A Beautiful Plan – Maintaining a Down Line with RFS

The expression "RFS" means "Run for the building!" and for good reason. sometimes the other option is a really, really bad idea. In this article, I will give you some tips on how to keep your down-line safe from harm, without putting themselves in danger. I will also cover how you might be able to protect your team as they build up their own RFS plan.

Make sure to follow these steps and keep your friends safe! 

1) Don't use shortcuts! The whole point of having an RFS plan is so that you can run away if something goes wrong quickly. You should always be watching how the operation is progressing and either find an alternate route or call for help. If you don't, then the chances of something going wrong are significantly higher. 

2) Know what you can handle! There will be times when things are going well and you think "this is a piece of cake, I can handle this." These situations almost never occur. If things go well, they go very well. If they go poorly, they go very poorly. These situations are usually your real test of your RFS plan. 

3) Be prepared! Practice good communication skills with each other and make sure that the people who will be chasing behind you know what to do if something happens to you. Make sure that they know if they are to continue with their jobs or come back to your aid. Make sure that you are prepared for any situation. 

4) Know the environment! If you will be doing anything in the open, it's going to be important that you can move quickly and silently. If your job is going to be something like a protest or demonstration, you need to make sure that you have an exit strategy planned out (and practiced). It also helps to have a few able bodied people around just in case someone needs a hand. And of course, don't forget communication! Knowing what is going on around you and being able to communicate it is critical in any situation.

5) Keep your eyes open! When you are in a "dangerous" situation, you will have more adrenaline going. This means that you will be seeing things that other people would not normally see. Be prepared to react quickly and make sure that you never go anywhere without your team.

6) Stay safe! Going back to the first point, once things are going well, then they are very likely to go very well. If the operation goes awry and something bad happens, it is critical that you understand how to escape before it gets too serious so that you can save yourself and your team mates. If something is going to happen, make sure that everyone knows when they need to be ready.

7) Keep moving! If you get stuck in a bad spot, your RFS plan has failed. When you are in a room where there are people that want to hurt you, the best way to get out alive is to keep moving! If someone wants to hurt you and they see that they can't do it easily, they will probably just leave. This also goes for situations where people are standing around chatting or casually working. These people will be easily intimidated and will not stand up for themselves when you make a run for it. 

8 ) Be polite! It only takes one person to alert the whole building of your situation and it's always better if that someone is your friend rather than an enemy. Try to be as polite and courteous as possible with people. It makes them more likely to listen to your commands and gives you a higher chance of success.

9) Training! Rehearsals are critical in any big operation, especially if you are doing something that is considered illegal or dangerous. Practice these types of moves to see what works and what doesn't. If there is a contingency for every situation so that you know how to respond if things go south (as they invariably will).

10) Have fun! If you are not having any fun with your job, then it is time for a change. Find something that will keep the excitement alive in your life and keep you going strong. Avoid the common traps of getting addicted to the adrenaline rush of working, or finding yourself in a regular job that isn't fun. Most RFS ideas are activated to allow you to have fun and enjoy life. If you are not having fun with your job, then make the necessary changes.

Alter your RFS plan when things go wrong!

"RFS" is a very flexible term. When it comes down to it, it just means run for the building! It really doesn't mean that you can't change anything when things go south. However, there are some changes that I recommend (some of which may also be illegal).

There is nothing wrong with taking a different route. You might not be able to get to your parked car, or maybe you have a better way. Of course, there will be times when you can't avoid the area where people are chasing you, but this is actually a good thing. If your favorite escape route has people going after you, then it will be easy for you to get away once they lose interest in following you.

If it gets really quiet and no one is coming after you any more, that doesn't mean that it won't pick up again (and probably with more people). I suggest making sure the escape routes are still available and waiting until someone starts chasing before escaping and heading to the building. If you get caught trying to escape, just remember to be polite and courteous with the people chasing you.

If you are going to change routes, do it before you are in a dangerous situation. If the situation gets bad enough that people start chasing you, being able to dodge and weave can be difficult. Sometimes when things get bad, it is easier to just run away and find a different way out of the area then it is to try and run around people who want to kill you.

When changing routes, be careful! When switching routes or making new ones all of a sudden, there is a good chance that someone will see what you are doing. It is important that there is a little surprise to your actions so that they don't know what you are planning. If they see you, they will probably start heading toward your original route and cutting off the new one.

Run through buildings! This may be illegal, but it is very effective. There are a lot of reasons to run through or around buildings!

First of all, if the area you are going through has no exits and buildings are blockades, it may be very difficult for people following you to see where you have gone.

Another great reason to run through buildings is if you can find yourself in a situation where the people chasing after you have a better view of the area then you do.

Conclusion

I know there are a lot of pieces to this article and that it is a long read, but I hope that you will find it useful. Another key piece is to make sure that you are always thinking about your RFS plan! One problem that I see with most people is the belief that their safe room is the only place where they can count on being saved if something goes bad. This is not true at all. When stuck, you should never assume that your hideout is the best place for it. Try to be open minded with your options and know what other places would work as a safe place.

The idea behind this article was to show ten different ways to escape if things go bad (and they usually do).