THE PODCAST
Elevating the conversation about all things tactical.

Sniper in the Tower: 1966 Austin Clock Tower Shooting
This watershed event was part of the discussion that brought the idea of a SWAT team to the national stage and arguably brought momentum to what some now consider to be the militarization of the police. We talk about counter ambush tactics, cover or suppressive fire in law enforcement, tactical medicine, and more.

Calling Bull$h!#: Responding to Swatting Hoaxes
EPISODE 167 Calling Bull$h!#: Responding to Swatting Hoaxes No one should die over a false report. Internet gamers, celebrities and public figures, and maybe even one of your neighbors have been the victim of this sort of prank. These hoax emergency calls that can...

Run the Clock: Time, Talk, Tear Gas, Tactics
EPISODE 166 Run the Clock: Time, Talk, Tear Gas, TacticsThe 6th Circuit Court of Appeals decision in Downs v. United States was a benchmark case for domestic law enforcement that establishes our requirement to attempt negotiations for a peaceful resolution. We define...

Separating the Wanna-Bes from the Gonna-Bes: Motivation, Grit, and Discipline
EPISODE 165 Separating the Wanna-Bes from the Gonna-Bes: Motivation, Grit, and DisciplineYour Recipe for Success looks something like equal parts of three things. Motivation, the spark and desire. Discipline, your habits and structure. And Grit, your capacity to...

Power Lines and Wildfires: 2023 Maui Disaster
Over 100 people were killed, more than 2,000 structures destroyed, and over $5 billion in damage were left behind after wind and fire tore through the historic Lahaina district and adjacent areas in Maui, Hawaii. We dive into some of the public safety and disaster planning takeaways from this event including evacuations, notifications, misinformation, planning, and risk.

Strategy for Door Kickers
What’s the difference between strategy and tactics? Some definitions might help, but it’s also important to learn how to think critically about complex problems. Strategy is about the big picture. Learn more here.

Ordering Troops to their Deaths
EPISODE 162 Ordering Troops to their DeathsIs the American military prepared for the sacrifices that we can expect in a World War? Mike and Jim discuss whether commanders can lead and whether the troops will follow when it comes time to storm the beaches knowing many...

Tactical ADHD: Managing Attention
EPISODE 161 Tactical ADHD: Managing AttentionSituational awareness demands focus and selective attention. Sometimes playing on your phone can help, and sometimes it can kill you. Most people can’t multitask as well as they think, but Mike and Jim will give you...

Lights in the Sky: Aliens or Drones? Jim Spills the Beans on UFOs
Some of you are too young to remember the tagline “The Truth is Out There,” but Mike and Jim went full X-Files on this one… If you don’t know what any of that means, you definitely need to listen to this episode!

What’s up with the beards? Setting and Enforcing Standards
Green Berets have to work with a different rule book than the troops guarding nuclear weapons—and for good reasons. We explore the balance between strict adherence to rules and the often necessary flexibility to go off-script in tactical operations and your organization’s culture.

Strategy for Door Kickers
What’s the difference between strategy and tactics? Some definitions might help, but it’s also important to learn how to think critically about complex problems. Strategy is about the big picture. Learn more here.

Ordering Troops to their Deaths
EPISODE 162 Ordering Troops to their DeathsIs the American military prepared for the sacrifices...

Tactical ADHD: Managing Attention
EPISODE 161 Tactical ADHD: Managing AttentionSituational awareness demands focus and selective...

Lights in the Sky: Aliens or Drones? Jim Spills the Beans on UFOs
Some of you are too young to remember the tagline “The Truth is Out There,” but Mike and Jim went full X-Files on this one… If you don’t know what any of that means, you definitely need to listen to this episode!

What’s up with the beards? Setting and Enforcing Standards
Green Berets have to work with a different rule book than the troops guarding nuclear weapons—and for good reasons. We explore the balance between strict adherence to rules and the often necessary flexibility to go off-script in tactical operations and your organization’s culture.
Tactical Case for Restraint
One of the key flaws in civilian tactical training is how much time and effort we put into shooting and fighting skills and how little time and effort we put into conflict resolution. If all we teach is shooting, and the one tool in your “toolbox” is carbine skills, then the whole world might tend to look like a shooting range to you. That is a dangerous habit pattern…
Philando Castile
In July 2016 a police officer in Minnesota stopped a car and the driver informed the officer that he was armed. The driver was apparently reaching for his wallet, but the officer perceived that he was reaching for the gun. The officer gave him instructions to not reach for it, the driver said that he wasn’t, and somewhere in the mix the officer shot and killed him. The driver’s name was Philando Castile. The officer was charged with manslaughter but was acquitted by a jury. He was fired by his agency.
Riting for Cops
Poor writing kills cops. It kills cops because it doesn’t play well in the media or in court. That stilted pseudo-professional way of writing in passive voice makes cops sound intentionally opaque, robotic, and incompetent. Bad writing invites scrutiny, ridicule, and enhanced oversight by people who are far-removed from tactical reality…
Gun Handling
CAREFUL WITH THAT THING!There’s a video going around that shows a group of officers clearing a...
The X, Defined
FIGHT OFF THE X: Tactics for actions upon contact with a lethal threat in an ambush have remained relatively unchanged since I began my professional life in a world where something like that was a reality…
Balance: Training and Life
BALANCE: THE TOTAL PACKAGE We have a saying in dog training that you don’t fix one problem without...
Threat Assessment
THREAT ASSESSMENT; Threats of harm should always be taken seriously, but in many cases the person making the threat is only trying to exploit their victim or elicit a reaction for a perceived wrongdoing.
Two Types of Learners
TWO TYPES OF LEARNERS Psychologist Carol Dweck is known for her work on implicit theories of...