That Time I Ruined My Dry Clean Only Blouse Putting It in the Washer...

image from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Handgun

I keep having experiences where I think, "Gosh, I should put this on my blog..." and obviously, the lack of entries in forever shows that I haven't done it. But I had an experience at work this week that I wanted to be sure to record.

At the end of the last year, I helped procure a training program for our security department, a first responder training program.  This week, they invited my teammate and I who negotiated the purchase for them to participate in training.  I wasn't sure what to expect, but as I rarely have the opportunity to see the "fruits of my labor" at work, Trent and I jumped at the chance.

Our CIO was doing the training before us. As he exited the room, he mentioned to me that he really enjoyed it, but he just couldn't shoot the woman.  I wasn't sure what he was talking about, but soon learned.

You see, the training is a life like experience where you have life-sized images projected on a screen and you are basically to 1) negotiate out of the bad situation or 2) react in a way so as to protect as many others. I don't want to go into all the details of the program, but it reacts to you.  This is a training program that many police forces (I wish more) use. It is really intense.

A security officer showed us some examples of situations so we'd know what to do.  You can do it alone or in teams. Luckily Trent let me pair up with him. I'd never held a handgun before. These are not real weapons - well, they are but instead of ammunition, there is a laser pointer.  So the weight and feel is exactly like holding a gun. I had a holster as well.  They taught me how to shoot and how to use the holster.

Our first go round, we were both killed.  I could not believe how little time we had to react.  We got to try again. And because we knew how the scene would play out, we reacted a little better - and I saw the woman our CIO referenced, and though for a different reason, I too didn't shoot.

We went through a bunch of scenes. I won't spell them out. But my heart was racing. (I was sweating like crazy when we left and I didn't even realize it.)

Trent was really good with his negotiating with the shooters.  I was really good at seeing all the victims they'd left in their wake and asking these actors on the screen how they were, how many people we were looking for, where the bad guys were, etc.  I even got some shots off that, had it been real life, would have taken out the bad guy.

What I learned?

I will never be a cop or a security officer, or any position that requires you to use force to protect others, and yourself.  You guys. When you read about a police shooting, and how the cops shot SO many times? You have to do that sometimes. Think of a chicken with it's head cut off. Shot people still come at you, their bodies keep going. You do not have the time to just stop, and ask, "Hey dude, are you OK? Or do you think I've killed you." Sorry if that seems like I am making light of the situation, because I'm not. I think people watching the news and such, they take the situation too lightly. You have NO idea what it is like.  Our trainers would ask how many shots we'd taken. We were never right. Always underestimated.  The videos reacted to what we did (it was AMAZING.)  Due to the technology, it sees where our lasers hit when we'd fire, and the technology has reactions from the actors per all the places where you could shoot them. If you shot them in the arm for example, or in the body armor - they would still keeping going. Please, stop questioning the police. I was in a simulator experience. I cannot imagine real life... well, kind of I can (I'll explain in a minute.) You make fast, insanely fast, split second decisions (I now understand that term). You do not have time to get a better look at if that is a real or a play weapon. When lives appear to be threatened, you protect and serve. Period.

I am bad at unholstering a weapon quickly. There is a reason they go in with weapons up and ready.

When you are in that situation, even if you have a perfect shot at the range, you don't have the time to position yourself and aim in real life. When a gun is suddenly aimed at you and they are firing, you just fire. You are taught to aim for the center of mass (which will most likely cause the person to go down.) But again, you don't shoot, walk up and look for a wound, go back and shoot again if needed, etc.  You just shoot until you know you are safe. Even staying calm, you are not going to give a firing range performance.

I would be a great trauma counselor in a traumatic situation. When I was in elementary school in Portland, we were on the playground.  I remember hearing pops. There were apartments next to the playground/field area. Some guy decided he wanted to fire his gun. No one was hurt, he wasn't aiming at kids, I assume. He was just a dumby firing his gun. (Do my parents even know this happened? Did the school even mention anything since no harm was done?) Though I knew what teachers were saying, I just got inside like they said to. NO big deal... ha!  The day my baby brother got married, my cousin also got married about 90 minutes away. I was back and forth for 2 days between family meals, ceremonies, receptions, etc.  During one of those commutes, my mother and aunt were in the car with me.  I saw in my rear view mirror a sports car driving way too fast, followed by a couple cop cars. Oddly, there were very few vehicles on the freeway (odd any time of any day in LA.) I stayed to the far left lane and observed where he was going. Once he passed us, I brought the car to a stop as we watched the, obviously stolen, sports car crash into those water barrels that sit marking an exit (yup, I can tell you, they were filled with water, and they can do a lot of damage to a car.)  The cop cars all came to a stop around the car. The theft arrogantly got out of the car (how was he not seriously injured...?), placed his hands on his head and he got on the ground - not his first run in with the law is my guess. Once it was clear we could go, I accelerated and continued on our way. My mother and aunt, not super calm. Me, super calm.  I'm a good person to have around when in a tough situation. I seem to keep my head, and I can help others to organize and remain calm as well.  Again, just don't give me a weapon.

Bottom line, maybe we should go a little easier on those hired to protect and serve us when they are doing just that. I know, there have been people killed with the "weapon" they held turned out to be a toy. But again, friends! Who doesn't teach their children to respect authority, respect the police? Why would someone who knows this, why would they pretend to shoot cops thinking it is totally OK? Teach, teach, teach. Because I will again tell you, there is NO time to investigate.

Amazing experience. I am totally OK if I never repeat it again.

Another thing I don't want to repeat? Putting an awesome, super soft new blouse I had only worn twice in the wash because I was starting a load and though, "Oh, I sweat so much in that training, this might smell later, might as well wash it too..." only to pull it out of the wash realizing something was really wrong with this blouse I already loved. I didn't check the tag in my rush, and the silk blouse is dry clean only. At least it was on sale when I bought it so I didn't burn as much money as I could have. I really liked that shirt though... boo!