‘What were the house numbers again?’
As a team lead, have you ever heard that question as your SWAT team is on its way to serve a search warrant?
I know. Your guys should know the answer. They were just briefed on it. Everyone know what the house looks like but you need to confirm those numbers.
If your guys don’t know the numbers, you better know them. You are in a leadership position, and that makes you the one who is ultimately responsible.
On another occasion, your team encounters a suspect’s girlfriend. She is standing at the top of the stairs holding a baby.
The team is trying to call her down to the bottom of the stairs but, they can’t remember her name, so they are just using ‘ma’am’.
There is a chance that things might work a little better if the guys used her name. Too bad no one can remember it from the briefing.
A Lot to Remember
As a leader, you need to remember a lot of little of details that may or may not come in handy. In fact, you have too much information that can be simply ‘remembered’ and then easily referenced while under stress.
Here is some of the information I may refer to on a search warrant:
- Target address
- Total # of people in the house
- Suspect’s name(s) and alias
- Occupant(s) names
- Radio channels
- Special equipment
- Team roster
As a team lead you need a way to carry specific information.
The info needs to be quickly accessible in darkness and daylight, and needs to be stowed just as effortlessly as it can be accessed.
What is the he answer?
Here is a hint: a folded up briefing packet stuffed into your cargo pocket is not a good solution.
A Simple Solution
A grid reference guide (GRG) pouch is an effective and simple solution. GRG pouches are made of 2 or 3 clear vinyl window sleeves backed with nylon fabric that you can attach to your vest via Velcro or MOLLE.
There are several types available from various manufacturers.
You place your reference material into the sleeves (notes, photos, maps, etc.) and flip it down to reference pertinent information.
No more digging in your pockets, or reaching behind your ballistic plates for a piece of paper.
My Processes
I use the London Bridge Trading 2716A GRG pouch.
Using a small Rite-In-The-Rain notebook, I write down some standard information prior to the briefing. Then, during the briefing or as any last-minute updates are made, I write down any pertinent information in my notebook.
As we load into the vehicles I pull the page out of the notebook and put it into my GRG pouch. I can reference it to answer any last-minute questions I or anyone may have.
The GRG is easy to carry and use on nearly every type of SWAT operation I am involved in.
In the End
As a lead you should never be concerned about what the numbers on a house are or the name of a suspect.
Use a GRG. Or develop a method for simple and reliable information reference.
Remember, as a leader it is not your job to fight the fight. It is your job to manage and coordinate your team based on the information that you have.
Don’t be that leader who doesn’t know or has to dig through a bunch of pockets to find a wrinkled briefing packet.