Counterterrorism expert in Knoxville working to secure schools
A Knoxville man who spent years tracking down terrorists at home and abroad is now tackling school security with his previous training.
A former counterterrorism agent has a new mission: securing schools.
Matt Estridge, of Knoxville, spent years tracking down terrorists at home and abroad.
Estridge is applying his top tier techniques to better protect students and faculty across the country.
Always pushing perfection.
For Matt Estridge, there’s no room for error whether he’s conditioning in the gym or teaching training tactics.
With a law enforcement mentality, he took an impressive career from federal task force in Knoxville to a counter terrorism agency in Washington, D.C.
“There’s Force Recon, Seals, Army Rangers, Matt Estridge said. “They were all my colleagues.”
Estridge worked side-by-side military elite to catch bad guys at home and abroad.
Forced to retire
Relentless conditioning, fighting, tactics and heavy gear, weakened his body.
He was forced to medically retire at the age of 36.
Not only does he enjoy more family time, Estridge can now use his elite crime fighting to know how to help with problems close to home.
“I have a kid right now at school, and their school is OK, but it’s not near the standard I would want it to be,” Estridge said.
Created a consulting business
School shootings are top of mind for this dad and former agent.
He’s created a consulting business combining his expertise, from firearms and tactical techniques to self-defense, to prepare students and faculty for active shooter situations.
“What does run look like? What does hide look like? What does fight look like,” said Estridge. “You have to have a plan and it has to be a good one. I want to use techniques from the field to help them have a fighting chance.”
How he does it
We went to a Knoxville campus to see his approach.
“All the exterior doors of a building should be locked,” Estridge demonstrated.
He enforces layers of security from outside in.
“You have a huge glass here,” Estridge pointed out looking at a classroom door. “If it’s reachable after they shoot it out, that’s going to be an issue.”
His active shooter countermeasures program includes school security assessments and custom emergency action plans.
”Each school is going to have a different footprint and different issues, positive and negative,” Estridge explained.
His protocols include one way entry and exit, alarm systems that immediately notify law enforcement, security cameras, strict guest policies, even clear backpacks.
The L.I.V.E. Principal
He takes it a step further teaching students and faculty strategy an acronym he calls the L.I.V.E. principal.
L is for lock: classroom doors should have two locking mechanisms.
”An arm bar is one,” said Estridge. “It’s just a bar that comes across and locks down.”
I is for instruct.
“Whoever is in the room and has authority would instruct them,” continued Estridge. “They should be drilling my techniques like fire drills.”
V is for vantage point.
“Every room has a vulnerability which is considered a vantage point,” Estridge said.
E is for engage.
“When your life is on the line, a closet is not good,” explained Estridge. “They’re going to come in and shoot through that if they get in here and rounds are going to go through it.”
He even teaches how to exit hallways and evacuate to safety.
What's Next
Traveling to Florida
Working with the national charity, Keeping Dreams Alive, he’s taking his expertise to Florida where the painful reality of a school shooting is still fresh.
“I’m going to Parkland High School in June to teach them these techniques,” Estridge said.
It’s one of dozens of schools he’s hoping to visit this year in a nationwide tour.
His new mission, securing schools, is perhaps his most important assignment ever.
“It’s definitely a concern because I know the dangers,” said Estridge. “And, I know my kid would have no chance without this."
His consulting firm, Fit Diesel, also offers shooter countermeasure programs for businesses and strength and conditioning for Law Enforcement and Military.
