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Safety Tip: Avoid Over-Blading During Traffic Stops
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April 13, 2005 07:58 AM • 
Scott Buhrmaster

During roadside stops, most officers blade themselves against the subject’s car so as not to get hit by oncoming traffic. Although staying out of reach of passing vehicles is obviously wise, blading to the point that you’re parallel to the car can short-circuit the effectiveness of your ballistic vest by giving the driver clear access to the opening between your front and back panels.

Should he shoot at you while you’re in your over-bladed stance, the odds of the round finding it’s way into that opening are pretty solid. Whenever possible, be sure that your front panel is positioned between you and the subject while remaining clear of traffic flow. Doing so may take some role-playing and practice but it’s time well spent!

Officer Safety
Scott Buhrmaster
Scott Buhrmaster
Scott Buhrmaster is the CEO of Calibre Press, one of the leading law enforcement training and information providers in the industry. Scott’s 30-year tenure began in 1989 when he originally signed on with Calibre where he was involved in the creation and marketing of the organization’s popular training courses and award-winning textbooks, videos and online publications.

In 1999, Scott launched The Buhrmaster Group, an organization focused on helping law enforcement training companies develop, market and expand their training efforts. Among his clients was Police1.com, which he signed on with full time as their vice president of training and editorial. During that period, Scott was named to the National Advisory Board of the Force Science Institute, at the time a newly developing organization which was also among his list of clients. Following a seven-year tenure at Police1, Scott signed on with Force Science full-time, initially serving as their vice president of operations and most recently serving as their COO.

Scott has been a long-time contributor to Police1 and has written extensively for other publications and Web sites in the law enforcement market. Additionally, he helped launch two of the most popular e-newsletters in the industry; the Street Survival Newsline and Force Science News. While at Police1, Scott served as the publisher of Police Marksman magazine and a contributing editor for Law Officer magazine.