, including your station or

home, can become a training ground. After spending

the day photographing the training, I went home and was able to test the training with a blue gun in my

own home, showing that any location can become a training location. Fortunately the wife was at work...

The PFC training creates an unpredictable approach by

Police instilling not only confidence, but keeping Offi-cers as safe as possible. The traditional techniques

taught to Military and Police Tactical Groups were also discussed, and the obvious flaws in those techniques

make them untenable for future training, unless the organisation is happy to increase their risk of legal li-

ability after someone is injured or killed as a result of

flawed techniques.

In only a few hours, the class was required to clear a

complex array of dark rooms, hallways, furniture and vehicles, that they had never seen before, and were

able to do so in a reasonable amount of time. There were flaws, but due to the introductory nature of the

training schedule, this was not a reflection of the training. In fact the rapid skills progression among the

trainees was a true reflection of the validity of the

training, and the nature of the instructors. For those of you who are wondering if the training adheres to legis-

lative requirements within Australia, yes it does. There is no attempt to justify excessive force or unsafe prac-

tices for any party to an incident. The training is per-fectly acceptable for our nation.

I highly recommend Progressive Force Concepts train-ing, and am glad to hear that they are planning on

conducting more training within Australia in the future. PFC can be contacted via their website at

www.pfctraining.com

22 www.responseaustralia.net

AusTac

Session description:

The AusTac Training and Development team has an

enviable blend of educational, research and real world operational experience. The Curriculum Development

Team has between them; one Doctor of Education, two Masters of Education and one Psychology Degree.

Operationally our team has seen action from Vietnam

to Rhodesia to Iraq and along the way surviving sev-eral gunshot wounds and in excess of 100 contacts.

We have served in frontline infantry units, and special forces units and with one instructor (Rhodesia) total-

ling over 80 combat jumps. Our ex military instruc-tional staff have on average 40 yrs of operational and

instructional experience each. Our instructors from police tactical backgrounds have served with several

Australian and Kiwi tactical units and average 20 yrs

of tactical experience with 30 yr law enforcement ca-reers. Within Australia AusTac has provided specialist

instruction and curriculum development for VicPol SOG, WA TRG, SA STAR Force, the ASO‟s, SASR,

QPOL, and Australian Customs. Outside of Australia we have provided firearms training curriculum for the

NZ AOS & STG, Iraqi Police Special Commando Bri-gades, the Brunei STK and the PSB SWAT Team in the

Peoples Republic of China.

Simply stated, our Mission is to provide armed profes-

sionals with the highest-quality realistic & operation-ally specific training possible - to enable you to prevail

in high-risk environments. Even though our training and simmunition methodology is unique our opera-

tional doctrine is not specifically "ours"; it is however a synthesis of what is in the environment, revealed

through many years of intense training and actual op-

erations.

AusTac is made up of a small cadre of Australian in-structors, all of whom have Law Enforcement experi-

ence, and some of whom have overseas combat ex-perience, and even Masters Degree in Education, pro-

viding not only trainers who have operational experi-ence, but know how to apply education principles to

tactical training.

AusTac’s training, again an introduction, ran for two

days. The first day was on the shooting range, and the second day was at BLP’s Simunition training facility.

There are two major components to AusTac’s training methods. The first is how they train, or teach, train-

ees. There is no yelling, criticising, showing off, or fo-cusing on “competent”, all of which is refreshing, and

more beneficial from a training point of view.

The second component of their training method is the

structure of the training. AusTac training has as its core the training of the subconscious mind, not the

conscious mind. Due to the instructional staff’s Master of Education, they understand that during a critical

incident, the conscious mind is not what controls your actions. The entire purpose of the subconscious mind

is survival, so that is what should be trained. There is

no “thinking on your feet” or remembering what poli-cies and laws say which seems to be a very little-

known fact by Police OST instructors, despite the amount of research available in this regard.

As a result of the training methodology, AusTac’s

“perceptual priming” allows trainees’ subconscious mind to be trained in the correct responses when

faced with a threat, and the benefit of this is that the subconscious mind does not differentiate between an

effective training scenario and a real-world encounter.

When this is combined with the use of training ammu-nition such as the Simunition brand, very effective

training can be implemented that becomes more in-grained over time, as opposed to the degradation of

training that is provided to the conscious mind. The overall goal of AusTac’s training is to implant condi-

tioned stimulus and conditioned appropriate re-sponses, which is far removed from current official

training methodology of being marked “competent”.

AusTac initially ensured the trainees were trained in

the fundamentals of shooting a handgun, which sadly most Australian Police agencies don’t do correctly at

all. Such important techniques such as stance, grip, and control of the handgun were emphasised through

coaching drills. This included both dry fire and live fire

23 www.responseaustralia.net

drills which were constantly demonstrated, monitored,

and errors were quickly rectified.

The second day of the training cycle was conducted at BLP’s Simunition training facility. It was good to see

the heavy emphasis on safety by both the AusTac and BLP staff, but not to the point of ridiculing the train-

ees. The safety considerations were explained, not just enforced.

Again, AusTac started off the training with coaching drills in the fundamentals. The advantage of using

Simunition-type training ammunition is that the tar-gets, (live people), are 100% representations of the

real world, and they can shoot back. No amount of pa-per or metal targets, or even video-style scenario

training, can provide you with the training benefit of suffering perceptual distortion when faced with a live

target that can also shoot you.

And being shot hurts, but does not injure / kill. That is

another important factor. Trainees need to learn that just because they are shot, does not mean they are

dead. The practice these days of padding students to the point that they won’t be bruised, due to either ri-

diculous OH&S fears or over-zealous instructors trying to cause excessive pain, detracts from the effective-

ness of Simunition training to the point of making it

worthless.

Trainees started by facing one armed offender, and their responses were paused at certain times to have

the trainee verbalise what they saw, what their op-tions and justifications for their actions were. It was

not simply a case of shooting someone with a firearm, but being able to justify that action in your own words.

Trainees then moved on to multiple offenders, moving drills, shoot / no-shoot scenarios, all of which were

designed to train the subconscious mind in appropriate responses.

At the end of the day, trainees were facing a Simuni-

tion-armed opponent, using barricades for cover. This

required remaining aware of their surroundings, delib-

erate actions, and using the most available cover. There was also some amazing discussion on how a

certain Australian agency teaches their recruits to stand behind barricades in a manner that does not

protect them from fire, but will dictate how they fall when they are shot, and you are not deemed

“competent” if you focus on reducing your visibility and hitting the target! Common-sense anyone?

I highly recommend AusTac’s training. It is a very real shame that Australian Firearm laws make it practically

impossible for them to conduct their training on a

regular basis in Australia. AusTac is planning on con-ducting training in SE Asia later this year, and to find

out more contact Tactical Week Australia at info@tacticalweekaustralia.com

Training Conclusion

Tactical Week Australia brought in actual experienced

Subject Matter Experts, who have extensive opera-

tional experience as opposed to someone who has merely done an instructors course in that subject, and

the difference in the quality of training provided during TWA as opposed to “official” training was glaringly ob-

vious.

After just over a week of training, the trainees who completed all facets of the TWA training schedule were

operating more efficiently and effectively than the vast

majority of our Police and Military personnel. The trainees came from varying backgrounds; Military, Po-

lice, Security, and Corrections.

The value of the training for frontline operators cannot be understated. However it was a shame that not

more senior management level personnel had at-tended to enable their understanding of what training

is available today. Simply providing the same stagnant

training as has been done for the last decade or more can no longer be excused.

I truly look forward to the future TWA events, and en-

courage anyone involved in Law Enforcement, Correc-tions, Security, and Military operations to attend.

For information on future Tactical Week Australia

events, please contact info@tacticalweekaustralia.com

Facility

Mention should be made of the facilities used for TWA, being predominately the Security Training Centre of

Wide Bay Institute of TAFE, and BLP’s Simunition

24 www.responseaustralia.net

Training facility.

The Security Training Centre provided a number of

classrooms, “soft-fall” defensive tactics rooms, an in-door firing range, as well as the large foyer for the

Trade Show. For further information on the Security Training Centre facility at Hillcrest, Brisbane, visit

www.widebay.tafe.qld.gov.au/about_us/campuses/brisbane.html

The BLP Simunition training facility is built within a warehouse, and includes a number of rooms, hall-

ways, hidden doors, trapdoors, and balconies. It is used by a number of agencies including the Military for

pre-deployment training. BLP is able to provide a large range of Simunition-brand training ammunition for

training purposes. For further information, contact BLP via www.blpts.com.au

25 www.responseaustralia.net

The Response Australia online Forum is provided to our readers to alleviate the suffering caused by having to wait for two months between issues of “RA”. It can be joined by anyone, and any subject can be discussed at length. For current-serving mem-bers of Law Enforcement, or those with prior service, there is also a secure section for you to dis-cuss more “sensitive” issues, and to network with members from many different jurisdictions, and not just within Australia and New Zealand. Verification occurs for anyone wishing to gain access to the secure areas. So whether you’re a regular member of other online Forums, or have never looked at online Forums before, you are more than welcome to join our little group. The difference between our online Forum and a lot of others, is that we will not permit back-stabbing or undue criticism of our colleagues. The basis behind Response Australia is to support our Law Enforcement community, and that forms the basis of any discussion in the Forum. But instead of having to wait two months between issues of the Response Australia eMagazine, you can keep up to date with reviews, comments, hints and tricks, and make friends for years to come. So, check it out, and say “G’day.”

responseaustralia.freeforums.org

PHOTOGRAPHS WANTED Response Australia is on the lookout for interesting photographs to include in future issues of Response Australia eMagazine. If you have any original images of Police, Customs, or other Law Enforcement members, vehicles, or “action shots”, then please send them our way. We all love a good sense of humour, so if you have any funny original images relevant to Australian and New Zealand Law Enforcement, we’d love to receive them too. Please send all photographs to editor@responseaustralia.net with details of when the image was taken, by whom, and where. If you require faces or other identifying marks to be removed or obscured, we will do that at your request.

RESPONSE AUSTRALIA

ONLINE FORUM

26 www.responseaustralia.net

STAY SAFE OUT THERE!

Just some of the media headlines from around the nation over the last

two months showing how dangerous Policing can be.

March 28 - Man charged with kicking policeman's broken leg March 28 - Gatecrashers hurl rocks and bottles at police in Melbourne

March 26 - Policewoman's finger broken during arrest of alleged shoplifter

March 22 - Woman surrenders after Camberwell Centrelink knife siege March 21 - Four killed in Canberra police car chase

March 21 - Four hurt as car crashes in police chase

March 19 - Cop cars crash - nine high-speed pursuits in Adelaide in one night March 10 - Man drowns in police pursuit into river

March 08 - Two police officers injured in crash

March 03 - Man shot by police 'after car chase' March 02 - Police diffuse packages at dead man's Maroubra home

February 25 - Girl, 14, charged with assaulting cops February 23 - Driver drags cop 200m after traffic stop

February 14 - Police car set on fire at wild Yamba party

February 14 - Police van smashed during out-of-control party February 11 - Police officer with the dog squad injured

February 10 - Man in custody after stand-off

February 07 - Five cops injured in not-so-sweet 16th party February 06 – Officer knocked unconscious and TASER deployed

27 www.responseaustralia.net

R.A. NEWS

VicPol’s Chief Commissioner seems to be nominating himself for the most hypocrisy in a week award. On Thursday the 18th, the CC gets caught with ammunition inside his

carry-on bag when boarding an aircraft at Canberra airport. Within 24 hours it was announced that his action were an “honest mistake” and he would simply receive a reprimand. This is the same week that he publicly announced that some VicPol Officers were racist. This wasn’t due to a VicPol investigation, but instead some lobby group made the claim. Six days later, Sgt Tony Vangorp apparently committed suicide after being served a disciplinary investigation notice. There were allegations made that the Sgt had been forced to resign due to

threats made against his entitlements, which CC Overland rejected. Apparently those allegations weren't worth investigating. And the disciplinary investigation was for? Emails... Trying to carry ammunition onto an aircraft, and not being

investigated because it was an “honest mistake”, is ok. Allegation of internal harassment causing suicide, and ignoring it, is

ok. Labelling VicPol Officers racist without proof, is ok. Commencing disciplinary investigations over email misuse, and not

accepting it as “honest mistakes” ....is ok?

Something is wrong in VicPol, but it isn’t with the frontline staff.

VicPol hypocrisy...

28 www.responseaustralia.net

R.A. NEWS New ACT Policing CEO - Roman Quaedvlieg

On March 14 the ACT AG and AFP Commissioner announced that Assistant Commissioner Roman Quaedvlieg was the new ACT Chief Police Officer. Mr Quaedvlieg has served with the QPS, NCA to ACC, and performed a number of managerial roles

within the AFP. Good luck sir...don’t forget to look after your troops.

VicPol to trial TASER for 12 months...but not yet

Back in February VicPol announced that they would finally start trialling TASER devices over a twelve-month period.

But the trial won’t commence until July 1, which is still three months away. Hopefully no officers are injured or killed while waiting

for these tools that were promised two years ago. As for CC Overland’s comments that these devices would be the last option before using a firearm, it is disappointing that even after two years of supposed research, they cannot get that basic fact straight.

Hang in there VicPol....

29 www.responseaustralia.net

R.A. NEWS This issue’s Response Australia quote.

"Excessive use of force comes from repeatedly trying to apply

ineffective control techniques." M. Ayoob

NTPol and VicPol to look at new uniforms

Both NTPol and VicPol have announced that they are going to form committees

to study current uniforms and possible options for updating them. The media immediately started making comparisons to VicPol moving to “NYPD” style of

uniforms, with no evidence to back up this claim.

NTPol has one version of their khaki uniform that has been in place for nearly two decades now, whilst VicPol has said their uniform has too many versions,

plus the new operational vest requires a different shirt to be worn underneath.

Hopefully these committees come up with something useful sooner rather than

later.

30 www.responseaustralia.net

ADVERTISE WITH

Response Australia

Do you have a product or service that needs to be

marketed to Australian Law Enforcement? Have you found that the current publications for this market

consist solely of agency-specific ad-hoc magazines or

expensive but infrequent ―journals‖?

Response Australia eMagazine is the only publication in Australia that

is aimed at providing information to all our Law Enforcement

personnel in all agencies and jurisdictions. Whether it is the frontline

Officer in Melbourne, the Customs Armed Boarding Officer sitting on a ship in our northern waters, or an AFP policy-writer sitting in the

air-conditioned comfort of an office in Canberra, “RA” will be there.

We are able to examine technology, training, equipment and services for the Australian Law

Enforcement community without any political bias or control. As a result, our publication has

quickly become a valuable source of unbiased opinions and ideas for Politicians, Managers, Union Executives, and most importantly, frontline staff.

Due to the nature of Response Australia eMagazine, and with it being an internet-based

publication, we can offer companies a unique product &/or service awareness within the Law

Enforcement community of Australia.

Response Australia eMagazine’s rates will remain affordable as our priority is informing the Law Enforcement Community of Australia of the products and services available.

For further information on advertising opportunities with Response Australia eMagazine, contact us at editor@responseaustralia.net

31 www.responseaustralia.net

If you wish to make any comments on this issue, please send your thoughts to

editor@responseaustralia.net or post on our online forum at responseaustralia.freeforums.org

Next Issue June 2010

32 www.responseaustralia.net

RESPONSE AUSTRALIA

www.responseaustralia.net

PO Box 171

Maroochydore, Qld 4558 Australia