Safety and Survival Flashcards

Which action BEST reduces an officer's exposure during a vehicle stop with an aggressive driver?

Answer: Use the 'A-pillar approach' staying forward of the door post

The A-pillar approach keeps the officer forward of the driver's door, reducing the driver's field of view and ability to target the officer.

When using a tourniquet to control severe extremity bleeding, it should be applied:

Answer: 2–3 inches above the wound

Applying the tourniquet 2–3 inches above the wound compresses the artery supplying the bleeding site effectively.

An officer notices a 'dead man's trap'—a booby-trapped door at a drug raid location. The correct action is to:

Answer: Retreat, establish a perimeter, and request specialized units

Booby traps require specialized units such as EOD or SWAT; officers must not attempt to disarm them and must protect others from the hazard.

The concept of 'slicing the pie' during a building search refers to:

Answer: Gradually exposing oneself around a corner to widen the field of view

Slicing the pie involves taking small lateral steps around a corner to incrementally expand the visual field while minimizing body exposure.

During an active shooter event inside a building, the FIRST arriving officer's primary duty is to:

Answer: Move to the sound of gunfire to stop the threat

Active shooter protocols require first responders to immediately move toward the threat to neutralize it and stop ongoing casualties.

A suspect suddenly reaches for their waistband during a consensual encounter. The officer's BEST response is to:

Answer: Create distance, give verbal commands, and assess the threat

Creating distance and issuing verbal commands gives the officer time to assess whether the waistband movement is actually a threat.

Which component of the OODA loop is MOST impacted when an officer experiences sensory overload at a chaotic scene?

Answer: Orient

The Orient phase—interpreting and making sense of what is observed—is most degraded under sensory overload because the brain cannot process context accurately.