THE PODCAST
Elevating the conversation about all things tactical.
Use it or Lose it: The Essence of Officer Discretion
As they say, with great power comes great responsibility. Discretion is important but it works both ways—it’s not something you should flex, it’s something you should protect.
I AM THAT B*TCH! Erica Gaines of TacMobility
Through eye-opening surveys, TacMobility highlights the not-so-funny truths about depression and the dusty corners where wellness programs sit unused. Advocating for a mix of low-effort, big-impact wellness habits, TacMobility proves you can indeed teach old dogs new tricks and balance the badge with a bit of brain and body harmony.
Say What You Mean, Mean What You Say
A core component of effective teamwork is that everyone has a voice, and everyone gets a vote. The Good Idea Fairy might save your life someday, so foster that within your teams. Let the crazy guy talk! This episode covers an important communication concept for teams called mitigated speech and some ways to manage it.
Get with the times: Pistol Optics are the way of the present
There are advantages and disadvantages to any piece of tech—electronics and batteries are always failure points, but in this day and age they have become status quo. And for good reason: It’s a more natural way to shoot, you don’t need to shift your focus away from your target and it simplifies the cognitive load required to line up your iron sights. Learn more on any podcast outlet in Episode 154.
Guns n’ Guitars: Go learn something new
Hobbies are an important outlet but often, the hardest part is getting started. The next thing you have to learn is how to break through the inevitable plateaus and challenges that come with learning new skills, so in episode 153 we talk about how to develop techniques without sucking the joy out of something that is supposed to be fun.
Do you trust me? Selflessness in Teamwork
It’s one thing that we all get along, but real trust isn’t something that can be assumed as a given–we’ve got to earn it. Building trust in teams has a lot to do with the often unwritten social contracts that help us get on the same page about our roles and responsibilities. We have to know that everyone is going to put the mission before their own personal interests to really build harmony and a combined effort that is greater than than the sum of its individual parts.
All’s Well…If We Make it Well
“Wellness” is a buzzword these days. Employers offer all manner of wellness aids from fitness to nutrition as part of benefits packages, but the truth is that nobody can make you care about your wellness if you don’t. In this episode, Mike explains why this is an important concept and the reasons you should care about it.
Team Selection: Real-Life Fantasy Draft
Having a good selection procedure is important for getting the right members on a team. Mike steals a page from advertising, only where an ad man conceptualizes the ideal customer, he’s looking for the ideal SWAT guy. The process could work for any team selection, though. Just think about what the ideal candidate would say, think, do, or feel, and look for those people. Listen to this episode for ideas on how to do just that.
A Good Commander Knows What to Control
In this episode Mike and Jim talk about command and control, and teaching decision-making skills to team members. In this way, when everything hits the fan, the right decisions get made fast, and get made at the right level. There’s a reason for supervisors, commanders, and leaders, but it’s important to know when to let subordinates make decisions. Not every incident is The Big One, but nobody’s ready for The Big One if they haven’t been taught in the small ones.
Sleeping for Success
Dr. Sargent retired from a 25 year Navy career that included such exotic postings as being the only psychiatrist in Anbar Province, where he helped stand up the Combat Sleep School.
How to maximize healthy sleep hygiene without using drugs that might blunt the tactical edge is his specialty, and in this episode he talks with Mike about the best way we can adapt modern life schedules to bodies that have ancient sleep needs.
Making Worthwhile Exercises
From avoiding the pitfalls of “check-the-box” drills to incorporating realistic stressors and practical objectives, they break down what it takes to make training worthwhile. Whether you’re organizing exercises for law enforcement, the military, or emergency responders, this episode offers actionable advice to elevate your approach and achieve better outcomes.
Sticks and Stones Survival Skills 101
EPISODE 171 Sticks and Stones: Survival Skills 101We take it out to the woods with how to build a...
“Time is on our side right now…” -Uvalde School District Police Chief
We try to take a balanced approach between the real challenges first responders take and the tragic reality of this event. We hope you learn from it.
What a Wreck: Scene Size Up
Car accidents are something that are likely to touch all of us in some way or another, whether we are involved in one or manage them professionally as first responders. Not only are they exceptionally common, sometimes they are also challenging to manage well. We talk about some of the competing priorities and offer some ideas to get the emergency response to a traffic collision off to a good start.
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.
No Results Found
The page you requested could not be found. Try refining your search, or use the navigation above to locate the post.
Context in Use of Force
Humans make a subconscious assessment of a problem when they choose a solution, and that subtlety cannot be overlooked in training. Last year, we ran a training scenario at my agency where officers responded to a disturbance at an open business. When they arrived, they saw…
No-Knock Search Warrants
NO-KNOCK SEARCH WARRANTS Police officers will sometimes ask a magistrate for permission to...
Trauma Updates 2018
2018 SOUTHWEST TRAUMA CONFERENCE I spent the last couple days at the Southwest Regional Trauma...
What Signal Are You Sending?
WHAT SIGNAL ARE YOU SENDING? We need to talk about the hats, bumper stickers, tattoos, and...
Public Relations: You’re doing it wrong.
PUBLIC RELATIONS: YOU'RE DOING IT WRONG There was a recent Deputy-involved shooting in Arizona in...