Where There's Smoke

Skill Set: Where There's Smoke

This week we're taking a break from pistol manipulations.

The "Big" question for self-defense is, "When should I use my weapon?" Everyone's heard the saying, "Where there's smoke there's fire." When you smell smoke there's a fire somewhere. How does this apply to self-defense? An uncontrolled fire needs to be extinguished. The question is, should you put out the fire or call a fireman?

-- You're cooking up dinner. The phone rings, you're distracted and while talking the pan on the stove catches fire. You grab the fire extinguisher and put it out.

-- While walking in a dark parking garage a stranger approaches. He's glancing around but always coming back to you. His body language is telling you there could be danger. You create distance; draw your pistol and issue verbal commands. "Stop! Do not come any closer." He quickly leaves.

These are examples of "small" fires that present immediate danger. You have the skills and tools to solve the problem.

You pull into the driveway of your home and instantly realize there's a fire inside. You know nobody is home, and you're not going to risk your life to save the big-screen television. But, what if there are family members trapped inside the house? You get your family outside to safety without worrying about the fire. Let the professionals handle that. Or, it may be necessary to battle the blaze in order to get to your family.

On the drive home you see a building on fire, blazing with lots of heat. This is something you can't handle, it's beyond your skills and you definitely don't have the equipment needed to control or extinguish the fire. You call 911 to notify the authorities. The same logic applies when you and the family are at the mall shopping and you hear shooting, screaming and suddenly everyone is running. Get the family to safety and dial 911.

The examples above are fairly simple. Unfortunately not all the problems you face will be that cut and dried. What if there are people in the building you don't know? Are your ready and willing to risk your life to save others? I have a responsibility to protect and save my family, and if necessary I'm ready and willing to sacrifice my life for them. There is no obligation or duty for me to protect others -- except maybe morally I feel it's a worthy cause. Now it's time to start answering the hard questions. Who are you willing to risk your life for?

When it comes to using your weapon you need to consider several factors. What is your responsibility and/or obligation? Do you know exactly what's going on? Are you going to actually contribute to solving the problem, or will your involvement create more trouble for those who are trying to put out the fire?

Being prepared means understanding the nature of the problem. Where is the trouble going to come from and what will it look like? Next, you start coming up with solutions, answering as many of the questions as possible in advance, prior to trouble appearing. Then, keep in mind that the nature of the problem and its solution will still require you to think in order to make the right decisions in a timely fashion.

Tiger McKee is director of Shootrite Firearms Academy, located in northern Alabama. He is the author of "The Book of Two Guns"