Posted by Hilary Gibeaut
I can’t believe all the tremendous amounts of new material covered by the Master Instructor trainings, the number of media stories and the increased awareness of the TASER Foundation since the unveiling of the TASER® X3™ on July 27, 2009. So much has occurred that it’s even hard for me to keep up, but I’ll try to fill you in.
Tom and Rick Smith demonstrate the TASER X3 at last week's TASER Conference
On Monday, July 27, Rick and Tom Smith, the co-founders of TASER International, unveiled the multi-shot X3, our first new handheld TASER ECD since 2003, during their keynote address at the beginning of the 2009 annual TASER Conference. It was one of the many TASER solutions for law enforcement, corrections and military customers that were highlighted that day.
The keynote address and the launch of the X3 was covered by numerous Arizona print and television media outlets. Incredibly, the story filed by the local Associated Press reporter was picked up by more than one thousand papers around the world. In addition, writers from a couple of trade magazines attended the keynote as well, so we are looking forward to those articles in the upcoming editions. Since the launch, I’m thankful to say that the media request and TV interviews haven’t slow down. The TASER X3 has been featured and demonstrated on FOX Business Network’s “Money for Breakfast” with Alexis Glick, has been written about on WIRED Magazine’s Danger Room, and was shown in a video post on the Engadget website. Then today, Tom Smith gave a live demonstration of the X3 to Bill Hemmer on FOX News America’s Newsroom, wrapping up an exciting week of interest and coverage. Read more…
Posted by Hilary Gibeaut
Wow, what an exciting four days Morgantown, WV! …and it is not often that one can say that!
Hundreds of corrections and law enforcement officers took part in the 2009 Mock Prison Riots, honing skills, learning new techniques and demonstrating and evaluating new equipment. For example, twenty officers were certified by the TASER training team on the new TASER® Shockwave™ area denial system and 61 officers were certified on the new TASER® XREP™ wireless shotgun projectiles.
A K-9 unit stands ready to break up a hostage situation
Over the course of the four-day event, I observed five training scenarios. Two of the training scenarios were staged in the cell blocks, with one scenario simulating 15 inmates refusing lockdown and the other simulating a situation where a guard was taken hostage by a group of inmates. During the hostage scenario, the rescue team brought in a K-9 unit, and it was so compelling to see how the dog scared the inmates into submission. I have a much better understanding and greater respect for the effectiveness and power of a well-trained K-9.
I also watched a scenario where a bus with inmates onboard broke down. The CERT (Corrections Emergency Response Team) threw smoke screens and flash bangs to distract the inmates so they could get on the bus and regain control. Yet another scenario was in the dining hall, where inmates started fighting and barricaded the doors to the hall. There were three teams of CERT officers who entered the dining hall and used both chemical and non-lethal devices to contain the situation. Read more…
Posted by Hilary Gibeaut
Today I am in Moundsville, West Virginia, at the Mock Prison Riots, an event that allows emergency response teams to test new technologies available to them before they incorporate them into their response plans. By being able to test these new technologies, such as the ones offered by TASER International, emergency response team members get the opportunity to not only evaluate the products, but also to give valuable feedback to the companies who design the tools they need to safely and effectively do their jobs every day.
Arriving at the West Virginia Penitentiary, site of the Mock Prison Riots
Throughout the four day event, men and women who keep our nation safe are able to deploy emerging technologies during best practice tactical training scenarios. Some of these scenarios include: cell extractions, riot control, hostage rescue, conflict resolution, and both lethal and non-lethal situations.
On Sunday, I joined more than a half dozen other TASER representatives for a day filled with setting up our trade show booth, painting targets and preparing for the upcoming scenarios. I was even able to attend a portion of the skills competition. Read more…