Why It's Important To Practice Calling 911

As responsible firearms owners, many of us spend significant time and money honing our shooting skills—all with the hope of only having to press the trigger on the range and nowhere else. That can sometimes leave us lacking in the necessary mental skillset department. While you may practice hundreds of draws and dry-fire thousands of times, have you practiced calling 911 and talking to the police? Today, we are going to discuss real-world training – beyond the range.

Real World Training – Beyond the Range

Real-world scenario-based training can help build a critically important and desperately needed skill. It deals with the stressful moments following a defensive gun use. Don’t dismiss this as “overboard” or “silly.” I believe it’s every bit as important as the fundamentals of shooting.

A sample scenario to practice would be engaging one target. You use verbal commands, telling the attacker to stop. Once you feel it’s necessary, you fire your gun. You do your after-action scan of the environment to ensure no other threats. Recheck the subject, then make a pretend call to 911. Tell them you need help and that you are the victim. Provide your location, and then…stop talking.

Practice Dialing 911

Now, having a training partner to assist you will be helpful. They can play the role of the police officer and should ask you very open-ended questions like, “What happened?” They should even badger you to the point of annoyance to increase your stress level. Your job in this kind of training is to be disciplined and provide a simple statement such as, “I really don’t want to say anything until I have had time to calm down and talk to my attorney.”

Real World Training

Encourage your partner to probe for more information, but hold your ground. Repeat that sentence above as many times as necessary. While this kind of practice may seem a bit melodramatic, it’s an excellent way to practice one of your life’s most difficult conversations. Train hard and train smart. An attorney I know once said everyone has the right to remain silent, but very few have the ability to do so. Practice it often until it’s as second nature as you draw from concealment. While it is important to be a good shot, you must have the same skill level to deal with the aftermath.