DME 08

In September of 2021 a suspect involved in a carjacking and attempted homicide led police in a vehicle pursuit that ended in a car crash in Farmington Utah.  The suspect fled on foot across Interstate 15 into a residential neighborhood prompting patrol officers to establish a perimeter and begin a search with a K9 unit.  During the search a single gunshot was heard,  South Davis Metropolitan SWAT and North Davis Metropolitan SWAT were both activated to conduct a house -to-house search. Operators discovered a bullet hole in a residence window, and shortly after, a male exited nearby home in a vehicle. He was stopped and informed operators that his family was being held hostage and that the suspect had sent him to check for police. As operators moved toward the residence, a juvenile female escaped through a window. Debriefing the father and daughter, it became clear that three more hostages remained inside the home with an armed suspect. Negotiated side and a handgun was recovered next to his body. My guest today is Lieutenant Andrew Smith. Andrew began his law enforcement career with the Utah Highway Patrol in 2008. In 2011, he left the highway and began working for the West Bountiful Police Department. He joined the South Davis Metropolitan SWAT team in 2012 and eventually moved to the Bountiful City Police Department in 2013, where he worked his way through various assignments and promoted to the rank of lieutenant and team commander of the South Davis Metropolitan SWAT team. Anders held numerous leadership positions in the department, including FTO, lead scout, entry team member, and assistant team leader, and is currently the South Davis Metropolitan SWAT team commander. He's been honored with numerous unit citations as a member of the police department and SWAT team, including his involvement in two hostage rescue operations and two Bountiful City Police Department chief stars, one of which was for his response to an active shooter at a local junior high.

Contact Info:

Lt Andrew Smith – asmith@bountiful.gov

Books

Legacy by James Kerr – ISBN-13 - 978-1472103536 

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

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

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.     

Contact Info:
https://www.jpastorefoundation.com/

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. 

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:

https://www.warfighterhp.com 

https://www.linktr.ee/warfighterhp 

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.  

The GVERT team left the surveillance and headed immediately to the bank.  As they arrived on scene and gained situational awareness, the two male subjects, covered head to toe in armor and armed with SKS 7.62 x 39 rifles with high-capacity magazines, exited the bank. The team raced into the parking lot in their surveillance van, deployed a flashbang, and began to exit to effect arrest.  As they did the suspect nearest the van calmly turned and opened fire on the van.  In just a few seconds, 6 of the 7 operators in the van were shot, some multiple times.  All of them were injured and at least one of them was at immediate risk of death.

The remaining team members and patrol officers returned fire eventually killing the suspects.  What transpired over the next few minutes can only be described as a heroic performance by team members and army of patrol officers and other first responders who quickly transitioned from taking the suspects into custody, to searching for a possible third shooter, clearing the bank, freeing the hostages, dealing with numerous IEDs and most importantly providing care and transport for their injured teammates.  

This is the first of a two part series that will look at this event through the several different perspectives.  This episode will be unlike any previous episode of the debrief because of the sheer number of people we were able to interview.  The agencies, patrol officers and teams involved in this incident gave us access to more than a dozen people who responded to the event.  As a result, we will be seeing incident from the perspectives of the team commander, team leaders, detached sniper element, assaulters, medics, and even the patrol supervisor for the day.  It is our hope that doing so will allow us to understand not only what happened, but how their training allowed them to succeed in an almost unwinnable situation and how their lessons learned from the event informed future training and tactics. In this first part we will look at the timeline of the event itself, in part two we will sit down on video with three of the team members to look back at the events and formally discuss lessons learned.

In keeping with the standard policy of the debrief we will not mention the suspects’ names or objectives in the hopes that they will be lost to the sands of time.  We will however mention the names of responding officers as they are heroes and need to be remembered as such.

One additional note, this episode has a corresponding decision-making exercise created by the California Association of Tactical Officers.  Please be sure to run that exercise with friends or your team.

My guest today is Dr. Jenny Prohaska, a clinical psychologist who has spent her career on the front lines of trauma and high-stakes performance. Jenny trained in neuro -rehabilitation psychology at the University of Kansas Medical Center, working with patients and staff in trauma, ICU, and burn units, where she built her expertise in how the brain and body adapt to extreme stress. For more than a decade, Jenny has brought that expertise into policing and tactical operations. She's force science certified and consults on more than 30 officer -involved shootings a year, as well as hundreds of other critical incidents. Jenny’s conducted thousands of pre-hire psychological evaluations, giving her deep expertise in what makes officers and teams thrive or deteriorate under pressure. She's also built and trained more than two dozen peer support teams across the country and today consults for more than 50 public safety agencies. Jenny's also a sought-after speaker for national organizations. She's a founder of tactical longevity, a first -of -its -kind, pre-incident anti -fragility training framework designed to prepare officers and tactical teams to withstand the cumulative stress of their job. I'm excited to talk to Jenny because I've been a fan of her work for a number of years, and I believe that antifragility and prehabilitation programs promoting this concept of tactical longevity and talking about it and teaching.

Links

Tactical Longevity | Anti-Fragility Training

Books

What Happened to You? Bruce D. Perry and Oprah Winfrey – ISBN-13 – 978-1250223180

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:

ShadowBox Training – Accelerate Expertise

Gary Klein - WELCOME

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 

Decision Making Excercise #3

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

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

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.

Contact Info 
Email - Justin@heavyvictory.com
IG - @heavy_victory_ 
Web -  https://www.heavyvictory.com  

In this episode, Josh Wofford instructs a DME: Decision Making Exercise to accompany the Parkland episode of The Debrief.

A decision making exercise places you in the position of a leader on scene at a critical incident, and allows you to make decisions as if you were there. The purpose of the decision making exercises is to tap into the collective knowledge of your team.

Instructions: Listen to the DME before listening to the full Parkland Debrief Episode. Pause after each set of questions and allow your team to discuss how they would address the scenario in Part 1. Then repeat the process for the remaining scenarios. Finally, watch the full episode of The Debrief to learn how the scenarios actually played out. 

DME's are a partnership between CATO and The Debrief. 

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

For our final episode of 2024's "Summer Lookback" series, we revisit episode 4 featuring 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.

To view the original episode, its follow-up, and recommended reading, please visit: https://thedebrief.live/episodes/?modal-link=https://thedebrief.live/episode-4/

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.  

To view the original episode, its follow-up, and recommended reading, please visit:https://thedebrief.live/episodes/?modal-link=https://thedebrief.live/episode-3/

The third episode in our 2024 Summer lookback series features 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.

To view the original episode, its follow-up, and recommended reading, please visit: https://thedebrief.live/episodes/?modal-link=https://thedebrief.live/episode-12

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.

To view the original episode, its follow-up, and recommended reading, please visit: https://thedebrief.live/episode-6/

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. 

To view the original episode, its follow-up, and recommended reading, please visit: https://thedebrief.live/episodes/?modal-link=https://thedebrief.live/episode-1/

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.

With this season now wrapped, and in keeping with our standard policy, we will be taking the summer off from new content. During this time we will be replaying five of my favorite episodes from Season 1 that you may not have heard before. Today, we’ll recap the tremendous progress made so far, and discuss the major changes being made for Season 4.

I also want to personally thank our subscribers and listeners for the nearly half-million views we’ve reached. This show started as a way to discuss important topics that improve operator safety, and has grown into something larger than I ever imagined. Please enjoy your summers, and I look forward to bringing you new, engaging, and insightful content next season.

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.

Her work has been featured in the Harvard Business Review, peer reviewed academic journals, textbooks, SUCCESS Magazine, SOCOM’s SOFcast, and various other programs. In addition, Brittany has been a panel member or guest speaker at Global SOF Week, Special Operations Medical Association (SOMA), SOCOM’s Wellness Week, Air Force Air Education and Training Command (AETC) Learning Professional’s Consortiums, Women in SOF Symposiums, and countless other professional conferences.

Brittany has a Ph.D. in Educational Psychology and Learning Systems from The Florida State University, an M.A. in Kinesiology with an emphasis on Sport Psychology from California State University, Fresno, an M.S. in Exercise Science from Florida State University, and a B.S. in Criminal Justice from Texas State University where she was also a NCAA Division 1 basketball player. She lives her profession, spending much of her time working out, ultra-running, hiking, paddle boarding, and researching neuroscience, performance, and cognition.

I was first introduced to Brittany by some of our nation’s best tactical operators.  Her work with US SOF units is unique in its approach to improving operator performance through physical, cognitive, and emotional training. I am extremely excited to have her on the debrief, because the broad scope and clear structure of her work will lay a foundation for several episodes to come on improving operator performance. I hope you enjoy my chat with Brittan Loney.

Book Recommendation:
The Daily Stoic Boxed Set Hardcover - Ryan Holiday and Stephen Hanselman - ISBN-13:‎ 978-0593544891
Warrior Mindset - Dr. Michael Asken, Loren W. Christensen, and Dave Grossman - ISBN-13: 978-0964920552
Contact Info:
Brittany Loney – www.elite-cognition.com

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/

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.

My guests today are three influential figures in TTPOA.

Lt. Dan Colasanto is the current president of TTPOA. Dan is a 30-year veteran of the Garland Police Department with 28 of those years spent on the SWAT team.  Dan has worked in Patrol, Narcotics and SWAT and is also a graduate of the United States Military Academy and an Army veteran. In February 2021, Dan earned a Master of Arts degree in Homeland Security with a Concentration in Counter-Terrorism from American Military University. Dan was the SWAT Team Supervisor during the May 3, 2015 ISIS inspired terrorist attack in Garland, TX.  Dan also serves as the Intelligence and Terrorism Chair for the NTOA.

Paul Ford has experience spanning both government and private sectors. Paul's diverse roles include being a police officer, instructor, writer, publisher, developer of numerous police training programs, and sales and marketing executive. Paul began his law enforcement career in 1985, assuming roles in patrol, SWAT, and as a detective. Paul spent almost a decade on the Austin Texas SWAT team serving as the unit's training coordinator and team leader. He is the recipient of more than 60 commendations, including three for meritorious conduct. In the 1990s, Paul played a pivotal role in reshaping and expanding TTPOA where he served as Secretary, Vice President, and Editor of Command Magazine. His dedication earned him the Association’s prestigious Excellence Award in 1999. In 2001 Paul transitioned to the private sector where he has held positions at Defense Technology and he is currently the Vice President of Sales and Marketing for CSI, known for their CTS and Penn Arms brands.

Sandy Wall is a true legend in Texas tactical community.  Sandy spent 28 years with the Houston police department, 22 of which was on Houston SWAT. Sandy is a recipient of the TTPOA Excellence award, the TTPOA lifetime achievement award, and the National Police Associations Top Cop for the State of Texas.  He has also received the Houston Police Department Chief's commendation for valor and the officer of the year award.  Sandy has served three times as the president of TTPOA.  He has also written two books, invented the Wall Banger system, and has taught and testified as an expert all over the United States.  

Contact Info:
TTPOA Website - TTPOA
Dan Colesanto – Dan.Colasanto@ttpoa.org
Paul Ford – Email - paulrford@icloud.com - linkedin.com/in/paul-f-7b581214
Sandy Wall - Sandy.wallBanger@yahoo.com.  

My guest today is Lionel D. Lio is a retired team leader who spent 15 years with the
Belgian National Police - Directorate of Special Units, or DSU, also know as Group
Diane. I am excited to have Lio on The Debrief because his former unit is a fantastic
team who are constantly on the front lines for European counter terrorism operations,
like the one we will discuss today.

The operation we will be debriefing is a proactive warrant service against a Jihadist terror cell located in the small town of Verviers, Belgium that resulted in an extended gun fight and two suspects down. This raid was intended to, and did, prevent an imminent large-scale attack in Belgium by the terrorist cell that would later go on to commit bombings and attacks in Brussels and Paris.

As is usually the case with The Debrief, we will discuss the responders and, where
appropriate, use their names and units because they are heroes and need to be
remembered. We will NOT be using suspects names or identifying their specific groups,
because they are criminals and terrorists and need to be forgotten.

Books Recommended:
No Hero: The Evolution of a Navy SEAL Hardcover – November 10, 2014
by Mark Owen and Kevin Maurer – ISBN13: 978-0525954521

Lio’s Book:
In French - Terrorist Hunter | Editions Racine
In Dutch - Terroristenjager | Uitgeverij Lannoo

Contact Info:
www.lioneld.be
lioneldofficial115@gmail.com

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.  

This event would stretch the team and its resources to their limits, yet the team rose to the challenge yielding a successful outcome despite almost impossible conditions. This case provides numerous lessons learned and teaching points about rural operations and the dangers of unexpected challenges.  My guests today are Sgt. Heath Ayers and Trooper Logan Smith from the Kentucky State Police Special Response Team.  

Links

Two fatally shot in KSP involved shootings in Knox County | News | thetimestribune.com

https://www.clayconews.com/news/16719-suspect-fatally-injured-in-2nd-officer-involved-shooting-in-knox-county-ky-victim-in-1st-shooting-identified 

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

On October 12th, 2020, Bakersfield police responded to a hospital on a domestic violence call to a female who had been hit in the head with a hammer by her ex-husband. When patrol officers arrived at the suspect's house, the male suspect exited the home, screaming at police and threw an improvised explosive device at officers. Negotiations with the suspect began, who initially appeared to be negotiating in good faith, But after two hours, it became apparent the suspect was not going to comply, and the Bakersfield Special Operations Group was activated. In the ensuing 12 -hour standoff, the team became aware that the suspect had his four-year-old son with him and was an Army combat veteran who had explosive devices in the home. With me today are Captain Ted King and Sergeant Travis Harless from Bakersfield Police to discuss the case.

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.

Dan is the author of The Emergency Mind: Wiring Your Brain for Performance Under Pressure.  He is also the host of The Emergency Mind podcast.   
I am excited to have Dan on the debrief because he not only has a unique blend of scientist and practitioner but is someone who has thought very deeply about how our minds work in critical incidents.  Additionally, through his work with Mission Critical Team Institute he has looked at how those principles apply to tactical operators and first responders. 
 
 
Contact Info:
Website: www.emergencymind.com
Email: Dan@emergencymind.com

Book:
The Emergency Mind: Wiring Your Brain for Performance Under Pressure - Dan Dworkis MD PhD – ISBN13:‎ 979-8746482327

Books Recommended:
Deep Survival: Who Lives, Who Dies, and Why - Laurence Gonzales - ISBN13: 978-0393052763
Meditations - Marcus Aurelius - ISBN13: 978-0812968255

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.
 
Bill has worked at Adobe, Microsoft, IBM, the University of Washington and for nearly two decades has led companies, institutions, and government agencies through digital transformation journeys. Bill sits on the Alumni Board at The Johns Hopkins University.  Bill served in the U.S. Army Reserve, finishing his service as a Captain in the Signal Corps. Bill’s podcast “Coffee & Change” was selected as one of the 10 Best Military Leadership Podcasts by FeedSpot. 
 
I really enjoyed this conversation with Bill because he has spent his entire career working in organizational change. Implementing and confronting change is a constant battle for leaders, so it was great to have a chance to look at it through the eyes of an expert.
 
Contact Info:
LinkedIn
Coffee & Change Podcast  – By Bill Kirst

Books Recommended:
Once an Eagle: A Novel - Anton Myrer - ISBN-13: 978-0062221629
The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma - Bessel van der Kolk M.D. - ISBN-13: ‎978-0143127741

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.

Since his retirement, Rich has worked as a speaker, facilitator, and consultant with the Chapman & CO. Leadership Institute and Simon Sinek Inc., speaking to and training more than five thousand business, athletic, and military leaders. Rich’s book: The Attributes: 25 Hidden Drivers of Optimal Performance is, I think, a must-read book for anyone involved in leadership or in the selection and hiring of personnel.

Books Recommended
Man's Search For Meaning: The classic tribute to hope from the Holocaust by Viktor E. Frankl (Author) - ISBN-13: ‎ 978-1846042843

Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind Hardcover by Yuval Noah Harari (Author) - ISBN-13: ‎ 978-0062316097

Books Written
The Attributes: 25 Hidden Drivers of Optimal Performance by Rich Diviney - ISBN-13: ‎ 978-0593133941

Contact Info
Discover Your Attributes

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
https://www.peteblaber.com/

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

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
Dr. Claire Park
claire@etma.life

X - @ClairePark01

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

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.

Throughout his 17-year career, Andy executed hundreds of combat operations throughout the world in support of the Global War on Terror including the hostage rescue of Jessica Lynch. He was medically retired in June of 2013. His awards and decorations include 5 Bronze Star Medals (Four with Valor), the Purple Heart, the Joint Service Commendation Medal, The Navy and Marine Corp Commendation Medal with Valor, Three Navy and Marine Corp Achievement Medals, Two Combat Action Ribbons, and the Presidential Unit Citation.

After retirement, Andy continues to support the SEAL community, and their families. In 2015 he set two World Records after jumping from 36,500 feet and flying over 18 miles in a wingsuit to raise 1 million Dollars for the Navy SEAL Foundation.

Post military, his business experience includes managing corporate development, licensing, and charitable initiatives for a global fitness brand. He also founded a consulting firm dedicated to ensuring that the lessons learned from the Global War of Terror are utilized by business leaders as well as Federal, State, and local entities.

Andy also hosts the fantastic Cleared Hot Podcast which has close to 20 Million views on YouTube.

Contact Info
Cleared Hot Podcast - https://www.clearedhotpodcast.com/

Books Recommended
Boyd: The Fighter Pilot Who Changed the Art of War – Robert Coram - ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0316796880
About Face: The Odyssey of an American Warrior – Col. David Hackworth - ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0283999598

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.

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

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
and podcast called the “The Ready State.”

Kelly’s first book, "Becoming a Supple Leopard", not only found a place on The New York Times bestsellers list for sports books but also challenged traditional perspectives on mobility and biomechanics. He has since written two more best-selling books including his latest work written with his wife Juliet which is called "Built to Move". Kelly has shared his expertise all over the world including working with the US Olympic team, the San Francisco 49s, the New Zealand All Blacks Rugby team, and countless other professional sports teams.

More importantly, he has also worked with Tier 1 and Tier 2 units as well as numerous high-profile military and law enforcement tactical units. In this episode Kelly and I discuss becoming a tactical athlete and optimizing your physical capabilities. We also dig into Kelly’s guidance on preventing injury, training for longevity, and creating a culture of performance in your team. This is a fantastic discussion with one of the foremost experts in strength and conditioning who also happens to be a great guy with a genuine passion for first responders.

Books Recommended
Built to Move: The Ten Essential Habits to Help You Move Freely and Live Fully – Kelly Starrett & Juliet Starrett – ISBN 13 - 978-0593534809

Becoming a Supple Leopard 2nd Edition: The Ultimate Guide to Resolving Pain, Preventing Injury, and Optimizing Athletic Performance – Kelly Starrett and Glen Cordoza – ISBN 13 - 978-1628600834

Contact Info
The Ready State – https://www.thereadystate.com

My guest today is Patrick Van Horne.   Patrick is the co- author of Left Of Bang: How the Marine Corps combat hunter program can save your life.  He is also the co-founder of the CP journal where he supports clients in preventing, preparing for, and proactively responding to disasters, disruptions and acts of violence.  After starting his career is an infantry officer in the Marine Corps following the September 11 attacks,  Patrick has supported public and private sector organizations in disaster, preparedness and violence prevention initiative as an entrepreneur, consultant, local emergency manager and volunteer for over 20 years.  Patrick’s book Left Of Bang described an innovative program that taught deploying marines how to proactively recognize threats, assess human behavior and gain an advantage over the nation’s adversary. This approach has since been adopted by organizations around the world to prepare for an uncertain future, prevent violence, enhance healthcare delivery, focus cyber security operations, tailor educational programs and improve decision-making.

Links

Homepage: www.cp-journal.com

The Evolution of Left of Bang (this article shows how the topic/idea has grown and expanded since the book was published). 

The Tactical Analysis Course (this is the overview page of the video-based course of the behaviors and approach written about in the book). 

Books

Mastery - Robert Greene - ISBN-13: ‎ 978-1101601020

The Warrior Ethos- Stephen Pressfield - ISBN-13: ‎ 978-1936891009

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

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. 
 
This was a wide-ranging discussion that covered a number of current topics in special tactics including: Constitutional Policing, Militarization of law enforcement, SWAT standards, no-knock warrants, and the use of dynamic tactics in search warrants.  The contrast between the different regional and national perspectives on these issues made for a great conversation.  I’d like to thank the NTOA, CATO, Florida SWAT, RMTTA, and TTPOA for their willingness to share this discussion with our audience. 

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:
CATO - Home | CATO (catotraining.org)
Florida SWAT Association - Home (memberclicks.net)
NTOA - NTOA | National Tactical Officers Association
RMTTA - Rocky Mountain Tactical Team Association (rmtta.com)
TTPOA - TTPOA

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

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. 

Over the course of the next 15 hours, in sweltering heat, the South Metro SWAT Team, in conjunction with Washington County SWAT, and Ramsey County SWAT, attempted to negotiate a peaceful resolution to the crisis as the suspects mental state deteriorated. 

Although they were able to obtain one of the two children, it started to become clear that a tactical intervention would be necessary. My guests today are Adam Tschida, Daniel Salmey, and Jeff Hanson from South Metro SWAT to discuss the case, their successful HRT intervention, and the lessons learned from a very challenging rescue. 

About South Metro SWAT
South Metro SWAT provides tactical coverage for thirteen different law enforcement agencies in Minnesota. The team’s service area spans roughly 1000 square miles south of the Twin Cities and is home to approximately 380,000 residents. 

The team has roughly 50 members. 35 tactical members including: commander, assistant commander, team leaders, snipers, breachers, medics, K9, etc. 15 crisis negotiations team members included: assistant commander, team leader, sworn LE, licensed mental health personnel. Core competencies include: hostage rescue, high risk warrant service, barricaded suspect/subject operations, dignitary protection, public order operations, man tracking operations, vehicle suppression, and community event security/quick reaction force.

Books Recommended
Lincoln on Leadership: Executive Strategies for Tough Times - Donald T. Phillips – ISBN: 9780446394598
Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don't Know - Adam M. Grant – ISBN: 9781984878106
Call Sign Chaos: Learning to Lead - Jim Mattis & Bing West – ISBN: 9780812996838
The Dichotomy of Leadership: Balancing the Challenges of Extreme Ownership to Lead and Win - Jocko Willink & Leif Babin – ISBN: 9781250195777

Contact Info
Adam Tschida - Adam.tschida@applevalleymn.gov
Daniel Salmey - dsalmey@southstpaul.org