basic mechanical breaching

Clark County Sheriff's DepartmentEMERGENCY RESPONSE TEAM

LESSON PLAN

Jeff Parker 08/16/03

DATE: September 2003

TITLE: Mechanical Breaching

TIME:

CLASS: CLSO – In-service Training

GOALS: Provide in-service training to enhance / update the individualoperator’s skills in mechanical breaching thus enabling apositive breach 100 percent of the time in critical operations.

OBJECTIVES: At the conclusion all operators will be able to:? Describe / perform a mechanical breach utilizing a Sledge Hammer? Describe / Perform a mechanical breach utilizing a. Hooligan tool? Describe / perform a mechanical breach utilizing a Ram.? Describe / perform a mechanical breach utilizing Bolt Cutters? Describe / perform a mechanical breach utilizing a Crow Bar.? Describe / perform a mechanical breach utilizing an Automatic Center

Punch.? Describe / perform a mechanical breach utilizing Shotgun Breaching

techniques.

Equipment Required: EYE and Ear Protections, Gloves, Helmet, Long Sleeve shirt

INSTRUCTORS: Lt. Parker

BIBLIOGRAPHY: USMC Assault Breacher’s Guidebook.FBI Basic SWAT Training, Wisconsin, 1999 - HirschFBI Basic SWAT Training, Wisconsin, 2002 - HainesFBI Basic SWAT Training, Wisconsin. 2003 - Backus1st. Special Forces SRT / SWAT Training – Volk Field, Camp Douglas, WI.SWAT Managers Seminar, Oct 22-24, 1996 Shakopee, MN International LawEnforcement Training & Consulting, Inc.SRT/SWAT Instructional Manual for tactical teams, Steve Matoon 1990

REVISED:


LESSON PLAN


Introduction:

An analysis was conducted of a survey (High Risk Warrant Service) by NTOApublished in the spring edition of the Tactical Edge 1990 that looked atapproximately 1,200 operations. That article contains a summery of theinformation found and what the results were in terms of obstacles observed /encountered in and around crisis sites where breaching occurred.

A breacher, team leader, and any other essential personnel should conduct ascouting mission to observe the target location as part of the planning process.

Breaching can be defined as the method by which an entry / special op teamgains access to a target or crisis site.

An element during a breach uses speed, surprise and violence of action toaccomplish its mission. Without a successful breach to provide access to aspecific target, there is no entry and no entry means mission failure.

A breacher’s knowledge of mechanical breaching and the ability to apply thatknowledge to penetrate any target encountered makes the breacher a criticalmember of a team. One could argue the most important team member.

1. The mission of the breacher is to recognize, analyze, and breach.? Recognize - The breacher must recognize:

1. Potential entry points2. Potential danger areas

? Analyze - the breacher must analyze to:3. Determine which potential entry points would make the best

primary and alternate breach points.4. Determine the best primary breaching method / technique to use

for the primary, alternate, and unknown breach points.5. Determine the best secondary breaching methods / techniques

to use for the primary, alternate, and unknown breach points.


LESSON PLAN


? Breach - provide positive, safe, entry for the team with minimal time ontarget where the team is exposed.

HISTORY:

The early use of explosive entry was developed for hostage rescues and situationwhere armed suspects were believed to be barricaded. One of the firstdocumented uses of this concept was by the Los Angles Police Department inDecember 1969, after three LAPD officers were shot by barricaded militants. Noinjuries result from the use of the explosive charge, which caused a large hole tobe breached in the ceiling and resulted in the surrender of the heavily armedsuspect.

Training:

Breacher training is covered only generally in basic swat training. Specific skillsand techniques in the art of breaching are not covered in the depth necessary toprovide the critical skills needed. Most training is covered in-house and is informalin nature and usually not very well documented.

Breaching can involve a single operator or a two man team. What determines thisis the technique used, the tools involved and the number of operators available.

Breacher’s responsibility in planning.

A breacher’s responsibility in planning will vary from team to team. In all cases itis very important that the team leader and the primary breacher work together toformulate the breach plan.

Many of the planning considerations covered in this block of instruction may seemto be the responsibility of the team leaders. But no matter who is responsible, theprimary breacher needs to ensure all planning considerations are completedbecause they impact directly on the success of the breach planning and missionoutcome.


LESSON PLAN


Planning Phase – The primary breacher will normally be responsible to theteam leader for completing the following tasks during the planning phase:

? Accessing all intelligence information available on potential breachpoints.

? Assisting the command element in selecting the best method of entry(mechanical, shotgun, ect.)

? Assembling and preparing tools and equipment and diversionarydevices.

? Initiating a breaching report.? Briefing team members.? Rehearsing (if time permits).

Deliberated Planning.

Deliberate planning refers to a planning process for anticipated situations involvingthe deployment of resources expected to be available. The time factor is notusually a concern. Deliberate planning begins prior to a team being tasked with amission.

Deliberate planning for the breacher consists of writing standard operatingprocedures (SOP). Team SOPs greatly facilitate the mission planning andpreparation process and allow the breacher to quickly accommodate the commonaspects of every mission. Team SOPs are the cornerstone of rapid responseoperations. This makes SOPs that are well throughout in advance, practiced,rehearsed, and thoroughly known by all players a necessity for accomplishing,time sensitive planning for the breacher. SOPs may vary from team to team;items that affect breaching and that should be addressed include, but are notlimited to:

1. Equipment lists2. Ammunition Breakout3. Ammunition Safety4. Personnel Assignments5. Intelligence Requirements – Essential Elements of Information (EEI)6. Compromise Procedures


LESSON PLAN


7. Command and Signal

The above list is not all inclusive. Everything that can be planned for oranticipated should be incorporate in the Team SOP.

Crisis Planning

Crisis planning is conducted upon receipt of a mission or op plan. The team mayhave only an hour or less to plan and prepare before they are required to executea mission.

The planning process itself must be rehearsed. Traditionally, 50% of availabletime is allocated to plan and prepare for a mission. This is of course when weknow about the mission in advance. Crisis planning for the breacher consists ofthe following:

1. Determining the primary and alternate breach points2. Determine the primary breaching methods for the primary and alternate

breach points3. Determine the secondary breaching method for the primary and alternate

breach points4. Planning for the what if’s.

Primary and Alternate Breach Points

The team leader / commander and any other essential personnel will assembleand analyze all available information, data, and intelligence pertaining to theintended target. This involves examining the design, construction, and materialmakeup of the target to determine the best primary and alternate breach points.Tactical considerations also play a significant role in this analysis. Tactics to beemployed may dictate or rule out specific entry points.

The following represents some of the EEIs required to select a primary andalternate breach point:

1. What type of mission is it?


LESSON PLAN


2. Are drawings (blueprints) available of the target? (Is tactical diagrammingan option)

3. Are photographs available of the target?4. Where are the scout / containment personnel located in relation to the

target?5. Can the scout / containment personnel give a detailed description of the

target?6. Is there any intelligence available from the occupants / neighbors /

agency personnel that have been there before?7. Is the target a crisis or non-crisis breach? ( A crisis breach is a situation

where there are friendly personnel / victims / hostages inside the target)8. If it is a crisis breach, is the location of the friendly personnel / victims /

hostages known?9. What is the distance from the LCC to potential breach points?10. What type of shielding / cover / concealment is available at the

potential breach points?11. How close can the entry team be positioned to the potential breach

points (explosive breaching)?12. Does the required speed of entry overcome the danger the entry team

is exposed to due to close positioning?13. Do drawings of the target (if available) include gas lines, power lines,

plumbing, and other similar hazards?14. What is on the crisis side of the potential breach points (barricades,

IEDs, booby traps)?15. Is there any history regarding the use of IEDs or booby traps?16. Any children or elderly persons on site?17. Dogs, Fences, Counter surveillance, Geographic barriers?

These are some of the questions that need to be addressed when planning thetype of breach.

In addition the following information should have been collected:

Police Scout Checklist

1. Size & type of windows.2. Are windows barred, alarmed, screened, dual pane, wired, etc..3. Size & type of doors (open in or out)


LESSON PLAN


4. Utility & phone shut-off locations.5. Location of bathrooms (vents / windows).6. Exterior lighting conditions.7. Location for diversions.8. Location for announcements.9. Locations for chemical agent use.10. Possible hostile neighbor location(s).11. Potential hazards (fences, dogs, ect.).12. Locations requiring evacuation.13. Description of adjacent buildings.14. Best approach route & alternative (covered & concealed)15. Exit points for suspects.16. Evacuation routes for injured civilians or team members17. Note line of compromised authority.18. Suggested sniper vantage-points.19. Breach & entry points & alternatives.20. Locations for inner perimeter personnel.21. Specific address & description.22. Staging area for team & CP Location.23. Accurate sketch (to scale).

Breaching Techniques

Mechanical Breaching:

The nature of a particular mission or target may make one or more form ofbreaching technique inappropriate or impossible. Mechanical entry means can beused effectively when used as a diversion. In theory, the breacher is only limitedby his / her imagination when it comes to selecting from the universe of hand toolsavailable to effect mechanical breaches.

Targets:

Mechanical breaching targets are basically the same as those that by be attackedusing explosives. These include windows, walls, roofs, and floors of buildings aswell as vehicles. Application of mechanical techniques is limited by the hardness


LESSON PLAN


of a particular target and the teams load carrying capacity (most tools are heavyand somewhat bulky or awkward to carry). Additionally, tool use requires time ontarget which may compromise a team’s mission and puts them at risk. Normallywe will focus on doors as our main breach point. As such it is more expected andthus more hazardous.

General Employment:

Each mechanical breaching tool has its own unique means or technique ofachieving target damage and / or entry. In some cases prior to entering any targetafter a successful mechanical breach, it is (depending upon the circumstancesand hazards present) recommended that a diversionary device be employed.Employment techniques and feature of individual tools are covered in the followingmaterial.

Sledge Hammer

There are two types of sledge hammers generally used. One has a double facesteel head weighing 10 pounds and an unbreakable fibreglasses handle 30 incheslong. The other is a double faced steel head weighing 2.5 pounds and fiberglasshandle 12 inches long. (See figure 1)


LESSON PLAN


1. to employ the sledge hammer on inward opening doors, the operatorstands on the hinge side of the door and strikes the door directly above

the door knob (figure 2) 2. If you encounter a door with both a deadbolt and a doorknob strike the

door between the two locking mechanisms (figure 3)

3. Do not attempt to strike the doorknob. Hitting the doorknob could causethe throw mechanism to get stuck in the door jamb ( mainly a concern onmetal doors with metal frames)

4. The sledge hammer is easy to use, is widely available, and is almostindestructible. Unfortunately, it is also heavy, usually requires multiplehits and time on target, and is not effective on outward opening doors.


LESSON PLAN


Hooligan Tool

The hooligan tool is a very versatile tool that combines the qualities of severaldifferent tools and is available in various lengths and weights. The hooligan tool ismade of heat treated high alloy steel. It is usually 30 inches long, 1 inch indiameter and weighs 10 pounds. All parts of the hooligan should be welded inplace and not pinned. The parts of the hooligan are the duck bill, pick or spike, flathead and standard claw, each of which is describe below. (Figure 4)

? Duck Bill. The duck bill consists of a long smooth incline approximately 6inches long and two inches wide. It is curved like the natural curve of thepalm of the hand for ease of insertion. It is used to pry out door frames andwindow frames.

? Pick or Spike. The pick or spike is six inches long and tapers down fromabout one inch to a point and is slightly curved. It is made to be inserted intolocks and latches without slipping out. Especially car trunks and door locks.

? Flat head. The flat head is a large flat pounding surface similar to a sledgehammer. It can be used in place of a sledge hammer in some instances.

? Standard Claw. The standard claw is a long wide claw that is gently curvedand sharpened. It is sharpened for ease of insertion into door jambs, ect. Ithas a slotted claw to fit hasps, locks, latches, and fuel shutoffs. Thestandard claw is designed not to stick when force is applied.

Employment the Hooligan Tool

The hooligan tool’s various parts allow it to be used for many different tasks. Itsmost common use in breaching is to open doors or windows. Unlike the sledgehammer, the hooligan tool can be employed successfully against inward oroutward opening doors.


LESSON PLAN


To employ against inward opening doors the following procedures are to be

followed: (Figure 5)

? Hooligan man inserts the duck bill into the door jamb directly above thelocking mechanism.

? Another team member forces the tool deeper by hitting the flat headwith a sledge hammer.

? The hooligan man then leans forward into the tool to force the dooropen.

To employ against outward opening doors the following procedures are tobe followed: (Figure 6)

? Hooligan man inserts the duck bill in the door jam directly above thelocking mechanism.

? Another team member forces the tool deeper by hitting the flat headwith a sledge hammer.

? The hooligan man then pulls the tool back to force the door open.

To employ against windows use the break and rake technique (Figure 7)


LESSON PLAN


? Hooligan man smashed through the upper left or right hand corner of thewindow with the flat head or claw end.

? Keeping the tool directly in contact with the window frame, he pulls thetool down the left or right edge of the window.

? Keeping the tool in direct contact with the window frame, he pulls the toolacross the bottom edge of the window.

? Keeping the tool in direct contact with the window frame, he pushes thetool up to the left or right edge of the window.

Hooligan tool employed against windows – pushing the mullions

? Hooligan man uses the flat portion of the duckbill, and strikes the mullion(the part of a double hung window where the two windows overlap) asclose to the window tracking as possible on either the right or left side ofthe window (depending on the approach of the team).

? He strikes hard enough to push the window out of the tracking.


LESSON PLAN


? The procedure is repeated on the other side of the window until thewindow is removed.

Hooligan tool Advantages and Disadvantages

The advantages of having a multipurpose tool like the hooligan is that it can doaway with the need for may separate tools, and is still easy to operate. Like mostmechanical tools, it does require time on target, and the sharp points and edgesmay present a hazard to the user and other team members.

Battering Ram (aka RAM)

There are many types of Battering Rams available, from vehicle mounted to oneman battering rams. Most Battering rams are bulky. The preferred ram is a oneman battering ram that is 30 inches long, weighs 35 pounds and impacts with over14,000 pounds of kinetic energy. Most rams have two hand holds. The ram canbe employed against both the hinge and lock side of inward opening doors. It isalso very effective against doors with drop bars and dead-man type lockingmechanisms. (Figure 9)


LESSON PLAN


To employ the RAM, hold it by the handles and swing the ram either underhanded(figure 10)

or side arm (figure 11), and Strike the door directly above the locking mechanism.

Although a valuable breaching tool, the battering ram has two maindisadvantages; its weight and the transportability of the tool.

Bolt Cutters:

Bolt cutters are manufactured in various lengths, weights, jaw hardness, and jawshapes (straight or diagonal). There are two commonly found bolt cutter sizes in


LESSON PLAN


tactical operations. One is 36 inches long with diagonal jaws the other is 14inches long with straight jaws. (Figure 12)

During employment, bolt cutters are used like a pair of pliers. The item to be cut isplaced as far back as possible in the jaws for maximum cutting, and the handlesare drawn together to cut the item. The size of the bold cutters is chosen inaccordance with the size of the item to be cut. Ticker, heavier items will requiremore leverage and the large bolt cutter should be used; while small thin items canbe better handled with the small bolt cutters. Bolt cutters can be used against awide variety of targets such a padlocks, chains, fences, cables, and wire.

The bolt cutter gives the team an advantage in the ability to quickly cut locks orchains that may prevent entry. They are also very effective against fences andwire the may me encountered while in transit to the objective. The maindisadvantage to using the larger bolt cutters over the small bolt cutter sit he thatthey are heavy and bulky to carry, and they need a larger operating area.

Crowbar:

The crowbar is used for prying open doors, windows, cabinets, and chest or floorboards. The crowbar’s main advantages are that it is lightweight, easy to carry,and virtually indestructible. It can also be very effective against light to mediumtargets. The only disadvantage is the multipurpose tools, such as the hooligan,can be used for the same function and more. (Figure 13)

Automatic Center Punch:

The automatic center punch is about 6 inches long. It is constructed of brass andsteel. One end has a point; the other is blunt. The automatic center punch isdesigned to mark metal and other material with out the use of a hammer. The


LESSON PLAN


punch uses a series of heavy springs to drive the point. The springs are put undertension as the punch is pushed against the material to be marked. After thesprings are compressed a given distance, they release and drive a metal rod intothe back of the point marking the material. (Figure 14)

The automatic center punch is used to break car windows and plate glass byputting the point in the lower corner of the target glass and pushing until thewindow shatters. When this has been done, the rake and break technique is usedto complete the job. The automatic center punch is a small lightweight tool thatcan be carried in a pocket or pouch, without adding much weight or taking upvaluable room. Its only disadvantage is that it will not work on Plexiglas or Lexan.

Shotgun Breaching:

Shotgun breaching should be reserved as a secondary method of breaching andfor any unforeseen circumstances the breach team may encounter. For thesereasons, shotgun breaching should be incorporated into the breaching plan.

Breaching Shotguns:

Any pump action shotgun can be used for breaching, although some are morepractical than others due to certain characteristics and availability. The mostcommon shotguns found is law enforcement arsenals are the Remington 870,Mossberg 500, and the Winchester 1200.

Characteristics of breaching shotguns.

Breaching shotguns should have a short overall length (for use in confinedspaces), but still maintain a high magazine capacity; they should be pump actionfor simplicity and ease of training; they should be a standard gage (12 gage) andreadily accept available ammunition; and they should be easily maintained at theuser level. Although there are many “exotic” shotguns on the open market, mostare very expensive to purchase and repair and are thus not practical for breachingpurposes.


LESSON PLAN


Employment:

Standoff:

The generally recommended stand-off when employing the shotgun is 2 inches.

Round Placement;

Round placement is critical, when choosing an attack point, chose the side withthe least amount of attachment points; Plan on two shots per target. Most lockingmechanisms will be defeated on the first shot. Always be prepared – just in casethe door does not open.

Door Locks.

For door locks and deadbolts, aim between the locking mechanism and jam. Thisis illustrated in figure 15.

Hinges:

For hinges, aim at a 45 degree angle from the door toward the jam, with theweapon level with the hinges. This is illustrated in figure 16.


LESSON PLAN


Techniques:

Get level with the target. An angled weapon tends to fire over or under the lockingmechanism; therefore, always level your weapon with the target.

Angle the muzzle slightly towards the jamb. On wood frame doors, angle themuzzle of the weapon towards the jamb. This allows the round to remove thelocking mechanism and a portion of the jamb. Angling the muzzle in illustrated infigure 17.

Do not use the weapons sights. If the weapon you are using for breaching isequipped with a sight do not use it. Instead, watch the muzzle as it approachedthe target. If you use a sight you will fire under the target.

It is advisable to train with the load that you will be using to ensure familiarity,function, and that it will perform as expected.

This information is not all inclusive in regard to breaching. It is what I havelearned from my research and should not be used as a substitute for qualifiedtraining.

Any Questions??

basic mechanical breaching

Documents

breach planning

breacher training

positive breach

successful breach

breacher responsibility

alternate breach points

unknown breach points

man team