Bundespolice Director Takacs on the Officers' Tactics: "Speed Can Save Lives"

"We do not wait" is the motto of the Austrian executive, especially since a new training model for active shooter situations was introduced in 2010. "Every police officer in basic training or patrol area has to train for this," said Federal Police Director Michael Takacs on Wednesday, a day after the shooting at a school in Graz with eleven dead, during a media event in Vienna. The goal is immediate intervention because "speed can save lives."

Training Model Applied in Graz Operation

The "police intervention in active shooter situations" was put into practice in Graz, as the course of the operation shows. In the event of such a life-threatening situation (LebEL), even if the forces are only two or three, immediate intervention is required. During training, potential victims of such dangerous situations, such as schools, are also involved, according to Takacs. The goal behind this is a rapid "binding" of the perpetrator, as was done "already during the terror situation in Vienna 2020," so that their attention is directed towards the forces.

Three-Stage Model: Police, Special Forces, Cobra

Since perpetrators in active shooter and terror situations act with high levels of violence, the primary goal is to achieve a "rapid incapacitation" of the aggressor, explained Peter Scheibner, head of the "Police Special Operations" department. The police intervention model is structured in three stages, with the first intervention carried out by regular service forces. The next wave is already conducted by special forces (Rapid Intervention Group (SIG), operating nationwide since 2020 following the model of WEGA in Vienna, note) who are also active in patrol service. The third level is then the deployment of EKO Cobra, which was also very quickly on site yesterday.

Takacs: Units Must Function Like a "Gear"

At the operation site, smooth cooperation is required, which is also repeatedly trained. The organizations must function like a "gear" in reality, stated Takacs as the goal. Whether SIG or Cobra, both units also have personnel specially trained in the medical field. Additionally, a certain level of first aid training is already provided in basic training. According to the Federal Police Director, the goal is for every police officer to be equipped with an emergency package, so that these forces can provide initial care, for example in the case of gunshot wounds, until rescue services can take over.

Over 300 Officers and 5 Helicopters Deployed in Graz

Most of the injured are usually in the "hot zone," where only the executive can operate, according to Takacs, referring to the so-called three-zone model developed by EKO Cobra with the emergency services. The "hot zone" is where a perpetrator is directly active, so only police special forces are allowed to operate there.

"It was a conscious decision to establish counter-terrorism regionally in the 2000s," noted EKO Cobra Commander Bernhard Treibenreif. "The Cobra is part of the police," emphasized Treibenreif. According to him, over 300 police officers were deployed yesterday, 60 men from the Cobra special units from the three locations (Wiener Neustadt, Graz, Krumpendorf), as well as five helicopters for possible later searches or rescue operations.

Enormous Psychological Strain for Emergency Forces During Rampage at BORG Dreierschützengasse

The psychological strain for the officers in Graz was extreme. The police have since established a system of "peers" for psychological aftercare. "The accounts" were very distressing, according to Treibenreif - and decades ago, such strains were "kept quiet," which fortunately has changed.

Strategy of Officers is Continuously Revised

Since the establishment of the Rapid Intervention Group (SIG), the system has become even more closely integrated. Special situations are practiced annually. In 2009, after the rampage in Winnenden, Baden-Württemberg, Germany, a decision was made to adopt a new, rapid approach, Treibenreif recalled. Previously, the practice was more about waiting for special forces. In 2017 and 2018, a "Terror and Rampage Situations Handbook" was also created. This is intended to familiarize the public with behavioral rules in cases of rampage and terror. "Flee, Hide, Defend, and Emergency Call" are the four core points.

(APA/Red)

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