ITOA MACTAC—Advance Rapid Deployment Instructors Course

Article photos courtesy of Ed Mohn, Scott May and Tony Johnson
ITOA MACTAC—Advance Rapid
Deployment Instructors Course
By Lt. Ed Mohn—ITOA VP
The Illinois Tactical Officers Association hosted the
first MACTAC—Advanced Rapid Deployment Instructors
Course September 26-27-28, 2011. 27 Officer from 19
State, County and Local agencies participated in the
this "Pilot" course. The course highlighted the MACTAC
(Multiple Assault Counter Terrorist Action Capabilities)
concept developed by our friends from LAPD, Orange
County California and Las Vegas Metro. The skills learned
and practiced focus on limiting the scope of the crisis,
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containing and preventing the escape of armed dangerous
offenders, rescuing downed officers and citizens, while
stopping on-going violence utilizing integrated tactics in
an urban environment.
MACTAC—Advanced Rapid Deployment is defined
as: Immediate, coordinated Law Enforcement small unit
techniques and tactics utilized when responding to,
maneuvering against and confronting armed offenders; be
they lone wolfs, pairs, groups or multiple-simultaneous
ITOA News—Fall 2011

attacks on the soft targets in our communities. These
techniques and tactics are designed to be utilized in the
most dangerous situations, when first responder's must act
to eliminate a deadly force, active shooter threat and to
save as many lives as possible as quickly as possible.
First responders quickly assessing the situation and
determining what type of fight they are facing. Be it a
traditional Barricaded Gunman requiring the immediate
establishment of a perimeter and the deployment of arrest
and less lethal teams. Or an Active Shooter situation
where you and your shift must make immediate entry to
eliminate the threat and rescue injured persons. Is this an
isolated incident, or is this developing into a simultaneous
multiple attack scenario. Has the offender(s) gone mobile
into the neighborhoods, or is the situation static. Is the
offender inside or out? What has to be done right now,
how many other officers are on-scene and do I have
enough on the way?
Topics addressed during the class included:
• Integrated tactics for first responders
• Individual and team movement techniques and
tactics
• Team formations and multiple team awareness
• Urban tactical operations
• Use of force guidelines and safety protocols
• Equipment needs and identification issues
• Integration of multiple agency responses
• Verbal skills, radio communications, and utilizing
common terms
• Firearms handling and deployment
It all begins with your dispatchers asking the right
questions and the first officers on-scene providing the
right information. It requires first responders and front
line supervisors who can quickly assess the situation,
determine a reasonable course of action and act! Clear,
direct, concise directions and practiced immediate action
drills are the bottom line. First Responders can utilize the
traditional 4 C's: Contain, Control, Communicate, Call
SWAT. The 4 A's: Arrive/Assess/Announce/Act. The 4 F's:
Find them, Fix them, Flank them and Finish them. It all
depend on what type of situation you have and what must
be done. Buddy Teams and contact teams immediately
taking action to isolate and stop the deadly force threat,
while other responding Street leaders form additional
first responders into small teams and squads, leading and
directing them to the fight, eliminating the threat and
rescuing victims.
Street leaders are the pivotal element that will have
the greatest impact in the critical first few minutes during
these types of situations. Street Leaders arriving on scene,
assessing the situation, making decisions, taking charge,
issuing orders and leading. Dynamic, autocratic leadership
is what is required in the opening moments. Uncertainty,
indecisiveness and "management by committee" will
unnecessarily complicate the situation. Utilize the universal
safety priorities to guide initial decisions and establish
priorities of action. Stop the threat, save lives, isolate the
incident, protect threatened people—do what needs to be
done as soon as possible.
This is a come as you are fight. The equipment you
have, the training you've received, and the tactics you
are proficient with will be what you have for the fight.
ITOA News—Fall 2011 5

These fights have many times been over in a very short
period of time. Other times it has gone on for hours and
sometimes days. However long this fight takes, you have
what you have. It will be you, your partners, your mutual
aid communities and the tactical teams that are in place in
your area.
When and where the next attack will happen is only
a matter of time. Which day will be "the day" when your
preparedness, training and the tactics you utilize along
with the equipment you carry will make the difference. The
threat has never been more apparent, the level of violence
against officers has never been more prevalent and the
possibility of you and your city experiencing one of these
violent encounters has never been more obvious. The
news has been full of stories about cops being murdered,
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ambushed and shot at an alarming rate. The fight is on and
the fight is deadly serious.
ITOA will continue to provide this and other vital
tactical training with classes being scheduled into 2012.
Check the training schedule at www.ITOA.org.
"Train Hard...For The Day Will Come".
About the author
Lt. Ed Mohn has been a police officer for 22 years
and is a highly decorated 19 year veteran of the NIPAS
Emergency Services Team. Ed is an Illinois State certified
lead instructor and train-the-trainer in a wide variety of
tactical and firearm related disciplines and is an adjunct
instructor with a number of different nationally recognized
tactical training companies and organizations.
ITOA News—Fall 2011