VegasGeorge
09-18-2007, 10:12 PM
I imagine that most of you know or have heard about the color code system. But, for a basis of discussion, I thought I'd set it down in my own words. Then, you can post your replies adding to what I've written, or questioning any elements of the system.
White: This is your safe, secure, totally relaxed condition. You may be at home with all your doors and windows locked, and your alarm set. You may, or may not have a weapon handy. But, you have no thought of having to defend yourself. This is the condition that most people are in, most of the time. This is the condition that we as CCW permit holders need to avoid in many circumstances.
Yellow: This is a condition of active awareness. We perceive no threat, but we are alert and ready should any threat appear. If we are inside, we know where the doors are located and casually note who comes in and who goes out. We may take precautions, like sitting with our backs to a wall. If we are outside, we pay attention to our surroundings. Who's behind us, who's crossing the street toward us, who's looking at us. We keep our eyes scanning, and notice the activities of others. I liken this state of awareness to maintaining a safe following distance while driving, and watching the traffic several cars ahead. If something bad is going to happen, we have a decent chance of getting some advance notice.
Orange: In this condition, we have determined that something doesn't look right. We feel threatened by someone or something. We don't know if the threat is real or not. But now is the time for us to start making preparations, just in case. We move toward a more defensible position. We warn our companions. We retreat if possible. This is when we open the zipper, or pull out the shirt, or whatever else we might need to do to have immediate access to our weapon. We may lay our hand on our weapon without drawing it out. Depending on our surroundings, we may even shout a warning: "Stay away from me, I have a gun!"
Red: Now we know that the fight is on. We are definitely in trouble here. Because we have progressed from Yellow to Orange to Red, we are prepared, both mentally and physically, for what is coming next. We draw our weapon, and our entire world changes in that instant. Now, everything depends on what the other guy does. We no longer have any control over the situation. The gun is out, and we HAVE to defend it. We cannot, under any circumstances, allow the bad guy to get the gun. If the bad guy is armed, we shoot him. Even if the bad guy is unarmed, if he rushes us, we have to shoot him. And, due to reaction delay time, we cannot allow the bad guy to slowly get within 10 feet of us. Because, at that short distance, he could be on us before we could pull the trigger. We may have the gun, but we're in a real tight spot.
I like what Gabriel Suarez says about the color code system in his book, "The Tactical Pistol." He says: "This color code brings you progressively and justifiably closer to the level of deadly force with each escalation. Simultaneously, it decreases the possibility of overreaction to a perceived threat. If that threat is real, however, it decreases your reaction time and allows you to take care of business ...."
White: This is your safe, secure, totally relaxed condition. You may be at home with all your doors and windows locked, and your alarm set. You may, or may not have a weapon handy. But, you have no thought of having to defend yourself. This is the condition that most people are in, most of the time. This is the condition that we as CCW permit holders need to avoid in many circumstances.
Yellow: This is a condition of active awareness. We perceive no threat, but we are alert and ready should any threat appear. If we are inside, we know where the doors are located and casually note who comes in and who goes out. We may take precautions, like sitting with our backs to a wall. If we are outside, we pay attention to our surroundings. Who's behind us, who's crossing the street toward us, who's looking at us. We keep our eyes scanning, and notice the activities of others. I liken this state of awareness to maintaining a safe following distance while driving, and watching the traffic several cars ahead. If something bad is going to happen, we have a decent chance of getting some advance notice.
Orange: In this condition, we have determined that something doesn't look right. We feel threatened by someone or something. We don't know if the threat is real or not. But now is the time for us to start making preparations, just in case. We move toward a more defensible position. We warn our companions. We retreat if possible. This is when we open the zipper, or pull out the shirt, or whatever else we might need to do to have immediate access to our weapon. We may lay our hand on our weapon without drawing it out. Depending on our surroundings, we may even shout a warning: "Stay away from me, I have a gun!"
Red: Now we know that the fight is on. We are definitely in trouble here. Because we have progressed from Yellow to Orange to Red, we are prepared, both mentally and physically, for what is coming next. We draw our weapon, and our entire world changes in that instant. Now, everything depends on what the other guy does. We no longer have any control over the situation. The gun is out, and we HAVE to defend it. We cannot, under any circumstances, allow the bad guy to get the gun. If the bad guy is armed, we shoot him. Even if the bad guy is unarmed, if he rushes us, we have to shoot him. And, due to reaction delay time, we cannot allow the bad guy to slowly get within 10 feet of us. Because, at that short distance, he could be on us before we could pull the trigger. We may have the gun, but we're in a real tight spot.
I like what Gabriel Suarez says about the color code system in his book, "The Tactical Pistol." He says: "This color code brings you progressively and justifiably closer to the level of deadly force with each escalation. Simultaneously, it decreases the possibility of overreaction to a perceived threat. If that threat is real, however, it decreases your reaction time and allows you to take care of business ...."