Stairwells have always been a particularly dangerous problem. The main problem is that like hallways, stairwells channelize your approach. But they also present a series of simultaneous potential danger areas as well. These are the stairs' compartment itself, any corners created by switchbacks in the steps, and the upper (or lower) landing.
For many years, tactical thought on the issue was that searching down was much easier than searching up. In actuality, this depends on stair construction and design. In terms of ease of movement, it is much easier to clear upward than it is downward.
Clearing from the top (downward) forces you to expose your lower body first. It makes moving behind your gun muzzle a problem. Additionally, many stairs are not solid, and a hostile hiding under (behind) the steps can easily see you as you approach. It is much too easy for a person to do that in the area underneath the steps created by the perpendicular room offset.
There have also been proponents of the clearing style that requires operators to slither around on their backs or bellies as they negotiate the stairs. This is not only noisy (target indicators, anyone?), but it sacrifices your greatest asset-mobility.
Clearing upward allows you to clear areas behind your gun muzzle. The ideal circumstance is that your eye and gun muzzle cover each potential danger area before you expose the rest of your body to it. In the end, you must be adept at both upward and downward clearing. If you are upstairs when the Manson gang breaks into your castle, you must be knowledgeable in downward movement. Conversely, if you are downstairs when that second-story window is forced open by the Mountainside Cannibal, then you'd better have thought out the dynamics of clearing from the bottom as well.
When you first encounter the staircase, your immediate concern will be to clear the first landing.This will be done visually from your original position.
A searcher will approach a stairwell much the same as a door or corner, searching along angular lines. He will clear as much of the initial staircase as possible before committing himself to the steps themselves.
We will discuss clearing upward first. Take note of the location of the upper landing. As you move onto the steps and begin the climb, you may be faced with the immediate corner if there is a switchback on the steps, as well as the upper landing. If the landing is directly overhead as you step on the first step, you must momentarily ignore the corner and concentrate instead on the area above you. This is where a partner is very useful indeed.
As you commit yourself to the steps and break the plane created by the staircase, you must cover the upper landing as well. The best way to do this is to place your back toward the solid wall (but not actually touching it) and cover the upper landing from below with your weapon. Clear this problem by using the angular search-a slice at a time.
Now, your partner can deal with the staircase and any switchback corner while you hold the landing. When he's done, he'll hold the upper landing while you move up and clear the next danger area. This is teamwork.
If you must solve this problem alone, the way to minimize the hazard is to move sideways up the stairs, keeping your back to the wall (but not actually touching it). Keep your weapon aligned with the potential danger areas. Since there are two or perhaps more of these danger areas, you will be moving your weapon back and forth in an attempt to cover them all in succession as you move.
As you begin to ascend the steps, you must turn slightly and move your search upward to visually clear the upper landing.
At some point you will reach the end of one section of the problem and must make the transition to the next. Here the author has cleared the steps and must now begin to focus on the next landing.
When you visually clear the upper landing, you may continue to take ground. Notice that the author is actually ascending in a backward mode, always facing the danger area.
As you reach each switchback, you must treat it as if it were a corner. Use the concept of the angular search.
Clear the next landing as you approach it. The key to a multipledanger area, such as a staircase, is to deal with one problem at a time.
Do not cross your feet as you climb or descend. Crossing your feet will compromise your mobility. If your feet arc crossed in midstride and a hostile pops up on your dominant side, you will not be able to respond to him in time. Use a sideways shuffle instead. With the sideways shuffle, you are able to pivot to the strong side or support side as well as move behind cover or even abandon the staircase quickly.
Stay back from the "well effect" at the center of a multi- flight staircase. A hostile hiding at the top or bottom can easily fire on your position without being detected. This central well portion allows a person at the bottom floor to see up to the top and vice versa. If you can see that far, so can the man you are hunting-and he can shoot you too. Just as with the other geographic obstacles we've already discussed, handle each portion of the problem individually, move carefully, and be ready to shoot at all times.
Descending is done using the same concept. In fact, depending on the design of the stairs, descending is sometimes easier. However, you must be careful that you do not expose your feet to what's below.
Conduct an angular search around the first corner and clear the space from above.
The following diagrams illustrate the proper way to search stairs.
A stairway presents various danger areas simultaneously. After the initial flight of steps has been cleared, you must begin clearing upward and may be required to ascend backward.
Staircases vary in their construction and design.The key points to remember are to divide the visible danger areas and to handle them one at a time.
SIX
BUILDING SEARCHES:
EXTREME CLOSE
QUARTERS
Small rooms or dwellings discipline the mind; large ones weaken it.
All structures will present some extremely close-quarters situations that must be dealt with. These places are particularly dangerous because while negotiating them you are literally trapped in them. All of your immediate mobility is gone.
Windows are one of these often ignored tactical problems. Avoid window entries if you can. I've used window entries when stealth was important, but I also had several operators pointing their guns into the room from other windows to keep any hostiles away. Windows are convenient gunports for your adversary when you are outside, so do not walk in front of them. Windows are also fatal funnels when you are inside.
Because windows are not generally considered to be entry points or hiding places, they're often ignored during a search. This might be a life-altering mistake. An officer I know was conducting an interior search for a robbery suspect who'd surreptitiously exited the building and hidden himself just outside a window. When the officer crossed in front of the window, the suspect fired at him from outside. Surprise!
The same thing can easily occur in reverse, and you could take fire from a building through a window. While you can easily see out through a screened window, you cannot see in. This effect is accentuated when there are varying degrees of light and darkness inside and outside. The bottom line: be careful with windows.
