Angles, Lighting, and Retention: A Primer

If you’re reading this article hoping to find the magic formula to safely clearing a residence or building by yourself, you’re about to be disappointed. Here’s the reality: our vision is not 360 degrees and our brains cannot multi-task enough. There are too many angles of exposure for one individual to cover.

Now that I have that unfortunate news out of the way, single-person room or building search, or one-man CQB (close-quarters battle) is a reality some of us may face. Active killer response requires the first armed responder to enter the building to engage and stop the killing. Ideally, when at home, barricading and arming yourself in your room is the best answer. Let the threat come to you.

If you live in a residence where other family members are in separate rooms, you may have no choice but to conduct some kind of search to safely get to that family member. The elderly, infirm, or children are some of those to keep in mind that you may have to take care of. The role of one-man/woman CQB has a limited scope. You are conducting that action, not because you’re some superhero-wannabe, but because not doing so creates a greater risk to those you care about. Entire books are written on CQB and building searches, and people spend decades practicing this topic and still make mistakes. This article is a primer to get you thinking about how to move as safely as possible from Point A to Point B and enter rooms as needed.

RTWT.