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a complete system over simply rec- light and pairing it with a weapon is ommending a specific flashlight or added to the equation. “That’s not WeaponLight. acceptable,” says Kevin, “because “The systems approach is a pri- we’re making split-second decisions mary light, a WeaponLight, and a that are now taking us four or five backup light,” Kevin explains. He seconds because of the mechanics of equates a cop asking which flash- using the tools. That doesn’t work.” light he should use to asking which To help minimize the time bullet he should carry. “Well, you between deciding and acting, the should carry a .45— but, oh, do you pair developed the G3™ LED Holster want the gun, too? Just identifying needs to be in a position where you Kit, which features a SureFire G3 LED the one component, the flashlight, is can rapidly deploy it, it needs to be flashlight in a lightweight polymer useless. You want the system. That’s immediately re-holsterable, and it holster designed for rapid deploy- the right answer.” needs to be in a tactically, ergonom- ment of the light. Kevin claims that, Kevin and Luis began working ically correct place.” with the holster kit, they’re able to directly with Dr. Matthews in their Given that the primary light is draw their weapon and the G3, pair spare time (they’re both fulltime frequently paired with a pistol, ergo- the two, engage and identify a target cops for a major metropolitan police nomics play a particularly important (at five yards), and fire in under a department) to develop the Tactical role in choosing the right flashlight. second and a half— only a bit over Trinity. Their goal was simple: create It needs to be lightweight yet power- half a second longer than it typically a lighting system that would provide ful, compact but easily manipulated, takes them to do the same drill with- law enforcement professionals with and it has to have foolproof tactical out a flashlight. “We’ve cut the time an edge in an environment where switching, because, when seconds way, way down to the point that it’s over 85 percent of all officer-involved count, an officer doesn’t have time usable,” Kevin says with pride. shootings occur in low light. to fumble around for the switching The G3 LED Holster Kit was also “All we’re trying to do is give him on the barrel of his flashlight. designed to be a patrol light alterna- the edge, give him a little bit more Selecting the right holster to tive to much heavier, much bulkier information so that whatever deci- carry the light is equally important rechargeable flashlights. The flash- sion he does make, he’s making it because not only must it hold the light produces nearly six hours of with the most amount of reliable light securely in place so that an tactical-level light on a set of bat- SureFire’s Tactical Trinity is changing the way data he can get,” Kevin elaborates. officer doesn’t lose it in a pursuit or teries, and the holster holds three law enforcement thinks about lighting. And it’s about time, say the “That’s the system with the Tactical scuffle, it also must must be ergo- spare batteries in an integrated Trinity. You’ve got a good primary nomic enough to allow the officer to battery well, giving a patrol officer two veteran cops who helped SureFire develop this new systems approach. light, you’ve got a backup light, deploy the light quickly. enough battery power for over 18 because if the primary light fails, you According to Kevin and Luis, the hours of light in the field—far more lose it, whatever, you need to have amount of time it takes to draw a than a rechargeable. As for the argu- the backup, and then a WeaponLight. weapon, engage a target, and fire ment that rechargeables tend to “ONE IS NONE, TWO IS ONE— BUT THREE IS KEY,” —failure’s simply not an option. Which is why SureFire, Those are the three components.” typically goes up by as much as a save users money in battery costs, reads the header in SureFire’s well-designed new Law with the help of two seasoned cops with over 36 years of factor of four when drawing a flash- Kevin argues that’s not necessarily Enforcement Tactical Trinity guide. The line alludes to law enforcement experience between them, developed A Powerful Primary the fact that, in the high-stress, unpredictable world of a systems approach to law enforcement lighting known A quality primary light that gener- law enforcement, where things can go from bad to worse as the Tactical Trinity, or T3, for short. ates tactical-level lighting (enough to in the blink of an eye, if you’ve only got one illumination “It’s a combat system for lighting,” says Kevin Skehan, temporarily overwhelm a suspect’s tool on you, the situation can very quickly deteriorate who along with partner Luis Araujo, helped develop the night-adapted vision) is, according into having no source of illumination. T3 system. “The key being a systems approach.” to these two experts, second only to What happens if the light gets lost during a chase or “A system to combat the darkness,” adds the soft- a pistol in order of importance on a scuffle? What if it gets dropped and breaks? (If this hap- spoken Luis, who seems content to let his partner do patrol officer’s duty belt. pens, clearly it was not a SureFire.) What happens if your most of the talking. “You have to have a good primary batteries suddenly go dead, which can and does happen The duo’s inspiration stemmed from a lack of a sys- light— that’s first and foremost,” to even the best flashlights? tematic approach to lighting that satisfied the needs Kevin insists. “And the primary light To quote an overused but still pertinent phrase: of law enforcement. Both fans (and users) of SureFire has to be immediately accessible, it Those who fail to prepare, prepare to fail. And in the products, they pitched Dr. John Matthews, SureFire’s high-stakes world of law enforcement, where “failure” CEO and founder, on the idea of an approach to light- A good backup light needs to be small can mean the loss of innocent life— including your own ing for law enforcement professionals that emphasized enough for everyday carry yet ergonom- ic enough to be used with a handgun in By Sean P. Egen H Photos by John Doukas various techniques, including the neck index method shown here. 60 www.SureFire.com Combat Tactics n Summer 2009 61 the case anymore. “Agencies are starting to realize that the rechargeable thing is a bad idea,” he explains. “Because you get a year out of a rechargeable stick, and then it costs you a hundred dol- lars to get a new rechargeable stick. With the 123s, we’ve found you can go a whole year on an average patrol shift for less than that. And, if your rechargeable dies in the field, you don’t have any light. If your 123-pow- ered light dies in the field, change the batteries. In fact, the new holster has the batteries built right in.” A quick-deploy holster kit with a SureFire Z2 LED flashlight is also available for officers who prefer a more compact light with a Combat- Grip™, a tapered body with a rubber grip ring that allows the light to be easily operated “syringe style” when paired with a handgun. For officers who already have a favorite primary light, the speed holster can also be purchased separately—it accom- modates any SureFire flashlight with The SureFire Z2 LED Holster Kit possesses all of the qualities an officer should look a 1.25-inch-diameter bezel. Full-Page Ad for in a primary light and holster—and it’s a great alternative to a heavier, more Luis is particularly excited about ® cumbersome rechargeable. Below, the adjustable, ergonomic angle of the G3 LED SureFire’s new AZ2 CombatLight , Holster Kit allows an officer to deploy and pair the light with a handgun quicker, which he and Kevin helped develop. saving valuable time in high-stress tactical situations. It features a bright primary LED sur- 62 www.SureFire.com Combat Tactics n Summer 2009 63 the job, is on his or her person at all for in a backup flashlight? “You’re A CombatGrip, like the one times. “Once you leave the car, what going to pick something smaller and An ergonomic, well-designed primary or found on the SureFire Z2 LED, you’ve got on you is what you’ve concealable but can still do the job,” backup light can be used with a handgun allows the flashlight to be got on you,” Luis says emphatically. says Luis. By doing the job, he means in multiple methods, including the easily paired with a handgun “You’re not going back to the car.” capable of doing the same things modified FBI technique shown here. and operated syringe style. Which is precisely why the sec- your primary light can, specifically, ond part of the Tactical Trinity— produce tactical-level lighting and the backup light— is of utmost be paired with a handgun. importance. And when it comes to being pow- erful, concealable, and incredibly A Beneficial Backup versatile in the field for both plain- “Having one flashlight is like hav- clothes and uniformed officers, the ing one gun,” argues Kevin Skehan.

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