Introduction to Mechanical Breaching

Mechanical breaching is a fundamental skill for law enforcement personnel tasked with making safe, efficient, and controlled entries during high-risk operations. Whether serving search and arrest warrants, responding to barricaded suspects, conducting emergency rescues, or addressing other exigent circumstances, officers must be capable of defeating a variety of locking mechanisms and door configurations while maintaining team safety and operational momentum.

This intensive two-day course provides a practical foundation in the principles, tactics, techniques, and procedures of mechanical breaching. Students receive a combination of classroom instruction and extensive hands-on training focused on breaching inward- and outward-opening doors using commonly deployed breaching tools, including the Halligan, Jersey Claw, breaching ram, bolt cutters, Quickie Saw, and large-diameter circular saw.

Instruction emphasizes breacher responsibilities, target assessment, tool selection, safety considerations, team communication, and integration with entry operations. Students will learn efficient breaching methods, proper tool employment, and techniques to reduce entry time while minimizing unnecessary damage and risk to officers and occupants.

This course is designed for patrol officers, SWAT personnel, tactical teams, fugitive apprehension units, narcotics investigators, task force officers, and other law enforcement professionals seeking to develop or strengthen their mechanical breaching capabilities. Upon completion, students will possess the knowledge and practical skills necessary to confidently support forced-entry operations and safely integrate as a breacher within a tactical team.

Agency Enrollment: Agency representatives enrolling one or more officers- please contact admin@optempotraining.com for an invoice. Names of individual officers and emails are required for certificates. 

Prerequisite: Law enforcement and Military only. *Enroll with your official email*    

Date: TBD
Location: TBD

Tuition: $650

Topics:

• Breacher roles and responsibilities
• Breaching safety and risk management
• Door and lock identification
• Target assessment and breaching point selection
• Halligan techniques
• Jersey Claw applications
• Breaching ram techniques
• Bolt cutter applications
• Quickie Saw operations
• Large-diameter circular saw operations
• Team communication and coordination
• Breach, threshold, and team integration
• Practical breaching exercises

Hardware/Equipment:

• Eye protection
• Gloves
• Long sleeve top (for practical application)
• Agency halligan (if available) 
• Note pad, pen, etc