Basic Tradecraft Course

The core training curriculum is focused on setting a baseline. While add-on training can be provided as stand alone packages if requested, starting here generally ensures students have the right mindset and seriousness. Ultimately we are helping you become a more capable individual. The journey of individual preparedness is truly never ending.

Core is a 2.5 day curriculum that starts on the evening of Day 0. At approximately 1830 local time ERS will host an indoctrination session where we will confirm all required gear, provide a more thorough set of student expectations, sign liability waivers, and discuss general philosophy on self protection. During this session we will cover emergency medical plans, onsite security protocols, and other topics.

Day 1 will consist of two 4-6 hours training blocks.

1. “Situation Awareness” which will cover a variety of topics ranging from low profile movement in urban settings, arming oneself in non-permissive environments, evading and detecting surveillance, perimeter and operational security for the home and office, and an introduction to technical surveillance. This block of instruction will conclude with a field exercise to assess your ability to detect surveillance and to test what you have learned in a live role play on the streets in an urban center while under active surveillance. This overall section is approximately 4-6 hours. 

2. “Surviving Post-Capture” will cover a range of topics including dissecting video of real world kidnappings, techniques for building rapport with captors, and what to expect when being captured. We will also cover common restraints and easily sourcable tools that can be constructed on-the-fly or planned in advance that will aid in helping you free yourself if captured.  This section will conclude with a hands-on exercise where you will gain firsthand experience in a variety of restraints and test your ability to put into practice what you have learned while trying to free yourself. This overall section is approximately 4-6 hours.

Day 2 will consist of two 4-6 hours training blocks.

1. “Field Expedient Trauma Medical” consists of learning the basics to keep you and your family alive until help arrives. This is not a CPR class. We will cover the building and layout of a trauma medical bag for home, office and vehicles, establishing and managing an airway using passive and invasive procedures, managing massive arterial bleeding (e.g. car accident, gunshot wound, stabbing, etc.) using various techniques, and treating other common trauma-related issues such as tension pneumothorax, wound sealing, homeostatic agents, etc. This section will include hands-on, practical application of tourniquets, pressure dressings, wound seals, wound packing techniques, etc. This overall section is approximately 4-6 hours.

2. “Firearms Familiarization” will provide firearms related education starting with the four firearms safety rules (keeping your finger off the trigger until ready to fire, treat all guns as if they are loaded, never point your gun at anything you don’t plan to destroy, and know your target and what is beyond it) and quickly moving into drawing a handgun from a holster (concealed and open carry), shooting stances and grip, reloading, fixing malfunctions, common weapons configurations and more. Students will start with a handgun but will be able to shoot and gain experience with a variety of weapons to include various handguns, rifles (AR-15 and AK-47) and shotguns. This overall section is approximately 4-6 hours. Based on student interest, an additional 2 hours into the evening on Day 2 can be added for low light handgun training at no cost.

Vehicle Tactics

A 1-day fast-moving class focused on fighting in and around vehicles. This is not a driving class, it is a shooting class. Vehicle Tactics includes tactics and techniques for shooting around vehicles, through vehicles and from vehicles. We will also cover techniques and you will gain hands-on experience for safely handling firearms in vehicles with multiple occupants, moving from the vehicle and using the vehicle for cover. We will also demonstrate the ballistic properties of vehicles and address many common misconceptions related to vehicles and gun fights based on real world data and experience. Students requesting Vehicle Tactics must either have completed the ERS Core curriculum or another recognized firearms training program from a reputable training school approved by ERS. This overall course is approximately 10 hours.

Force-On-Force

The most painful of all ERS classes, Force-On-Force is a 1-day, scenario-driven class that leverages UTM’s non-lethal training ammunition (NLTA). These are plastic marking rounds filled with paint. While they hurt and will leave a bruise, they are not lethal and serve as a great training aid. In this class you will find yourself in several common scenarios with a UTM handgun having to make real-time decisions under pressure with degrees of role player escalation. Role players with both ill intentions and unknown intentions will be injected into each scenario and you will have to make hard decisions with little context. Just like in real-life defensive encounters.