The Debrief with Jon Becker (Jon Becker)
Explore every episode of The Debrief with Jon Becker
| Pub. Date | Title | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 22 Jun 2022 | Leaders & Legends - Lee McMillion - Inside LAPD D-Platoon (SWAT) | 01:07:08 | |
Episode Description – In this episode, we take a deep dive into LAPD D-Platoon (aka SWAT) with Lee McMillion, one of the two Lieutenants who currently lead the unit. We discuss the history of SWAT, the current configuration of the team, the specialized cadres within the team, and what happens when the team is activated. We also discuss how they select the right personnel, leading a team of high achievers, maintaining high standards, and trying to support personnel who are constantly engaged in dangerous and potentially traumatic events. Today’s Guest - Lt. Lee McMillion. Lee is currently one of the two Lieutenants leading the Los Angeles Police Departments Metropolitan Division D-Platoon - also known as LAPD SWAT. In total, Lee has spent 33 years as a Los Angeles Policeman of which 23 years have been spent at Metro, 21 with D-Platoon. Lee is one of only three men to have ever served at all possible ranks at D-Platoon (Officer, Plus 1, Sgt, and Lt.). Lee has been an element member, an element leader, a squad leader and is currently a Platoon Leader. In his career, Lee has participated in well over a thousand tactical operations with a wide variety of mission sets. Topics Discussed 01:10 - Lee’s Career History 03:20 – History of LAPD D-Platoon (SWAT) 06:30 – Black Panther and SLA Incidents 08:00 – Origins of the name “SWAT” 10:30 – 1984 LA Olympics and effect on D-Platoon 14:15 – Current Configuration & Responsibilities of D-Platoon 16:30 – Capabilities of the team & the cadre system 19:59 – TEMS & Tactical Medics 22:45 – Demographics of the Average D-Platoon Operators 26:00 – Criteria and Process for Activating SWAT 29:30 – Crisis Negotiation System – Every Operator is a Negotiator 32:00 – Misconceptions about SWAT – Statistics for SWAT 37:00 – “Militarization” of Law Enforcement 40:45 – Choosing the Right People – Personnel Selection 46:00 – Maintaining High Standards with Strong Personalities 49:00 – Building and Maintaining the Right Culture 52:25 – Effects of Social Media on Different Personality Types 55:25 – The Tension Between Social Media and Professionalism 58:00 – Rapid Fire Questions 1:02:00 - Most Profound Career Memory
Books Referenced The Culture Code: The Secrets of Highly Successful Groups by Daniel Coyle – ASIN B00AN2KTKQ Legacy: What the All Blacks Can Teach Us About the Business of Life by James Kerr - ISBN 9780804176989
Contact Info https://www.lapdonline.org/office-of-the-chief-of-police/office-of-special-operations/metropolitan-division/swat/ LAPD SWAT Instagram - @lapd.swat
Check out our website at thedebrief.live | |||
| 08 Jun 2022 | Leaders & Legends - Sid Heal - Part 1 of 2 - The History of LASD - SEB | 01:20:22 | |
Episode Description – This is the first of a broad reaching two-part interview with Sid. In this first episode, we discuss Sid’s career history, the evolution of special tactics, the history of LASD SEB, the origins of SWAT, and his research on flashbangs and development of the NTOA Instructors Manual. We also discuss the origins of non-lethal weapons, police reform and defunding, and the origins of his study and writings on tactical science. This episode of The Debrief is in honor of Sid Heal who passed away on May 24th, 2022, shortly before this episode aired. We remember Sid as a force in the special tactics community, as a war veteran, as a celebrated author, and as a commander of the LA Sheriff’s Department. A site has been created in honor of Sid that you can visit at www.sidheal.com Guest – Charles “Sid” Heal. Sid is a legend in the special tactics’ community and a key figure in the history and evolution of special tactics in the United States. Sid is a retired CWO5 in the United States Marine Corps serving numerous combat deployments including the Vietnam War, The Gulf War, and Operation United Shield in Somalia. Sid is also a retired Commander from the LA County Sheriff’s Department, has worked in the Special Enforcement Bureau, the Emergency Operations Bureau, and a wide variety of other assignments. Sid is one of the most prolific authors on tactical topics having authored several books and hundreds of articles. Sid has taught at the US Army War College and is the former president of the California Association of Tactical Officers. Topics Discussed 3:18 Sid's career history (USMC, Sheriff's Department, etc.) 13:03 Evolution of special tactics in the United States 17:30 Formation of the NTOA 19:48 Influence of technology/changing tactics on hostage rescue 22:03 Military tactics vs burgeoning special tactics 26:18 Origins of SWAT 32:08 Origin of Sid formally studying strategy and tactics 33:58 Beginning of flash bang research/original NTOA flash bang manual 45:18 Milestones after the flash bang manual (Somalia, Kenya, etc.) 1:07:38 Shifts in thinking on the U.S. Military using non-lethal weapons (Afghanistan, Balkans, etc.) 1:10:18 Shifts in military thinking on non-lethal force 1:15:28 Defunding the police vs reforming the police 1:18:18 Integrating theory and practice and the origins of tactical science Books Referenced Sound Doctrine by Charles “Sid” Heal - ISBN 9781930051119 Field Command by Charles "Sid" Heal – ISBN 9781590563441 Please find Sid’s recommended reading list at thedebrief.live/the-list Other Places to See and Hear Sid CATO Podcast – www.catonews.org For more information, check out our website at thedebrief.live | |||
| 24 May 2022 | The Debrief with Jon Becker - Trailer | 00:01:03 | |
The Debrief with Jon Becker launches June 8th. Please enjoy this trailer. Jon Becker founded AARDVARK at just seventeen years old. The company started out as a climbing equipment business, often selling gear to SWAT teams and operators. After attending law school and working in police litigation, Becker realized that the best way he could serve tactical operators was by producing and providing high quality gear and products that would enhance operator safety on the job. After AARDVARK’s expansion and success, Becker founded PROJECT7, a provider of purpose-built, scalable, and configurable tactical platforms. Throughout this decades-long journey, Becker has learned invaluable lessons about the lives and work of law enforcement and tactical operators, leading him to a deep understanding of the principles and core values behind highly effective teams. After keynoting for many years on the leadership of elite units and what he terms “culture-centric” leadership, Becker is putting those lessons into The Debrief, a non-profit podcast that serves the wider public. | |||
| 08 Jun 2022 | Leaders & Legends - Sid Heal - Part 2 of 2 - Understanding Tactical Science | 00:54:50 | |
Episode Description – This is the second of a broad reaching two-part interview with Sid. In this second episode, we discuss the origins of his study and writings on tactical science and take a deeper dive into several concepts in tactical science like initiative and maneuver in time and space. We also dig into Sid’s views on leadership and take an emotional reflection on his responsibilities to those he led. This episode of The Debrief is in honor of Sid Heal who passed away on May 24th, 2022, shortly before this episode aired. We remember Sid as a force in the special tactics community, as a war veteran, as a celebrated author, and as a commander of the LA Sheriff’s Department. A site has been created in honor of Sid that you can visit at www.sidheal.com
Guest – Charles “Sid” Heal. Sid is a legend in the special tactics’ community and a key figure in the history and evolution of special tactics in the United States. Sid is a retired CWO5 in the United States Marine Corps serving numerous combat deployments including the Vietnam War, The Gulf War, and Operation United Shield in Somalia. Sid is also a retired Commander from the LA County Sheriff’s Department, has worked in the Special Enforcement Bureau, the Emergency Operations Bureau, and a wide variety of other assignments. Sid is one of the most prolific authors on tactical topics having authored several books and hundreds of articles. Sid has taught at the US Army War College and is the former president of the California Association of Tactical Officers.
Topics Discussed 3:18 Short background on Sound Doctrine 6:23 Public perception of police use of violence vs reality 13:08 Origin of Sid’s writing career: combining doctrines of law enforcement and military 19:38 Key concepts in Sid’s books (end state, training vs education, maneuvering in time, etc.) 36:48 Writing tactical books that are widely accessible through simplifying concepts 39:18 The importance of tactical science (understanding the rationale behind decisions, etc.) 43:53 Sid’s recommended reading list (from Officer to Lieutenant) 48:42 Rapid-fire questions (most important habit, leader vs manager, most important trait for teams/leaders, if he could have dinner with anybody, who it would be, etc.)
Links and Books Referenced Sound Doctrine by Charles “Sid” Heal - ISBN 9781930051119 Field Command by Charles "Sid" Heal – ISBN 9781590563441 Please find Sid’s recommended reading list at thedebrief.live/the-list
Other Places to See and Hear Sid CATO Podcast – www.catonews.org https://catopodcast.podbean.com/e/concepts-of-non-lethal-force-with-sid-heal/ https://catopodcast.podbean.com/e/concepts-of-non-lethal-force-with-sid-heal-part-2-of-2/
For more information, check out our website at thedebrief.live
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| 06 Jul 2022 | Leaders & Legends - Brent Stratton and Marcus Sprague – The California Association of Tactical Officers and The Doctrine of Tactical Science | 01:15:40 | |
Description My guests today are the hosts of the very successful California Association of Tactical Officers (CATO) Podcast, Brent Stratton, and Marcus Sprague. Brent is the Assistant Chief at a Southern California Police Department and the President of the California Tactical Officers Association (CATO). Marcus is a recently retired Lieutenant at a Northern California PD and the Vice President of CATO. Both Brent and Marcus are graduates of the CARO Strategic Leadership Program. Timestamps 1:05 - Marcus's background (CATO and SWAT) 2:55 - Brent's background (CATO and SWAT) 6:52 - The Evolution of CATO 10:00 - Role of CATO and regional associations 12:45 - Hot topics in California 15:00 - CATO's role in helping defining mission-readiness 17:30 - The importance of identifying areas for improvement 19:30 – The need for debriefs and lessons learned 24:10 – Understanding the why in training 30:45 – CATO Decision Making Exercises 36:55 - Anecdotal evidence vs hard data in law enforcement 41:00 - Transparency and the gap in the story about law enforcement 51:10 - Origin of CATO Podcast 1:00:50 - The Future of CATO 1:09:04 - How to contact CATO (and the power of the community) 1:13:04 - How to join or become involved with CATO Books Recommended Field Command by Sid Heal Sound Doctrine: A Tactical Primer by Sid Heal Contact Info CATO Website - catonews.org CATO Podcast on Apple Podcasts Marcus Sprague – vp@catonews.org Brent Stratton - president@catonews.org | |||
| 20 Jul 2022 | Training and Tech - Ed Hinchey – Body Armor and Surviving and Recovering After Being Shot | 01:40:13 | |
Episode Description - My guest today is Ed Hinchey, a retired Sgt. with the Forest Hills Pennsylvania Police Department. Ed is the survivor of a violent police shooting who was saved by his soft body armor. After retirement Ed became the Director of the Safariland Saves Program. In his capacity as Saves Director, Ed’s job is working with officers who have been shot in the line of duty and saved by their armor. As a result, Ed has likely interacted with more officers shot in the line of duty than anyone in the world. In this interview, Ed discusses witnessing his partner being shot, the first failure of soft body armor by a round it was designed to stop, surviving his own shooting, the aftermath of a shooting, the effects on the officer and their family, as well as the NIJ armor standards past and present. Ed also discusses how to best prepare officers for shootings and how to help them after a shooting occurs.
Timestamps 1:30 – Ed’s Background 2:06 – 6/23/03 - The Edward Limbacher Shooting 4:55 – The NIJ Armor Standards and How They Have Changed 7:05 – Armor Failure – The Zylon Recall and The Old NIJ Standards 11:00 – Frustrations with the Armor Industry 13:23 – The Chronology of Ed’s Shooting 20:50 – His Injuries 26:30 – Arrival at the Hospital & Initial Treatment 33:00 – Surgery & Recovery 38:10 – Effects on the Family 45:30 – Community Reaction & News Media 51:14 – Retirement from Law Enforcement 57:04 – Starting His Second Career with Safariland 1:02:10 – Keys to Surviving a Shooting 1:07:15 – Going Beyond the Academy 1:20:45 - Why Armor Saves Lives 1:25:39 – Behind the Armor – Training Armor 1:30:17 – Mindset and Survival 1:33:14 - Social Media and Survivors
Books Recommended Meditations by Marcus Aurelius – ISBN 048629823X The Man in the Arena: Selected Writings by Theodore Roosevelt - ISBN13: 9780765306715 Theodore Roosevelt on Leadership: Executive Lessons from the Bully Pulpit by James Strock – ISBN 0761515399
Sites Recommended NIJ Armor Standards - https://nij.ojp.gov/topics/articles/body-armor-performance-standards Safariland Saves - https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLIM58xG6QM4flerbP6IU9qgXf7VJ5ZgJ7
Contact Info Ed Hinchey Save #941 Safariland Saves Program ed.hinchey@safariland.com | |||
| 03 Aug 2022 | Leaders & Legends - Mike Hillman - Part 1 of 2 - The History of SWAT | 01:00:24 | |
Description My Guest Today is Mike Hillman. Mike is a legend in the tactical community with a list of career accomplishments that would take an entire podcast of their own. But as a brief bio he was one of the original founders of LAPD SWAT, a Deputy Chief at LAPD, the Assistant Sheriff in Orange County California and a Chief of Police for the Los Angeles Port Police. He was one of the founders of the National Tactical Officers Association, headed security for the Los Angeles Dodgers, and is a nationally recognized expert on leadership, crisis management, critical incident management, special operations and a wide variety of other subjects. Timestamps 1:45 – Mike’s Background 4:05 – The beginnings of LAPD D Platoon (SWAT) 5:35 – Defining Events – International Terrorism, Homegrown Terrorist, & the 1970s 11:12 – The Origins of Crisis Negotiation & LAPDs Approach 17:19 – Development of Hostage Negotiation Tactics 22:20 – 1984 Summer Olympics & Development of SWAT 31:02 – The Evolution of Flashbangs 33:54 – Developing Bus Assaults Tactics 37:22 – Intelligence Gathering, Pre-scouting, and DARPA Surrogate Travel 40:45 – Hanafi Muslim Incident Effect on Tactics (Fast Roping & Aerial Platform) 43:19 – Founding of the National Tactical Officers Association (NTOA) 45:14 – The Rock House Epidemic in LA & Origins of Armored Vehicles 47:30 – Law Enforcement & the Military (Demilitarization?) 51:22 – The 1980s and the NTOA 55:10 – Being a Student of the Game – The Need for Research & Study 58:12 – What Makes a Good SWAT Operator
Books Recommended Left of Bang: How the Marine Corps' Combat Hunter Program Can Save Your Life by Patrick Van Horne, Jason Riley, Shawn Coyne - ISBN 1936891301
Contact Info Mike Hillmann Mrhntoa@aol.com | |||
| 17 Aug 2022 | Leaders & Legends - Mike Hillman - Part 2 of 2 - The History of SWAT | 01:06:24 | |
Description My Guest Today is Mike Hillman. Mike is a legend in the tactical community with a list of career accomplishments that would take an entire podcast of their own. But as a brief bio he was one of the original founders of LAPD SWAT, a Deputy Chief at LAPD, the Assistant Sheriff in Orange County California and a Chief of Police for the Los Angeles Port Police. He was one of the founders of the National Tactical Officers Association, headed security for the Los Angeles Dodgers, and is a nationally recognized expert on leadership, crisis management, critical incident management, special operations and a wide variety of other subjects. Timestamps 2:09 – Objectives of an Effective Leader 4:05 – The Need for Introspection 6:38 – Having a Core Guiding Principle 8:05 – The Roots of Decisiveness 10:00 – Selfless Approaches to Leadership 11:40 – Leadership in Crisis 15:01 – The Willingness to Change Your Mind 18:04 – Characteristics of Good Leaders 19:30 – Humility and Change Leadership 22:13 – Making Cultural Changes 26:11 – Leading in The Modern Environment 28:15 – Selection Process and Picking the Right People 31:45 – Policing in the Current Social Environment 34:30 – The Constitution v. Our Safety 37:15 – Differentiating Between the Need For Training And Discipline 40:30 – Actions, Intent and The Media 43:30 – Social Media And Law Enforcement 46:38 – Militarization of Law Enforcement 51:19 – Proactivity: Intervening Early or Creating a Problem 52:30 – Bad Tactics or Bad Technology 54:45 – Defining SWAT and Their Mission Set 58:03 – How Do Small Agencies Avoid Issues with Their SWAT Team 1:01:00 – Requirements v. Equipment Understanding Your Needs 1:04:45 – Rapid Fire Questions Books Recommended Left of Bang: How the Marine Corps' Combat Hunter Program Can Save Your Life by Patrick Van Horne, Jason Riley, Shawn Coyne - ISBN 1936891301 Contact Info Mike Hillman mrhntoa@aol.com | |||
| 31 Aug 2022 | Training and Tech - Toby Darby & Josh Wofford – Using Tactical Decision-Making Exercises to Improve Leadership | 01:06:25 | |
Description My Guests Today are the creators of the California Association of Tactical Officers (CATO) Decision Making Exercise Program (DME), Capt. Toby Darby and Lt. Josh Wofford. Toby is a 27-year veteran of law enforcement with 20 years spent in tactical units. Toby is a Board Member for the California Association of Tactical Officers and one of the facilitators of the CATO Strategic Leadership Program (SLP). Lt. Josh Wofford is an 18-year veteran of law enforcement and current SWAT team leader. Josh has a Doctorate in Education from Vanderbilt University and is a Black Belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Timestamps 1:02 – Their Backgrounds 2:35 – Origin Stories for the CATO Decision Making Exercises (DME) 5:45 – Anatomy of a DME - How DME’s work 8:25 – Group Structure for DMEs 12:15 – The Science Behind DMEs 15:05 – Using DMEs to Share and Retain Corporate/Agency Knowledge 18:35 – Situational Learning Theory 21:45 – Group Composition 23:55 – Challenging Confirmation Bias in Decision Making 26:30 – Using DMEs to Broaden Perspective 32:10 – Understanding “The Why” in Decision Making 35:30 – Commander’s Intent and Leadership Thinking 37:10 – Facilitating a DME – Choosing an Event 41:06 – Using DME to Stress Test Your Team 44:10 – Facilitating a DME - Roles and Responsibilities 48:44 – How DMEs Affect Culture 51:49 – Building Trust Through DMEs 55:16 – The Need for Critical Thinking in Organizational Leadership 59:50 – Using Close Calls and Body Worn Camera Footage to Create Proactive DMEs
Books Recommended Swans, Swine, and Swindlers: Coping with the Growing Threat of Mega-Crises and Mega-Messes, Can M Alpaslan and Ian I. Mitroff – ISBN: 9780804771375 The Bass Handbook of Leadership: Theory, Research & Managerial Applications, Bernard M. Bass – ISBN: 7770957532 Thinking Collaboratively: Learning in a Community of Inquiry, D. Randy Garrison – ISBN: 9781138824317 The Checklist Manifesto: How To Get Things Right, Atul Gawande – ISBN: 9780805091748 The Laws of Human Nature, Robert Greene – ISBN: 9780525428145 Thinking Fast and Slow, Daniel Kahneman – ISBN: 9780374275631 Legacy: 15 Lessons in Leadership, James Kerr – ISBN: 9781472103536 The 80/20 Principle: The Secret to Achieving More With Less, Richard Koch – ISBN: 9780385491747 Situated Learning: Legitimate Peripheral Participation, Jean Lave and Etienne Wenger – ISBN: 9780521423748 Adult Learning: Linking Theory and Practice, Sharan B. Merriam and Laura L. Bierema – ISBN: 9781118416310 Six Simple Rules: How To Manage Complexity Without Getting Complicated, Yves Morieux and Peter Tollman – ISBN: 9781422190555 An Introduction to Theories of Learning, Matthew H. Olson and B.R. Hergenhahn – ISBN: 9780131147225 Leadership BS: Fixing Workplaces and Careers One Truth At A Time, Jeffrey Pfeffer – ISBN: 9780062383167 Managing the Unexpected: Sustained Performance In A Complex World, Karl E. Weick and Kathleen M. Sutcliffe – ISBN: 9780787996499
Contact Info Capt. Toby Darby Lt. Josh Wofford | |||
| 14 Sep 2022 | Leaders & Legends – John Perez – Securing the Rose Parade/Bowl & Authentic Leadership | 01:21:57 | |
Description My guest today is Chief John Perez. John recently retired as the Chief of Police for the Pasadena California Police Department. In his nearly 37 years of service to Pasadena, John served at literally all ranks in the department. During his career, John worked patrol, narcotics, counter-terrorism, and as a SWAT sergeant, lieutenant, and commander, John helped to form the first generation of Pasadena’s tactical team which had the challenge of deploying as a full-time gang enforcement team and a SWAT team for many years. John was twice awarded the Chief’s medal of excellence and received several commendations for his service over the years. Timestamps 1:00 – His childhood and upbringing 2:35 – How the murder of his 14-year-old cousin drove his desire to be a policeman 4:41 – The beginning of his career and training 6:20 – The crimewaves of the 80s and 90s and police response 10:00 - How the Rampart scandal and war on drugs negatively impacted policing 13:12 – The origins of Pasadena PD SES (SWAT) 15:07 – 9/11 and the profound effects it had on Pasadena PD 19:20 – Securing the Rose Parade and Rose Bowl 22:45 – The impact of 9/11 on the Rose Parade and Rose Bowl 25:55 – Returning to SES as the unit Lieutenant 29:50 – Promoting out of SES to Commander 34:00 – Synthesizing being a “meat eater” with the politics of command 37:15 – How education changes your understanding and beliefs 39:15 – How losing teaches you more than winning 41:35 – Authentic leadership 45:30 – Responding to Occupy Pasadena 54:35 – Leading from your principles in a conflicted environment 1:02:00 – Balancing the tension between lawful protest & protecting the city 1:04:15 – The need to be a student of the profession 1:06:05 – Self-examination and learning from your critics 1:09:35 – How a near-death experience reshaped his views 1:18:00 – Rapid Fire Questions Books Recommended 12 Rules for Life: An Antidote for Chaos – Jordan Peterson – ISBN 0345816021 Contact Info Chief John Perez (Ret) | |||
| 28 Sep 2022 | Training and Tech - Dana Vilander - Tactical Medics & Rope Work in Modern Law Enforcement | 00:56:10 | |
Description My guest today is Dana Vilander. Dana spent 32 years with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department with 26 of those years spent with the elite Special Enforcement Bureau (SEB). In his time at SEB, Dana worked as a K-9, a SWAT operator, and spent 18 years as a tactical paramedic, diver, crew chief, and hoist operator with the Emergency Services Detail. Because of his extensive and unique experience, Dana has taught TEMS/TCCC/tactical medicine, vertical access, ropes, and rural operations to elite tactical units all over the world. Timestamps 1:31 – Dana’s Career Path 5:25 – LASD SEB - Emergency Services Detail 10:35 – The History of TEMS/TCCC 13:20 – The Military Research That Gave Rise to TCCC 18:12 – The Origins of Tourniquet Use 22:01 – Law Enforcement’s Beginnings with TCCC 24:20 – How to Build and Maintain a TCCC Capability 29:00 – IFAK Configuration 32:06 – Controlling Massive Hemorrhaging 37:34 – Team Based Medical Supplies & Mass Casualty Bags 41:00 – Making TCCC Training Realistic 44:35 – The Beginnings of Tactical Ropes Work 47:50 – Using Cadres to Maintain Domains of Knowledge 49:05 – Why Teams Need a Tactical Ropes Program 52:00 – Dana’s Gear Recommendations for Teams Books Recommended Leadership and Training for the Fight – Paul R Howe – ISBN 978-1420889505 About Face: The Odyssey of an American Warrior - Colonel David H. Hackworth and Julie Sherman – ISBN 978-0671695347 Ranger Dawn: The American Ranger from the Colonial Era to the Mexican War – Robert W. Black – ISBN 9780811736008 Contact Info Dana Vilander - dana@vtctraining.com 562-896-6884 | |||
| 12 Oct 2022 | Training and Tech - Kris Allshouse - The Use of Drones in Law Enforcement | 00:36:40 | |
Description My guest today is Kris Allshouse. Kris is the Executive Director of The Regional Training Center (formerly LA County Regional Training Center), a nonprofit organization that provides advanced training to Federal, State and Local Law Enforcement and other first responders as well as military units and international agencies. Kris is a former tactical operator for a large Southern California agency with extensive operational experience. Under his guidance, RTC/LACRTC has emerged as one of the top thought leaders and training providers for tactical use of Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (sUAS) in the world. Timestamps 1:00 - His Career Path 2:50 – The Evolution of sUAS for law enforcement 4:30 – Categories and types of sUAS and their missions 7:25 – Tactical Use of sUAS & Deescalation 11:15 – Crowd and Riot Control 13:00 – Drones and Robots and the new non-dynamic entry approach 16:34 – Regulatory challenges to sUAS 22:00 – Privacy rights, the Constitution and sUAS 26:15 – The 4th Amendment Consequences of sUAS 27:03 – Weaponizing drones 29:30 – The terrorism threat posed by sUAS 32:30 –Concerns that we are building a dystopian future with sUAS
Books Recommended Sound Doctrine – Charles Sid Heal – ISBN 9781930051119 Seven Habits of Highly Effective People - Stephen Covey - 9780671708634
Contact Info Kris Allshouse kallshouse@thertc.org 17595 Mt Herrmann St. Fountain Valley, CA 92708 Main Office: (888) 782-4969 Direct: (760) 990-1441 Cell: (816) 721-8440 | |||
| 26 Oct 2022 | Critical Incident Review - Buddy Brown - 1/16/18 - York County, SC | 01:22:00 | |
Description My guest today Is Buddy Brown. Buddy works for the York County Sherriff’s Office in South Carolina. Buddy has worked patrol, narcotics and training and spent more than 18 years on the York County regional SWAT team. On January 16, 2018, York County responded to a domestic violence call that led a suspect on the run in the woods behind a residential area. By the time the night was over Det. Mike Doty would be murdered by the suspect and three other members of the agency would be shot and seriously wounded, including Buddy. In this Critical Incident Review Buddy will take us through the timeline and events of the night as well as discuss their lessons learned and his recovery from catastrophic injuries.
2:20 - His history and career path 3:20 – Configuration of York County Sheriff’s Office Agency and the SWAT team 5:10 – Initial call for service and search for suspect 9:00 – Ambush of dog team and Shooting of K9 Sgt. Randy Clinton 15:40 – Initial SWAT response and search 24:15 – Response to 1475 Paraham Road 30:45 – Ambush of team by suspects and shooting of three team members 35:20 – Shooting stops and suspect surrenders 39:10 – Initial medical response for injured operators 45:40 – Buddy’s Injuries 47:30 – Arrest of suspect 56:30 – Initial effects on the families 58:50 – Arrival at the hospital & treatment 1:03:00 – Buddy’s recovery 1:05:45 – Personal lessons learned 1:08:00 – Team lessons learned 1:18:50 – Aftermath and healing from the trauma of the event
Important Links York County SO Documentary – The Many Heroes: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLK7N8kvFjVfs8fzsyDgmTg6ZtbN2UpXPG
Contact Info: Phone 803-230-2106 Email Buddy.brown@yorkcountygov.com
Dave Grossman - On Killing – ISBN 978-0316040938 Dave Grossman - On Combat – ISBN 978-0964920545 Paul Howe - Leadership and Training for the Fight – ISBN 978-1420889505 Jocko Willink - Discipline Equals Freedom – ISBN 978-1250156945 | |||
| 01 Feb 2023 | Leaders & Legends - Inspector Kevin Cyr - RCMP ERT | 01:16:46 | |
Description Kevin Cyr is an Inspector with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and is the current commander of the RCMP Emergency Response Team in British Columbia, which is the second largest tactical unit in Canada. Kevin has been with the RCMP for 22 years and has been with the team for 7 years. He has a master’s in law from Osgoode Hall Law School and is published internationally in law and criminology journals. He also teaches incident command at the Canadian Police College.
Timestamps 1:00 - His personal history and career path 2:25 – Structure and functioning of the RCMP 5:45 – Advantages and disadvantages of the Canadian policing model 7:30 – Origins of RCMP SERT and ERT teams 13:00 – The role of modern tactical teams 14:30 – 2010 Olympics and ERTs transition to full-time teams 17:15 – Current ERT team configuration 21:00 – Decision-making and the trap of risk mitigation 27:00 – Understanding the difference between cheap and expensive and effective and efficient in preparation 33:15 – Weighing when to spend money vs. improving skills – understanding requirements 38:00 – Tactical decision-making & analysis paralysis 42:00 – Militarization of law enforcement 45:45 – How overly aggressive law and policy can lead to tactical indecisiveness 50:15 – How the standards we hold police to are unreasonable 55:00 – How the origin stories for SWAT are complicating modern tactical response 57:00 – Delegation of authority and decision making 1:01:00 – Who should make tactical decisions? 1:03:00 – How we should be training our future tactical leaders 1:09:45 – Rapid fire questions
Contact Info: Kevin Cyr - https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevin-cyr-ll-m-b78206133 Books Recommended: Extreme Ownership - Jocko Willink and Leif Babin – ISBN# 250067057 | |||
| 01 Mar 2023 | Critical Incident Review - Inside the Bataclan Hostage Rescue with a BRI Operator | 01:34:35 | |
Description | |||
| 22 Mar 2023 | Leaders & Legends - Chief Phil Hansen – The Evolution and Leadership of Modern Tactical Teams | 01:39:52 | |
My guest today is a legend in the US tactical community Chief Phil Hansen. Phil recently retired after serving as the Chief of Police for the Santa Maria California Police Department. But prior to Santa Maria Phil retired as a Captain from the Los Angeles Country Sherriff’s Department where he served for 36 years. During his tenure at LASD he spent more than 24 years in full time tactical and emergency management positions, including nearly 20 years at the elite Special Enforcement Bureau (SEB). Phil has served as a board member of the National Tactical Officers Association since 1991 including serving as the Chairman of the Board. He is a member of the executive committee for the California POST SWAT guidelines, and has served as a board of inquiry member for LAPD and Oakland PD. | |||
| 12 Apr 2023 | Critical Incident Review - Medal of Honor Recipient - MSgt. Earl Plumlee | 01:48:45 | |
Description | |||
| 03 May 2023 | Leaders & Legends - National Issues in Special Tactics - The NTOA Perspective – Thor Eells & Don Kester | 01:39:10 | |
My guests today are Thor Eells and Don Kester from the National Tactical Officers Association or NTOA which is the largest tactical organization in the United States. Thor is a retired commander from the Colorado Springs Colorado Police Department where he served for 30 years. The majority of which was in tactical response including serving as a swat operator, a swat team leader and a team commander. Thor is currently the Executive Director for NTOA after serving many years as a board member and a trainer. Don is retired from the Pima County Sheriff’s Department in Arizona where he served as a SWAT team operator, team leader, team sergeant, training director and SWAT team commander eventually retiring as a Division 02:00 – Thor’s background and law enforcement career 05:00 – Don’s background and law enforcement career 11:00 – The mission of the National Tactical Officers Association 15:30 – The relationship between state associations and the NTOA 20:30 – Police reform movements & the role of the NTOA as information provider 37:00 – National standards for special tactics teams 46:00 – Maintaining training standards with diverse team capabilities 55:00 – The NTOAs role in supporting teams with subject matter expertise 1:00:00 – The need to honest self-examination and debriefing 1:05:00 – The roots of bad legislation and need for law enforcement to oppose it 1:11:00 – No knock warrants, dynamic entries, and the NTOAs position paper 1:32:00 – The counter arguments for dynamic tactics and no-knock warrants 1:34:00 – Risk management and safety priorities Contact Info | |||
| 24 May 2023 | Critical Incident Review - Inside the Breonna Taylor Case – Sgt. John Mattingly | 01:47:10 | |
My guest today is John Mattingly. John is a retired Sgt. from the Louisville Police Department who led the search warrant service at the home of Breonna Taylor on March 13, 2020 and was shot in the leg by her boyfriend Kenneth Walker before returning fire along with another officer resulting in the death of Ms. Taylor. This event, of course, became a huge catalytic event for protests, riots, lawsuits, death threats against the officers and, tragically, the shooting of two more officers in response to the multi-day civil unrest that followed. It has also led to three of the officers involved in obtaining the warrant as well as one of the officers involved in the raid being charged with federal crimes. John has recently written a book called 12 Seconds in the Dark that documents the facts of the case from his perspective and discusses numerous issues that have not been discussed in the media. 3:15 John’s Career History 6:40 Background Of The Warrant 13:40 John’s First Involvement In The Case 17:35 The Night of The Warrant, Ad Hoc Team & Training for Narcotics Units in LMPD 24:40 Arrival at the Scene, Initial Scouting & Apartment Layout 31:55 Search Warrant Service Begins 42:00 Initial Aftermath of the Shooting 52:40 John's Injuries and Medical Treatment 56:35 Press aftermath and inaccuracy of reporting 01:05:20 Initial Response of City 01:12:10 Lessons Learned – Training 01:18:50 Lessons Learned – Knock & Notice, Culture & Complacency 01:29:00 Lessons Learned – Narco Teams v. SWAT Teams and Body Warn Cameras 01:32:30 Lessons Learned – Agency Response to These Types of Events 01:37:00 John’s Cautionary Advice To Young Cops Working Narco 01:40:50 The Need for Debriefs to Avoid Complacency
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| 07 Jun 2023 | Coming Soon to The Debrief: Battle Proven Leadership (BPL) Episodes | 00:01:00 | |
Starting next week The Debrief will be introducing a new series called Battle Proven Leadership (or BPL). In contrast to the long format and wide-ranging interviews of The Debrief, BPL episodes will be shorter and deeply explore a single topic in leadership with a goal of providing specific/actionable information that you can use to improve your leadership skills. My guests will be subject matter experts who operate in high stress environments both inside and outside the tactical community. Regardless of whether your battlefield is a military, law enforcement, or business operation, each episode will expose you to the viewpoints, techniques and tactics of leaders whose skills have been proven in high risk operations with zero margin for error. | |||
| 14 Jun 2023 | BPL #1: Bob Koonce – Using Nuclear Submarine Culture To Create High Reliability Teams | 00:33:07 | |
Description My guest today is Bob Koonce. Bob is the founder of High Reliability Group, which he created after serving 20 years in the United States Navy. Bob's distinguished naval career included serving on five different nuclear fast attack submarines and culminated with him being given command of the USS Key West, a $2 billion nuclear-powered Los Angeles-class fast attack submarine. Following his retirement from the Navy, Bob has worked in a variety of leadership roles, primarily in the energy industry, where he has led business development, project management, and consulting efforts for large and small companies. Bob is an expert in the leadership of high-reliability organizations and a co-author of the book, "'Extreme Operational Excellence,' which focuses on the culture of the United States nuclear submarine force. Our conversation today focuses on utilizing specific techniques he learned in the nuclear submarine community to drive the culture of high reliability organizations. Contact Info Bob Koonce President and Founder High Reliability Group LLC 312-859-9311 linkedin.com/in/bobkoonce Timestamps 00:10:50 Methods of Developing Positive Culture 00:15:30 Authority and High-Risk Decision Making 00:22:40 Importance and Reinforcement of Lessons Learned 00:31:15 Bob’s Most Important Habit 00:31:50 The Most Important Element of Building an Effective Team 00:32:13 What Should Every Leader Know? | |||
| 21 Jun 2023 | Critical Incident Review - Fatal OIS SWAT Vehicle Takedown in San Bernardino | 01:35:33 | |
On August 18, 2021, the San Bernardino California SWAT Team was assigned to locate and arrest a suspect who had ambushed and attempted to murder a San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Deputy the day before. When the team located and attempted a vehicle takedown the suspect immediately opened fire on the team with a 10mm handgun, striking Officer Jordan Robison 8 times and Officer Chris Shipley once. Officer Robison was hit in both forearms, his shoulder, his femur, his stomach below the armor and a took grazing wound to his ribs. He was also hit twice in the abdomen which were stopped by his armor. Officer Shipley, despite being shot in the leg, was able to return fire along with a teammate fatally wounding the suspect. Officer Shipley then rendered lifesaving medical aid to Officer Robison. SWAT Medic Spencer Brumbaugh was also on scene and provided lifesaving aid to Officer Robison immediately after the incident and through subsequent transport to the emergency room. My guests today are Jordan Robison, Chris Shipley and Spencer Brumbaugh Timestamps 1:25 - Introduction To The Incident 2:39 - Leadup To The Event 13:14 - Start Of The Takedown 15:00 - The Exits The Van 17:18 -Jordan And Chris Are Shot 21:00 -Chris Treats Jordan 25:50 -Chris Discusses Treating Jordan 28:00 -Spencer Treating Jordan's Injuries 40:35 -Getting To The ER 46:00 -The Need To Remain Calm 48:00 -Lessons Learned 56:20 -What The Tacmed Program Did Right 1:02:00 -Training For The Worse Case Scenario 1:12:19 - The Risk Of Complacency 1:17:39 - Knowing Your Gear 1:21:00 - The Role Of Competition And Culture 1:23:41- Things They Would Do Differently | |||
| 28 Jun 2023 | Training & Tech – Recovering From Being Shot - Follow Up With Jordan Robison | 00:51:41 | |
My guest today is Jordan Robison. This episode is a follow up to last week’s Critical Incident Review about the August 18, 2021, shooting that occurred when the San Bernardino Police Department’s SWAT Team attempted to arrest a suspect who had ambushed and attempted to murder a San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Deputy the day before. | |||
| 05 Jul 2023 | BPL #2: Kevin Cyr - Making Difficult Decisions | 00:34:49 | |
Kevin Cyr is an Inspector with Royal Canadian Mounted Police and is the current commander of the RCMP Emergency Response Team in British Columbia, which is the second largest tactical unit in Canada. Kevin has been with RCMP for 22 years and has been with the team for 7 years. He has a master’s in law from Osgoode Hall Law School and is published internationally in law and criminology journals. He also teaches incident command at the Canadian Police College. | |||
| 12 Jul 2023 | BPL #3: Counter-Errorism and A Culture of Safety with Gareth Lock | 00:36:39 | |
My guest today is Gareth Lock. Gareth spent 25 years in the Royal Air Force as a flight instructor, a navigator on C-130 Hercules, a systems engineer and a requirements manager. Following his retirement from the RAF in 2015 he started work in high-risk industries teaching Human Factors and Crew Resource Management (CRM). Eventually Gareth turned his attention to diving, applying a military systems approach to diving risk management by creating an organization called The Human Diver which is focused on what they describe as Counter-Errorism. Specifically, Gareth and his team provides training globally to high reliability and high-risk organizations on leadership, culture, and practical measures to improve operator safety. In 2019 Gareth led a team of military experts to undertake a review of UK military diving with the goal of improving diver safety. Gareth has worked with the US National Parks Service Submerged Resource Centre (Denver, CO), National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research Ltd (NZ), and the American Academy of Underwater Sciences (USA) to provide human factors training and high-performance team development courses. Gareth is the author of the book Under Pressure – Diving Deeper with Human Factors which looks at case studies of near disasters and applies academic theory to understanding how we can better communicate and lead those in high risk/high reliability units. I am excited to have Gareth on because his views of human fallibility, although rooted in diving, have broad lessons to teach anyone who leads others, especially those working in high-risk areas. Links Dave Snowden’s paper on ‘Knowledge without context is meaningless’ – Complex acts of knowing. Risk Savvy – Risk vs Uncertainty Interpersonal Skills Lab | |||
| 19 Jul 2023 | Critical Incident Review – Jordan MacWilliams Charged with Murder for Shooting a Hostage Taker | 01:42:38 | |
My guest today is Jordan MacWilliams. Jordan is a 15 year member of the RCMP Lower Mainland Division Integrated Emergency Response Team, the second largest tactical unit in Canada. On November 7, 2012 Jordan fired a single shot which killed a hostage taker who pointed a gun at the team after a five-hour standoff at the Starlight Casino in New Westminster, British Columbia. Although it was a completely justifiable shooting, this incident began an almost three-year nightmare for Jordan and his family which included Jordan being charged with Murder by the newly created Independent Investigations Office, a civilian oversight board created just before Jordan’s shooting. This was the first time a police officer had been charged for using lethal force in British Columbia since 1975. Although the charges would later be dismissed, the damage to Jordan and his family had already been done. Jordans story is both a cautionary tale and a story of struggle, persistence, and eventual victory over a politically motivated witch hunt. This is a fantastic conversation that should leave all of us repeating Jordan’s Mantra for the event: Be Better, Not Bitter! Contact Info Jordan MacWilliams LinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/jordan-m-976692257 Books Suggested Legacy: What The All Blacks Can Teach Us About The Business Of Life Paperback by James Kerr - ISBN-13: 978-1472103536 The Mission, The Men, and Me: Lessons from a Former Delta Force Commander by Pete Blaber - ISBN-13: 978-0425223727 | |||
| 26 Jul 2023 | BPL #4 Key Leadership Concepts – Chief Phil Hansen | 00:37:10 | |
My guest today is a legend in the US tactical community Chief Phil Hansen. Phil recently retired after serving as the Chief of Police for the Santa Maria California Police Department. But prior to Santa Maria Phil retired as a Captain from the Los Angeles Country Sherriff’s Department where he served for 36 years. During his tenure at LASD he spent more than 24 years in full time tactical and emergency management positions, including nearly 20 years at the elite Special Enforcement Bureau (SEB). Phil has served as a board member of the National Tactical Officers Association since 1991 including serving as the Chairman of the Board. He is a member of the executive committee for the California POST SWAT guidelines, and has served as a board of inquiry member for LAPD and Oakland PD. Contact Info Books Recommended | |||
| 02 Aug 2023 | BPL#5 – Building Resilience In Those You Lead - Chief John Perez | 00:39:30 | |
My guest today is Chief John Perez. John recently retired as the Chief of Police for the Pasadena California Police Department. In his nearly 37 years of service to Pasadena, John served at literally all ranks in the department. During his career John worked patrol, narcotics, counter terrorism, and as a swat sergeant, lieutenant, and commander, John helped to form the first generation of Pasadena’s tactical team which had the challenge of deploying as a full-time gang enforcement team and a SWAT team for many years. John was twice awarded the Chief’s medal of excellence and received several commendations for his service over the years.
12 Rules for Life: An Antidote for Chaos – Jordan Peterson – ISBN 0345816021 Discover Your True North – Bill George – ISBN 0787987514 Extreme Ownership: Jocko Willink and Leif Babin –ISBN-13: 9781250183866 Man’s Search for Meaning – Viktor Frankl - ISBN 080701429X Quiet Strength: The Principles, Practices, and Priorities of a Winning Life – Tony Dungy – ISBN 1414318022
Chief John Perez (Ret) | |||
| 09 Aug 2023 | Lessons Learned From A Legendary Tier 1 Operator – CSM Tom Satterly (Ret.) | 01:28:39 | |
My guest today is Tom Satterly. Tom is a highly decorated combat veteran, having served in the Army 25 years, with the last 20 in the US Army’s most elite Tier One unit, Delta. During his career Tom was involved in, and led, some of our nation’s most important military campaigns including the Battle in Mogadishu portrayed in the film Blackhawk Down and the capture of Saddam Hussein. Tom is the recipient of numerous medals including a Silver Star, and 4 Bronze Stars, with 1 for Valorous acts. He was also the first American to ever attend Germany’s Ranger School. Tom retired from Delta in 2010 as a Command Sergeant Major. Tom’s willingness to speak openly and honestly of his mental and emotional struggles have saved the lives of countless other warriors who believed they had to suffer in silence and make it alone or not at all. Today, Tom and his wife and partner, Jen are the co-Founders and co-CEOs of All Secure Foundation, a non-profit organization serving Special Operation warriors and their families to help reconnect and heal. Tom’s best-selling book, “All Secure: A Special Operations Soldier’s Fight to Survive on the Battlefield and the Homefront”, was released on November 5, 2019 and is available at all major booksellers. Books Recommended The Body Keeps the Score: Mind, Brain and Body in the Transformation of Trauma by Bessel van der Kolk - ISBN-13: 978-0670785933 All Secure: A Special Operations Soldier's Fight to Survive on the Battlefield and the Homefront by Tom Satterly and Steve Jackson - ISBN-13: 978-1546076575 Sites Recommended Contact Info Instagram: @TomSatterly | |||
| 23 Aug 2023 | Critical incident Review - Vegas Attack: Handling a Mass Casualty Incident – Dr. Kevin Menes | 01:33:35 | |
My guest today is Dr. Kevin Menes. Kevin is an emergency room physician and tactical team doctor who led a team that managed to treat and save hundreds of patients following the active sniper attack in Las Vegas on October 1, 2017. Kevin’s insights into the Las Vegas attack are unique and offer us clear lessons learned in preparing for mass casualty. Too often active shooter preparation ends at the tactical level and fails to consider the effect on all involved agencies. This discussion with Kevin clearly shows that saving lives after a mass killing event is dependent upon the preparation and training for all of the responding organizations. Sites Recommended Contact Info | |||
| 13 Sep 2023 | Key Events in the Evolution of SWAT and CNT - Chief Mike Albanese – Two Part Series | 01:10:15 | |
My Guest today is a true legend who is one of only three people to have served at all of the roles in LAPD D-Platoon Chief Mike Albanese. Mike has spent 52 years in law enforcement with 37 of those spent at LAPD, 26 of which was spent in SWAT and Crisis Negotiation. Mike is one of only a handful of people to have ever served in the 10 David or SWAT commander role at LAPD. Since retiring from LAPD he has served as a Captain, Deputy Chief and is currently the Chief of Police for the Burbank California Police Department. This is two-part series where we walk through not only his amazing career at LAPD, but the evolution and history of special tactics, the creation of Crisis Negotiation as a discipline, and the lessons learned from a lifetime of service. | |||
| 22 Sep 2023 | Lessons Learned From 5 Decades of Police Leadership - Chief Mike Albanese - Part Two | 00:51:16 | |
My Guest today is a true legend who is one of only three people to have served at all of the roles in LAPD D-Platoon: Chief Mike Albanese. Mike has spent 52 years in law enforcement with 37 of those spent at LAPD, 26 of which was spent in SWAT and Crisis Negotiation. Mike is one of only a handful of people to have ever served in the 10 David or SWAT commander role at LAPD. Since retiring from LAPD he has served as a Captain, Deputy Chief and is currently the Chief of Police for the Burbank California Police Department. This is two-part series where we walk through not only his amazing career at LAPD, but the evolution and history of special tactics, the creation of Crisis Negotiation as a discipline, and the lessons learned from a lifetime of service. | |||
| 04 Oct 2023 | Hostage Rescue In A Trailer Home - Hastings, MN – South Metro SWAT | 01:37:00 | |
On July 2, 2020 patrol officers attempted to contact a suspect about moving an illegally parked automobile at the Three Rivers Mobile Home Park in Hastings, MN. As officers spoke to the suspect’s wife and two of his four children the suspect locked and barricaded the door to his trailer with his other two children inside. About South Metro SWAT Books Recommended Contact Info
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| 13 Oct 2023 | Lessons From an Officer Down and Traumatic Hostage Incident - Orlando, FL | 01:41:48 | |
In June of 2018, just two years after the PULS nightclub attacks, Orlando Police officers responded to a domestic violence call. As officers attempted to contact the suspect, he fired a shot though his door striking Officer Kevin Valencia with wounds that he would eventually succumb to. The suspect then barricaded in his apartment with his 4 children as hostages. This event, which would last more than 24 hours, proved extremely difficult and required the resources of both the Orlando Police Department SWAT Team and their partners from the Orange County Sherriff’s SWAT Team before finally reaching a tragic resolution. My guests today are Dep. Chief Jonathan Bigelow from the Orlando Police Department and Sgt. Chris Eklund with the Orange County Florida Sherriff’s Office to discuss the incident and share their lessons learned. This episode will be dedicated to the memory of Officer Kevin Valencia. Books Recommended The Common Sense Way: A New Way to Think About Leading and Organizing – Pete Blaber ISBN-13: 978-0578876740 Leaders Eat Last: Why Some Teams Pull Together and Others Don't – Simon Sinek - ISBN-13: 978-1591848011 Sound Doctrine: A Tactical Primer – Charles Sid Heal - ISBN-13: 978-1930051119 The World's Most Powerful Leadership Principle - How To Become A Servant Leader - James C. Hunter - ISBN-13: 978-1578569755 Leader Shift- The 11 Essential Changes Every Leader Must Embrace - John C. Maxwell - ISBN-13: 978-0718098506 Contact Info Dep. Chief Jonathan Bigelow – OPD - Special Service Bureau – Jonathan.Bigelow@cityoforlando.net Sgt. Chris Eklund – OCSO SWAT - chriseklund2@gmail.com | |||
| 25 Oct 2023 | Nationwide Issues in Special Tactics: A Panel Discussion with the State Associations from the NTOA Conference | 01:23:01 | |
Today’s episode of The Debrief features a unique format: this episode was recorded live at the National Tactical Officers Association Annual Conference in Aurora, Colorado. I was fortunate to moderate a panel discussion that included the presidents of five separate tactical associations including: Brent Straton from the California Association of Tactical Officers, Chris Eklund from the Florida SWAT Association, Thor Eells from the National Tactical Officers Association, Nick Sprague from the Rocky Mountain Tactical Teams Association and Dan Colasanto from the Texas Tactical Police Officers Association. A note regarding audio quality: this episode was recorded live, in a large group setting, at the NTOA conference. We have done our best to reduce most, but not all, of the background noise. It is our hope that you find this content informative and thought-provoking despite these distractions. Important Links: | |||
| 08 Nov 2023 | Lessons Learned As A SEAL Officer and As The Asst Secretary of Defense – Michael Lumpkin | 01:45:07 | |
My guest today is Michael Lumpkin. Michael has served many roles in his extremely distinguished career including Navy SEAL Captain, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations and Low Intensity Conflicts, Acting Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, Deputy Chief of Staff for the Department of Veterans Affairs, Special Assistant to Sec Def, and a Special Envoy at the Department of State. Michael’s military career included numerous deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan, serving as the Officer in Charge of training the West Coast SEAL Teams, Team Commanding Officer, service as the Deputy Joint Special Operations Task Force Commander for The Arabian Peninsula, and service at the USSOCOM Office of Legislative Affairs. His civilian government career has included the implementation of the 2010 Omnibus Caregivers Act for VA, overseeing the Osama Bin Laden operation, reorganizing the DOD POW/MIA effort, leading the DOD’s response to Ebola in West Africa, negotiating and executing the recovery of Sgt Bowe Bergdahl, and direct appointment by the President to stand up the US Department of State Global Engagement Center to counter ISIS marketing efforts. Michael is currently the Chief of Staff at US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and a Commissioner on the Afghanistan War Commission. I really enjoyed this chat because Michael has a uniquely broad level of knowledge at the tactical, operational, and strategic levels of national power including on both the military and civilian sides. This has given him a very unique perspective on leadership, selection, and standards. Books Recommended Meditations by Marcus Aurelius | |||
| 20 Nov 2023 | Becoming a Tactical Athlete with Kelly Starrett | 01:52:27 | |
My guest today is Dr. Kelly Starrett. Kelly is a world-renowned physical therapist, a strength and conditioning coach to Olympic and World Champion athletes, a 3x best-selling author, a speaker, and a two-time national kayaking champion. Kelly and his wife and partner Juliet launched one of the first CrossFit gyms in 2005, created the website Mobility WOD, and created the highly praised fitness blog | |||
| 06 Dec 2023 | July 22 Norway Terrorist Attacks – Delta Norge Response | 02:04:49 | |
On July 22, 2011 Norway experienced two terrorist attacks (a bombing at a government building in Oslo and a mass shooter event at a youth camp on nearby Utoya Island). These were perpetrated by a lone rightwing extremist. These attacks were unprecedented for the peaceful county of Norway and stretched the Norwegian first responders to their limits. My guest today is an active member of Norway’s most elite tactical and counter terrorism police unit - Beredskapstroppen (bearee-id-schkop-stropen), also known by its callsign Delta and internationally as Delta Norge. Because of the nature of his current assignment and the nature of their work, it is critical that we maintain his anonymity. As a result, we will not be showing his face on video or using his real name. Additionally, because these events resulted in the deaths of 77 people, most of whom were children, and the injury of more than 300 others we will not be glorifying the attacker by using his name. It is our hope that the memory of the attacker will be forgotten but that the memories of his innocent victims will not. Links Official Report on the Event - NOU 2012: 14 - regjeringen.no | |||
| 27 Dec 2023 | Most Profound Moments of 2023 | 00:42:37 | |
It's been an amazing year on The Debrief. In the 18 months since we launched the show, we've accomplished more than we ever thought we could. To date there have been more than 100,000 downloads of the show. We've recorded 31 episodes of The Debrief and 5 episodes of Battle Proven Leadership and covered a wide variety of topics. To end our second season, we thought it might be fun to do an episode that gave you a behind the scenes view of this year's critical incident reviews, as well as the most memorable moments of each. | |||
| 17 Jan 2024 | Andy Stumpf – Leadership Lessons From the Cleared Hot Podcast | 01:42:22 | |
My guest today has such a diverse skillset and resume that its almost hard to summarize. Andy Stumpf enlisted in the Navy while he was a Junior in high school, entering military service in 1996. After completing boot camp he went on to Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL training, also known as BUD/s. After earning his trident he began his SEAL career attached to SEAL Team Five, in Coronado California. In 2002 he joined one of the most elite counterterrorism unit in the military, The Naval Special Warfare Development Group (aka DEVGRU). While on a combat deployment, an Iraqi insurgent shot Andy in the hip at close range with an AK-47. Doctors told him it would be years, if ever, before he recovered the use of his leg and returned to full active duty. Four years later, after extensive work, Andy returned to the Naval Special Warfare Center as the Leading Petty Officer for 2nd Phase BUD/s training. While completing his two-year instructor tour, Andy submitted his package to become a commissioned officer. In 2008, he became the first E-6 selection commissioned through the Limited Duty Officer Program in the history of Naval Special Warfare. Upon commissioning, he joined SEAL Team Three and completed his final combat tour to Afghanistan. | |||
| 26 Jan 2024 | Leadership Lessons From CIA Field Operations – Marc Polymeropoulos | 00:41:00 | |
Welcome to Battle Proven Leadership. My guest today is Mark Polymeropoulos. Mark is a retired Senior Intelligence Officer for CIA who spent 26 years working in field operations and leadership roles. Marc is one of the intelligence communities most decorated officers and the author of "Clarity in Crisis: Leadership Lessons from the CIA." His book is a fantastic journey though the lessons he learned while working in the most dangerous theaters in the world. I am excited to have Marc on because his real world experience leading people in high risk clandestine operations is directly on point to the mission of Battle Proven Leadership. Book Recommended Gates of Fire, by Steven Pressfield – ISBN 978-0-385-49251-5 Contact Info marcpolymeropoulos.com | |||
| 31 Jan 2024 | 10 Second Triage & The UK Approach to Mass Casualty Events – Dr. Claire Park | 01:32:54 | |
My guest today is Dr Claire Park. Dr. Park is a Consultant in Pre-Hospital Emergency Medicine for London HEMS, and Anesthesia and Critical Care Medicine at Kings College Hospital in London. She is also an army consultant with over 20 years of deployed military experience. Claire is the Medical Adviser to the Specialist Firearms teams of the Metropolitan Police Service and has worked closely with all of the emergency services in London on developing the joint response to high threat incidents, in particular following the attacks of 2017. She is also the Chief Investigator on a UK nationally funded research grant looking at evidence for improving patient outcomes in the hot zone of major incidents. I am excited to have Claire on the show because she has a unique combination of real-world experience in combat theaters and practical experience and research in civilian tactical law enforcement. She has also been at the forefront of the UK's new approach to mass casualty events and the 10 second triage system. Contact Info X - @ClairePark01 | |||
| 14 Feb 2024 | Toxic Leadership & The Pat Tillman Case - Pete Blaber | 02:10:57 | |
Pete Blaber commanded at every level of one of the most elite counter-terrorist organizations in the world, The US Army’s First Special Forces Operational Detachment Delta. His time with The Unit included most of recent history’s significant military and political events (Panama, Colombia, Somalia, Bosnia, Afghanistan, and Iraq). In 2006 Pete retired from the military and transitioned from leading elite combat teams around the globe, to leading elite corporate teams for one of the world's largest and most innovative Biotech Companies. Pete’s first book “The Mission, The Men, And Me, Lessons From a Former Delta Force Commander,” is one of the most widely read books among tactical units and is required reading at many tactical leadership programs. His second book, “The Common Sense Way, A New Way to Think About Leading and Organizing" which builds on the legacy of the first book providing specific and concrete guidance on how to implement common sense into your leadership style. His third, and most recent book “Common Sense Leadership Matters: Toxic Leadership Destroys” is a case study of the death of Pat Tillman and how Toxic Leadership led to Tillman’s death at the hands of friendly fire. Pete has an MBA and an MS in National Security and Strategic Affairs. I am excited to speak to Pete not only because he lead one of the most elite combat units, but because he is a very deep thinker on the topic of leadership and has a unique ability to articulate his lessons learned and his research in a very practical and down to earth fashion. I hope you enjoy my chat with Pete Blaber. Contact Info Books Recommended The Mission, The Men, and Me: Lessons from a Former Delta Force Commander by Pete Blaber - ISBN-13: 978-0425223727 The Common Sense Way: A New Way to Think About Leading and Organizing by Pete Blaber - ISBN-13: 978-0578995878 Common Sense Leadership Matters: Toxic Leadership Destroys by Pete Blaber - ISBN-13: 979-8218224837 | |||
| 28 Feb 2024 | Selection For Tactical Units - The Attributes with Rich Diviney | 01:31:07 | |
My guest today is Rich Diviney. Rich is a retired Navy SEAL officer whose career spanned more than twenty years and included more than thirteen overseas deployments – eleven of which were to Iraq and Afghanistan. As the officer in charge of training for an elite Navy SEAL command, Rich spearheaded the creation of a directorate that fused physical, mental, and emotional disciplines. | |||
| 08 Mar 2024 | Bill Kirst – Leading Change in Your Organization | 00:28:55 | |
Welcome to Battle Proven Leadership. My guest today is Bill Kirst. Bill is an author, poet, podcast host and one of LinkedIn’s Top Thought Leadership Voices on Change Management. Bill authors a monthly newsletter called “Leading Change in the Era of AI” which poses powerful questions while untangling the complex concerns posed by Artificial Intelligence. | |||
| 13 Mar 2024 | The Emergency Mind – Dr. Dan Dworkis | 01:42:21 | |
My guest today is Dr. Dan Dworkis. Dan is a board-certified emergency physician, an Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine at the Keck School of Medicine of USC, the founder of The Emergency Mind Project, and the Chief Medical Officer at the Mission Critical Team Institute. Dan performed his emergency medicine residency with Harvard Medical School at the Harvard Affiliated Emergency Medicine Residency at Massachusetts General Hospital / Brigham Health and holds an MD and PhD in molecular medicine from the Boston University School of Medicine. | |||
| 27 Mar 2024 | Warrant Service Becomes OIS and Multi-Day Manhunt in the Kentucky Mountains – Heath Ayres and Logan Smith – Kentucky State Police SRT | 01:41:24 | |
In late August of 2020 the Kentucky State Police Special Response Team attempted to execute search and arrest warrants on a family compound in Johnson Hollow, a heavily wooded and very rural area of Kentucky. The suspect, who was being sought on potential murder and drug related charges, had hiding locations and weapons throughout the compound and had built a series of hardened firing positions from which to attack officers. In the 48 hours that followed, the team would have two Officer involved shootings with two different suspects all on the same compound. Links Two fatally shot in KSP involved shootings in Knox County | News | thetimestribune.com Books Recommended Fearless: The Undaunted Courage and Ultimate Sacrifice of Navy SEAL Team SIX Operator Adam Brown by Eric Blehm - ISBN-13: 978-0307730695 On Combat: The Psychology and Physiology of Deadly Conflict in War and in Peace by Dave Grossman & Loren W. Christensen - ISBN-13: 978-0964920545 On Killing: The Psychological Cost of Learning to Kill in War and Society by Dave Grossman - ISBN-13: 978-0316040938 Contact Info Logan Smith – logan.smith@ky.gov | |||
| 10 Apr 2024 | Verviers Terrorist Raid & OIS - Belgian Group Diane - Lionel D. | 01:35:54 | |
My guest today is Lionel D. Lio is a retired team leader who spent 15 years with the | |||
| 24 Apr 2024 | The History of SWAT in Texas and TTPOA | 01:05:37 | |
The evolution of special tactics in the United States is a complicated story whose roots lie in the violent social and political environment of the late 1960s. Highly unusual and televised events like the Texas tower sniper in 1966 and the Munich Massacre in 1972 created the need to develop special units to respond to events that were beyond the capabilities of patrol officers. While Southern California often receives all the credit for the development of special tactics, because of the efforts of LAPD D-Platoon and LASD SEB, it is important to understand that the west coast was not the only region trying to develop special tactics teams. In fact, by the early 1980's there were numerous regions who were all following parallel paths of development albeit in different stages. In these regions, tactical associations began to form that were focused on sharing information and training among agencies. One of these early associations was the Texas Tactical Police Officers Association (TTPOA) which was formed in 1984 and this year is celebrating its 40th anniversary. This seemed a perfect time to do an episode on the evolution and history of SWAT in Texas as well as the history and impact of TTPOA. Contact Info: | |||
| 08 May 2024 | Inside the NYPD Emergency Service Unit (ESU) | 02:12:45 | |
There may be no US tactical and rescue unit more well known than the NYPD’s Emergency Service Unit or ESU. Featuring a mission set that ranges from high angle ropes work to water rescue, from high-risk search warrants to hostage rescue, and from CBRN response to counter terrorism, ESU has sometimes been described as 911 for NYPD. My guest today is Joe Bucchignano (pron: Buck-ig-nano). Joe started his emergency service career in 1997, working as an EMT and completing paramedic school in 1999. Joe worked as a full-time paramedic until 2003 when he joined the New York City Police Department and spent his first 7 years assigned to the 52nd precinct in the Norwood section of the Bronx. In 2010 Joe was selected to join the ranks of the NYPD's Emergency Service Unit, or ESU, where he spent the next 13 years of his career. During his ESU tenure Joe's assignments included patrol is ESU Truck 3 and Truck 1, being an adjunct tactics and medical instructor at ESU's Specialized Training School, and he finished his career as a full-time member of the ESU Apprehension Tactical Team. Joe also served with NY Task Force 1, a joint police and fire Urban Search and Rescue team which is part of the FEMA Urban Search and Rescue response system. There he deployed several times to natural disasters within the United States as a rescue and logistics specialist. Joe retired from the NYPD in June of 2023 and now serves as an Assistant Paramedic Coordinator for an EMS agency in Westchester County, NY. He is also the founder of Crisis Zone Consulting, a multi-disciplined training and consulting company which works with public safety agencies, private entities, and individuals to enhance their organizational and individual emergency preparedness. This episode gives us an inside view of one of the world’s premier units. Including how they train, how they operate, how they manage their ridiculously diverse skill set, and the lessons learned by an ESU veteran.
Contact Info: https://crisiszoneconsulting.com/ | |||
| 06 Jun 2024 | Building Elite Tactical Performance - Dr. Brittany Loney | 01:44:03 | |
My guest today is Brittany Loney the founder and CEO of Elite Cognition. Brittany has almost 20 years of experience training high performing operators from communities as diverse as elite SOF warriors, professional and Olympic athletes, high-level coaches, and corporate executives. She also has over 14 years of experience training Special Operations Forces (SOF) and was the first cognitive performance coach embedded within a United States Special Operations Command (USASOC) Tactical Human Optimization and Rapid Rehabilitation and Reconditioning (THOR3) Program. | |||
| 18 Jul 2024 | The Debrief | Season 3 Wrap Up | 00:05:02 | |
Season 3 of The Debrief featured an impressive roster of guests, including: Andy Stumpf of Cleared Hot Podcast, former Delta Force operator Pete Blaber, and Lionel D. of Belgium’s elite Group Dianne (DSU). These guests, and others, provided an extensive body of knowledge and experience surrounding leadership, tactical decision making, and cognitive performance. | |||
| 24 Jul 2024 | 2024 Summer Flashback | Sid Heal | 01:22:14 | |
The first episode in our "2024 Summer Flashback" series features not just the first episode of this podcast, but the man who inspired the project as a whole. Not only was Sid Heale a legend in the special tactics’ community, he was a retired CWO5 in the United States Marine Corps serving numerous combat deployments including the Vietnam War, The Gulf War, and Operation United Shield in Somalia. Sid was also a retired Commander from the LA County Sheriff’s Department, had worked in the Special Enforcement Bureau, the Emergency Operations Bureau, and a wide variety of other assignments. Sid was one of the most prolific authors on tactical topics having authored several books and hundreds of articles. | |||
| 31 Jul 2024 | 2024 Summer Flashback | Mike Hillman | 01:01:25 | |
The second episode in our "2024 Summer Flashback" series features a legend in the tactical community with a list of career accomplishments that would take an entire podcast of their own. Mike Hillman was one of the original founders of LAPD SWAT, a Deputy Chief at LAPD, the Assistant Sheriff in Orange County California and a Chief of Police for the Los Angeles Port Police. He was one of the founders of the National Tactical Officers Association, headed security for the Los Angeles Dodgers, and is a nationally recognized expert on leadership, crisis management, critical incident management, special operations and a wide variety of other subjects. | |||
| 07 Aug 2024 | 2024 Summer Flashback | Buddy Brown | 01:23:00 | |
The third episode in our 2024 Summer lookback series features Buddy Brown. | |||
| 21 Aug 2024 | 2024 Summer Flashback | The California Association of Tactical Officers | 01:08:13 | |
For our final episode of 2024's "Summer Lookback" series, we revisit episode 4 featuring Brent Stratton and Marcus Sprague. | |||
| 14 Aug 2024 | 2024 Summer Flashback | Lt. Lee McMillion | 01:08:18 | |
This episode in our summer lookback series features Lt. Lee McMillion. Lee is currently one of the two Lieutenants leading the Los Angeles Police Departments Metropolitan Division D-Platoon. Which is also known as LAPD SWAT. In total, Lee has spent 33 years as a Los Angeles Policeman of which 23 years have been spent at Metro, 21 with D-Platoon. Lee is one of only three men to have ever served at all possible ranks at D Platoon (Officer, Plus 1, Sgt, and Lt.). Lee has been an element member, an element leader, a squad leader and is currently a Platoon Leader. In his career Lee has participated in well over a thousand tactical operations with a wide variety of mission sets. | |||
| 13 Sep 2024 | Parkland Attack - Chief Clyde Parry | 02:05:52 | |
On February 14, 2018, an active killer attacked the students of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland Florida killing 17 people and wounding another 17 people. The shooter then managed to flee the scene by slipping in with other students. The shooter was apprehended without incident over an hour later. In the months and years that followed this incident there was a firestorm of media coverage and legal actions directed at responding law enforcement agencies not only criticizing their response to the incident but also their failure to intervene with the shooter despite numerous red flags that preexisted the incident. Additionally, a Broward County Sheriff’s Office School Resource Officer was charged, but acquitted, of child neglect and culpable negligence. There were also more than 50 civil suits filed resulting in millions of dollars in settlements as well as reassignments and resignations in the responding agencies. My guest today is Chief Clyde Parry. On the day of this incident Clyde was the interim Chief for the neighboring City of Coral Springs Florida and was responsible for setting up the initial incident command post and assuming incident command for the event. Clyde began his law enforcement career with the Derry Borough Police Department near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 1986. In May of 1987 he relocated to Florida and began his career with the Coral Springs Police Department where he worked his way up through the ranks from Patrol Officer to Chief of Police. Clyde was sworn in as the permanent Chief of Coral Springs PD just 19 days after this event.
Books Recommended Why Meadow Died: The People and Policies That Created The Parkland Shooter and Endanger America's Students -Andrew Pollack (Author), Max Eden (Author) - ISBN-13 : 978-1642932195
Contact Info Clyde Parry - boncly@bellsouth.net | |||
| 13 Sep 2024 | Decision Making Exercise | Parkland | 00:06:09 | |
In this episode, Josh Wofford instructs a DME: Decision Making Exercise to accompany the Parkland episode of The Debrief. | |||
| 25 Sep 2024 | Resilience and Recovery from Catastrophe w/ Justin Dodge | 01:41:20 | |
The topic of resilience for first responders has fortunately become a more common discussion. As the rate of suicides, addiction and burnout rise, discussions of grit or internal fortitude against adversity have become a frequent topic for articles, speeches and conference courses. My guest today knows a great deal about this topic. Justin Dodge is a 28-year veteran of the Denver Police Department (DPD) with 19 of those years spent on SWAT as an operator, assistant team leader, and team leader. In June 2023, Justin suffered a catastrophic injury during the Denver Nuggets championship parade, his left leg was pinned under an 80,000-pound fire truck which ultimately resulted in his leg being amputated below the knee. Despite this life-changing injury, Justin has made a full come-back and returned to full operational status on SWAT. He also created a new business called Heavy Victory, LLC which provides wellness and resiliency training to government and commercial entities. | |||
| 09 Oct 2024 | Improving Tactical Performance with Cognitive Training | 01:19:08 | |
Imagine if you could train your brain to give you better situational awareness, see and hear more, and improve your tactical decision-making abilities? Although this sounds like science fiction, it is quickly becoming a science fact in the emerging field of brain training for tactical operators. On this episode of The Debrief we will explore the science of brain training for tactical operators with three experts in the Field, Jeff Selleg from the National Tactical Officers Association, Dr. Henry Mahncke from Posit Science the creator of a program called Brain HQ, and Dr. Brittany Loney from Elite Cognition, a performance psychologist who works with elite military and law enforcement units.
Contact Info Brain HQ - Brain Exercises, Brain Training, Brain Health – BrainHQ from Posit Science Jeff Selleg - NTOA - BrainHQ | NTOA Dr. Brittany Loney – www.elite-cognition.com | |||
| 23 Oct 2024 | DME-02 Critical Choices in Hostage Situations | 00:13:00 | |
| 23 Oct 2024 | Escaped Inmate Hostage Rescue w/ WCTRU | 01:24:33 | |
On the afternoon of July 11, 2022, at about 1400 hrs, two Hamilton County Ohio Sheriff’s Detectives observed an escapee from the River City Correctional Facility in Cincinnati, in the parking lot of the Baymont Inn hotel. Although they were unable to make a positive identification before the suspect entered the hotel, they contacted the Mason Police Department for support. A Mason officer learned that the female observed in the parking lot with the suspect (whom she had just met) was registered to room 310. These two detectives as well as several additional Mason police officers knocked on the door of the room and were immediately met with screaming, yelling, profanity and threats of violence made by the suspect. Mason Police immediately requested assistance from the Warren County Tactical Response Unit (WCTRU). The suspect then barricaded himself inside keeping the woman as a hostage and threatening to kill her if officers came through the door. Several times the suspect was seen at the window and officers could see a knife in his hand. WCTRU used a negotiator throughout the night to talk to the suspect but at approximately 0230 hrs as negotiations broke down, the team forced entry into room 310 and observed the suspect holding a knife to the hostage’s throat. A single TRU team member fired one round into the suspect’s face, ending the standoff and recovering the hostage. In keeping with our standard policy, we will not be using the suspect’s name or identifying him in any way. It is our hope that he will be erased by the sands of time. We will, of course, be using the officers’ names because they are heroes and need to be remembered.
Book Recommendation: Leader Shift by John C Maxwell ISBN: 9780718098506 The Mission, The Men, and Me by Pete Blaber ISBN: 9780425236574 The Dichotomy of Leadership by Jocko Willink and Leif Babin ISBN: 9781250195777
Contact Info: Deputy Scott Williams Warren County Sheriff’s Office 513-266-4536 Scott.williams@wcsooh.org | |||
| 11 Nov 2024 | LODD on HRT Crisis Entry – Austin PD SWAT | 01:15:34 | |
On November 11, 2023, Austin Texas Police officers responded to a call of a stabbing. The Caller advised that there were several subjects that had been stabbed. When officers arrived, they made contact with one of the victims who advised two additional family members were still inside the residence with the suspect. Patrol officers forced entry into the residence and were immediately met with gun fire from within the residence. APD SWAT was requested to assist, upon arrival an emergency entry was made to save the lives of the victims. The suspect barricaded himself in a bedroom and ambushed the entry team as they made entry killing Officer Jorge Pastore and seriously injuring Officer John Conner. With me today are Sgt. Rafael Rosales and Ofc Kevin Olejar who are here to share the event and to discuss lessons learned. In keeping with the policy of The Debrief we will not be mentioning the suspect by name or discussing his agenda as we hope they are both forgotten. We will however be mentioning the names of the officers because they are heros and need to be remembered.
This episode will be dedicated to the memory of Jorge Pastore – EOW 11/11/23 http://www.jpastorefoundation.com/
Contact Info Sgt. Rafael Rosales Rafael.rosales@austintexas.gov | |||
| 11 Nov 2024 | DME-03 Injured Hostages: The Critical Decision to Initiate a Hostage Rescue Team | 00:15:52 | |
Decision Making Excercise #3 | |||
| 27 Nov 2024 | Improving Tactical Decision Making – Dr. Gary Klein | 01:03:54 | |
My guest today is a true legend in the field of decision making, Dr. Gary Klein. Gary is the author of the book Sources of Power: How People Make Decisions, and five other books. His work includes groundbreaking research into the cognitive models we use for decision making including the Recognition-Primed Decision (RPD) model, the Data/Frame model of sensemaking, the Management By Discovery model of planning in complex settings, and the Triple Path Model of Insight. He has developed methods including the Pre-Mortem method of risk assessment, techniques for Cognitive Task Analysis, the ShadowBox training approach, and also helped pioneer the Naturalistic Decision-Making movement in 1989. Dr. Klein has decades of work experience in dozens of work domains, including military, healthcare, and emergency response. I am excited to have Gary on the show because his work with military and emergency response work provides a great framework for us to not only understand our decision making but also how to improve it through training and simulation. Course Discussed on Show: https://www.shadowboxtraining.com/courses/masterclass-in-practical-decision-making/ Gary’s Books: Sources of Power: How People Make Decisions – ISBN13 - 978-0262112277 Seeing What Others Don't: The Remarkable Ways We Gain Insights – ISBN13 -978-1610392518 Book Recommendation: How to Stay Smart in a Smart World: Why Human Intelligence Still Beats Algorithms by Gerd Gigerenzer – ISBN13 - 978-0262046954 Contact Info: | |||
| 20 Dec 2024 | DME004 - Patrol Based Domestic Hostage | 00:31:32 | |
| 14 Jan 2025 | DME 005 - Bank Robbery & Police Ambush in Saanich BC - GVERT | 00:13:19 | |
| 14 Jan 2025 | Bank Robbery and Police Ambush in Saanich BC - GVERT | 01:44:44 | |
On June 28, 2022, the Greater Victoria Emergency Response Team (aka GVERT) was working as a quick response team for narcotics surveillance when a call went out of an active bank robbery in progress. Two suspects, covered almost completely in body armor and heavily armed with SKS rifles were robbing the Bank of Montreal branch in nearby Saanich BC. The suspects had herded all of the bank patrons and employees into the back of the bank and then proceeded to wait more than 12 minutes in the entrance vestibule of the bank hoping to ambush and kill the responding officers. In accordance with their policy of remaining covert until suspects left the bank to avoid creating a hostage situation, responding officers from Saanich, Central Saanich and nearby Victoria PD descended on the area and inserted into covert locations around the bank. | |||
| 16 Jan 2025 | Part 2: Lessons Learned from Bank Robbery & Police Ambush | 01:01:36 | |
| 29 Jan 2025 | Operator Health and Performance with Casey Glass | 00:58:54 | |
My guest today is Casey Glass. Casey is the founder of Warfighter Health and Performance and for the past 11 years has been a Special Operations Strength Coach for US SOF units. Casey’s Grew up on a ranch in Texas. In college, she played soccer at Texas Christian University and interned with the strength and conditioning staff her senior year. While pursuing her master’s in health and Fitness at Purdue University she became their Graduate Assistant Strength Coach. She then went on to work for the University of Arkansas for 4.5 years starting as a paid intern and leaving as the Associate Director of Olympic Sports Strength and Conditioning. Eleven years ago she accepted a position that would change her life working in the Human Performance Program for a US Special Operations unit working to improve our warfighters’ operational performance and resilience. Last year she founded Warfighter Health and Performance an organization designed to bring the experience and skills our SOF units are receiving to law enforcement special operations units. Book Recommendation: Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers by Robert Sapolsky - ISBN-13: 978-0805073690 Building the Elite by Craig Weller & Jonathan Pope - ISBN-13: 978-0578918099 Contact Info: | |||
| 26 Feb 2025 | Lessons Learned from Elite Unit Selection Processes – John Dowd | 01:36:07 | |
My guest today is John Dowd. John is a former navy SEAL who 15 years ago started SOFware, LLC a company that develops software and consults with elite units in their assessment and selection processes. John and his team work with many of the world most elite units assisting them in not only choosing the right people but also helping them develop over their entire careers. John’s views on selection and the lessons learned by his team over the past 15 are extremely valuable information for any team to help guide how you evaluate and select personnel. Book Recommendation: Assessment of Men: Selection of Personnel for the Office of Strategic Services: The OSS Assessment Staff, Rinehart & Company, Inc. ASIN: B000M6BR7W Contact Info: You can reach John and his team at best.practices@sofwarellc.com, and can learn more about their software, FORGE, at https://sofwarellc.com/forge. | |||
| 19 Mar 2025 | Austin PD LODD: A Wife's Perspective - Kim Pastore | 02:14:27 | |
My guest today is Kim Pastore. Kim’s husband Jorge Pastore was killed on November 11, 2023 while attempting to rescue hostages with the Austin, TX SWAT Team. This was a case we covered previously with the Team in Seasons 4 Episode 5 released on November 11, 2024. However, Kim has graciously agreed to sit down with us and debrief the incident from her perspective. This is an episode we have wanted to do for a long time to consider the spouses perspective on a LODD as well as consider the best practices for handling a LODD that an agency, team and individual offer can engage in to make this process as easy as possible for the family.
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| 02 Apr 2025 | LA Fires – The First 12 Hours | 01:53:36 | |
Capt. Trey Sorensen – Pasadena FD and Sgt. Bobby Crees Pasadena PD Just after 6pm on January 7th, the fire ignited in Eaton Canyon, California. In a matter of hours, powered by sustained 60 mile an hour winds, with gusts as high as 100 miles an hour, the fire spread through Pasadena and into the neighboring area of Altadena. In the days that followed, the Eaton fire grew to become one of the worst fires in California history, killing 17 people, burning more than 14 ,000 acres, destroying more than 9 ,400 structures, and damaging more than 1 ,000 others. In the city of Pasadena, approximately 150 structures were destroyed, but because of the efforts of the police and fire departments, no one in Pasadena lost their lives. My guests today are Captain Trey Sorensen from the Pasadena Fire Department and Sergeant Bobby Crease from the Pasadena Police Department. Trey was the evacuation group supervisor and Bobby was the command post supervisor during the first 14 hours of the fire. Although the fire burned for almost two weeks, for this debrief we will be looking at the first 12 hours of the fire and how the police and fire departments struggled to save lives as an uncontrollable fire tore through their city.
Contact Info: Capt. Trey Sorensen – tsorensen@cityofpasadena.net Sgt. Bobby Crees – bcrees@cityofpasadena.net | |||
| 16 Apr 2025 | UVALDE - What Really Happened at Robb Elementary? | 01:17:31 | |
On May 24, 2022, an active shooter took the lives of 19 children and two staff members and physically and mentally injured the survivors, their families, staff, teachers and the broader community in Uvalde, Texas. At the request of Uvalde's leadership, the U.S. Department of Justice established the Critical Incident Review (CIR) to conduct an independent, objective assessment of what happened that day and assess the systems in place in the weeks leading up to May 24. The goal of the episode is to provide information to those most affected by the tragedy and to build knowledge regarding how to best respond to incidents of mass violence. This panel will provide an overview of the incident and present observations and recommendations from the DOJ report in the areas of tactics, leadership and incident command. Guests: Nazmia Comrie & Frank Fernandez - USDOJ COPS Office Resources: DOJ Report - https://cops.usdoj.gov/uvalde | |||
| 16 Apr 2025 | DME06 - UVALDE | 00:11:46 | |