About Pugh Self-Protection & Combatives
Preparing Organizations. Protecting People. Building Resilience.
At Pugh Self-Protection & Combatives our mission is simple:
Enhancing personal safety through superior training, products, and services.
We believe that emergencies are not won or lost in the moment—they are won or lost in the preparation that takes place long before a crisis begins.
Every day, schools educate students, healthcare professionals care for patients, businesses serve customers, and houses of worship bring communities together. Each of these organizations faces unique safety challenges. Our purpose is to help them prepare for those challenges with practical planning, realistic training, and proven solutions that build confidence while improving survivability.
Founded by Zachary R. Pugh, President and Chief Instructor, Pugh Self-Protection & Combatives provides comprehensive Emergency Preparedness & Resiliency Services throughout the United States. We partner with schools, colleges and universities, healthcare organizations, businesses, government agencies, houses of worship, and community organizations to strengthen preparedness before an emergency occurs—not simply react after one begins.
Our philosophy is built around four simple principles:
Prepare. Prevent. Respond. Recover.
These principles guide every service we provide because true preparedness extends far beyond active shooter response. It encompasses planning, prevention, crisis leadership, emergency operations, recovery, and continual improvement.
Comprehensive Emergency Preparedness & Resiliency Services
Today's organizations require more than annual compliance training. They need a coordinated approach that integrates planning, technology, realistic training, and continuous evaluation.
Our services include:
- Active Shooter ResponseAbility™ Training (ASRT)
- Emergency Operations Plan (EOP/ERP) development and enhancement
- Emergency preparedness and resiliency consulting
- Fire emergency planning and tactical evacuation procedures
- Bomb threat planning and response
- Workplace violence prevention
- Threat assessment consultation
- Emergency drills and exercises
- After-action reviews and improvement planning
- Self-protection and defensive tactics training
- Firearms safety and proficiency instruction
- ELS911 emergency location labeling and first responder integration
- Safety assessments and security consulting
Whether your organization needs a comprehensive emergency preparedness program or assistance improving a single policy, we develop practical solutions tailored to your environment, operations, and risks.
What Makes Us Different
We Train for Reality
Emergencies are chaotic.
People experience stress, confusion, fear, and rapidly changing conditions.
That's why our training goes far beyond PowerPoint presentations and lecture-based instruction.
Participants actively practice critical decision-making, communication, movement, tactical problem solving, and physical response techniques using realistic scenarios that mirror the challenges encountered during actual emergencies.
Our goal isn't simply to transfer knowledge.
Our goal is to build performance.
Because under stress, people rarely rise to the occasion.
They default to their level of training.
We Focus on Decision-Making, Not Memorization
Every emergency is different.
No checklist can account for every variable.
Rather than teaching rigid, one-size-fits-all responses, we help participants develop the judgment necessary to make educated decisions based upon what they know, what they observe, and what they experience in real time.
We teach principles that adapt.
Not scripts that fail.
Evidence-Based Response Protocols
Our proprietary response systems—including Ch.A.D.™ (Charge & Attack while Distracting) and S.O.S.™ (Seek Safe Area, Remain Out-of-Sight, Within Reach, and Strategically Attack)—were developed through extensive analysis of human physiology, biomechanics, environmental realities, and lessons learned from violent critical incidents.
These protocols are designed to complement existing emergency procedures while providing practical options when traditional approaches alone may no longer be sufficient.
Our mission is not to replace established emergency procedures.
Our mission is to strengthen them.
Planning, Training & Technology
Effective emergency preparedness requires three essential components:
1. A well-developed plan.
2. People who know how to execute that plan.
3. Technology that provides responders with the information they need.
Technology without a plan creates confusion.
A plan without training creates hesitation.
Training without precise location information delays emergency response.
That is why we integrate emergency planning, Active Shooter ResponseAbility™ Training, and ELS911 emergency location technology into one comprehensive preparedness strategy.
When these three elements work together, organizations become significantly more resilient.
Industry-Specific Solutions
No two organizations face identical challenges.
Healthcare facilities must protect patients who cannot simply evacuate.
Schools must account for students of every age and ability.
Businesses must protect employees, customers, contractors, and visitors.
Houses of worship require solutions that preserve an open and welcoming environment while enhancing safety.
Rather than applying generic training across every industry, we tailor our programs to the realities of each client's environment.
Confidence Through Preparation
Our objective has never been to create fear.
It is to replace fear with confidence.
Prepared people think more clearly.
Trained people react more effectively.
Organizations that plan together recover faster.
Every participant should leave our training feeling more capable than when they arrived.
If they don't, we haven't accomplished our mission.
Beyond the Classroom
Safety does not end when training concludes.
Pugh Self-Protection & Combatives also operates a Retail Division & Federal Firearms License (FFL), providing compliant firearm transfers, safety equipment, and carefully selected products that support responsible ownership and personal protection.
This allows us to continue supporting our clients long after the classroom instruction has ended.
Why we say "Self-Protection"
People often ask why we use the term
Self-Protection instead of
Self-Defense.
The answer reflects our philosophy.
Defense is reactive.
Protection is proactive.
Defense begins after violence has already started.
Protection begins long before.
Protection means recognizing potential danger.
Preparing before a crisis.
Developing plans.
Practicing skills.
Preventing violence whenever possible.
Protecting yourself and others through decisive, educated action when necessary.
We believe people fight harder to protect something they value than they do simply to defend themselves.
That is why everything we teach is rooted in protection—not fear.
Not reaction.
Preparation.
Because surviving an emergency begins long before the emergency itself.
At Pugh Self-Protection & Combatives, we don't simply teach people how to respond.
We help individuals and organizations prepare, prevent, respond, and recover—so they are ready when it matters most.
Call today to see how we can meet your needs.
