THE PODCAST
Elevating the conversation about all things tactical.
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.
“Your Children Are Not Safe”: DC Beltway Snipers
In October 2002, a 17 and 41 year old carried out a series of serial murders, killing 10 and wounding 3 others in what were described as random attacks against people doing every day tasks like pumping gas and mowing their lawn. We cover lessons from this large scale, multi-agency investigation with takeaways for individual cops and police leaders related to public relations, investigative rigor, and interagency cooperation.
Calling Bull$h!#: Responding to Swatting Hoaxes
EPISODE 167 Calling Bull$h!#: Responding to Swatting Hoaxes No one should die over a false report....
Run the Clock: Time, Talk, Tear Gas, Tactics
EPISODE 166 Run the Clock: Time, Talk, Tear Gas, TacticsThe 6th Circuit Court of Appeals decision...
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...
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.
Home Security: Defense in Depth!
Every gun guy (and lady) has thought about how they might have to confront an intruder coming into their house. Too many times, when talking home defense, I have heard the conversation go to that universal language of the pump shotgun
Lessons from Aviation
3 Key Lessons from...
21 Foot Rule
One of the patterns we have noticed lately is how intense the tactical community’s relationship with fads can be. The Sheepdog analogy is a useful way to help a young soldier or cop begin to understand that they have to be prepared to do violence, but in a constrained way. It tends to fall apart when taken too far, though. The Spartan legacy is useful in inspiring toughness – but that doesn’t mean you have to run around wearing a helmet and shield. In the tactical training telephone game, good ideas can morph into rules and then into obsessions, and in the process, they can lose their utility. One of the big ones is the 21-Foot Rule.
Marker Training
Dog Training: Markers Maybe less tacti-cool than you’re used to, but enough people have dogs that...
Situational Leadership
SITUATIONAL LEADERSHIP This leadership model was created by a couple of psychologists named Hersey...
Ask, Tell, Make: Still Works
ASK, TELL, MAKE: STILL WORKS In the police academy, we learned this decision-making algorithm for...
Remember Rick Rescorla
REMEMBER RICK RESCORLA For this week’s bulletin, I thought I’d share a Facebook post I wrote on...
Leadership in Teaching
LEADERSHIP IN TEACHING One of the first leadership opportunities I’ve had at any job has been some...