Marking cartridges and air munitions in law enforcement force-on-force training have come a long way over the past 20 years. There are now many great options when selecting force-on-force cartridges, and the safety gear has vastly improved. Quality headgear, eye protection, and padding that don’t interfere with realistic training have added a significant level of realism to scenarios.
Although the basic equipment has developed over the years, many departments and trainers have struggled to find suitable venues for realistic training. When we can locate a building scheduled for demolition or renovation, it’s great to use it for scenario training. However, finding the right building in the right condition at the right time can be a challenge. A building that’s too rundown can pose a safety risk for students, role players and instructors.
Training in local schools is a fantastic way to familiarize officers with floor plans, but we must be careful not to damage the facility during training. This often means hanging protective plastic along walls in areas where we expect to use training cartridges to avoid leaving paint marks or small divots in the drywall. We also need to be vigilant about collecting spent training cartridges, as a few empty training brass pieces in a school could raise alarms. Additionally, whether we’re training in a derelict building or a local school, securing the training site needs to be a priority. A large group of easily identifiable and unarmed police officers could be a target for those wishing to harm them.
This is where the Action Target Training Ammunition Combat (TAC) House fills a training need. The TAC House creates a safe, non-ballistic training environment for SWAT training, building search and clearing, force-on-force and force-on-target training. Designed for use with simulated ammunition rounds, marking cartridges, or blanks, teams can train with their own converted duty weapons. The TAC House helps create true-to-life training environments that enable real-world engagement drills, offering law enforcement officers a safe, controlled and secure training experience.
TAC House design: Versatile and built for durability
The Action Target TAC House is ideal for creating reconfigurable force-on-force training environments. Its modular design allows trainers to convert any outdoor or indoor space into a realistic tactical training facility. It consists of pre-fabricated modules that can be assembled and reconfigured, enabling trainers to quickly adapt the layout for different training scenarios. The interlocking panels provide maximum stability and a precise fit and finish.
The TAC House’s modularity is enhanced by its lightweight components, making it easy to set up and break down. The design allows for quick assembly and disassembly, reducing training downtime and enhancing operational efficiency. Its lightweight construction allows two people to assemble and disassemble an entire unit, while the units are still heavy enough to be durable when used in dynamic training scenarios. Each wall panel weighs about 80 pounds, balancing portability and durability.
However, lightweight does not mean fragile. Officers are likely to bounce off walls and kick doors, and the Action Target TAC House is built to withstand such activities. Its robust build provides long-lasting reliability that endures rigorous training sessions and harsh conditions, reducing the need for frequent replacements and repairs. Each wall panel is 3.5 inches thick, ensuring no one falls through a panel during training.
Configurations, cleaning and convenience
Another significant aspect of the Action Target TAC House is its ease of assembly. Every panel is designed to assemble with flush connections and a flat, stable base, creating a structure that accommodates uneven surfaces and withstands heavy wind and wall impacts. The wall panels are made using durable 2x4 frames with a melamine surface, which makes cleaning easy and provides scratch resistance. Simple soap and water quickly clean the walls, and there’s no dimpling or pockmarks from training rounds, unlike with drywall in schools.
To simplify planning and construction, the panels are designed using four-foot grids. Connection joints connect the panels with brackets on the top and bottom to secure and stabilize the structure, enhancing durability during intense training. Along the bottom, 5/16-inch hex screws maintain a flat configuration that doesn’t wobble or destabilize with use. Hand knobs at the top provide easy access for tightening. The ease of construction and cleaning allows for more training time and less maintenance.
The Action Target TAC House offers a variety of configurations limited only by imagination and creativity. Optional components include solid wall panels, window panels, open door panels, closable door panels, and various joints and connection hardware. These quality panels are built to withstand years of use in training scenarios, allowing unique room and house configurations to be set up easily.
The Action Target TAC House can be used indoors or outdoors. The panels are weather-resistant and can withstand winds up to 40 mph when assembled. Although they are built on wood frames that aren’t weather-tight and aren’t designed for permanent outdoor setups, they are resilient to changes in weather, allowing for flexible use in various conditions.
Even with limited space, the TAC House can be utilized. In as little as a 16x16-foot area, it can be assembled into a realistic scenario. The assembled walls are slightly over eight feet tall due to the connection hardware, though a seven-foot-tall version is expected soon for spaces with limited height. A full-size TAC House kit can be stored in a 5x12-foot area, making it compact for storage.
Wyatt Davis, the Midwest Territory Manager for Action Target, stated, “The TAC House product helps departments train in a non-live fire situation with the ease of their own scheduling. No need to ask schools, businesses, etc., to utilize their property. It’s as easy as setting up your scenario and training.”
The TAC House is available in four standard kits, with additional components warehoused for quick delivery to expand the size of your kit, offering multiple options. Each kit includes enough materials to assemble multiple house layouts, and custom kits are also available. For more information, visit the Action Target website.
