Officer Survival

Life's Not Fair; Being an Emotional Winner
In all of my law enforcement training classes I have a presentation slide that says simply “Nobody ever said life was going to be fair.”  Whether I’m talking to cops, dispatchers, trainers, commanders, sworn or civilian, this statement always generates discussion.  This probably isn’t the first time you’ve heard some variation of “life isn’t fair.”  I first heard it growing up on a farm in northernIllinoisin the 60’s and 70’s. I was a pretty happy kid, but I was always...
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  • Life's Not Fair; Being an Emotional Winner

    When I was sill in elementary school I decided that I’d become a cop. Certainly my strong sense of right and wrong, fair and unfair, good and evil would serve me well as a law enforcement professional.

    Article • April 18th, 2013

  • How to Survive a Heart Attack

    You have gone through thousands of worst case scenarios over and over in your mind. But do you know the symptoms of a heart attack? Do you know what to do if you are having one? What about if you are alone? Do you know your risk factors for heart...

    Article • April 12th, 2013

  • How Not to Respond on the Street
    How Not to Respond on the Street

    Would that it could, that one shot from an officer’s sidearm could effectively stop a deadly suspect in his tracks. Oh, it can and has happened but the “Myth of the One Shot Stop” has been disproven many years ago.

    Article • March 4th, 2013

  • Our Role in the Active Killer Incident

    The threat of spree killers is real and you must be prepared to stop the threat.

    Article • January 29th, 2013

  • Officer Survival in 20/20 Hindsight

    Force incidents are to be judged “at the moment” not from an armchair on Monday morning

    Article • January 3rd, 2013

  • Woman Warriors: Stories From the Thin Blue Line
    Woman Warriors: Stories From the Thin Blue Line

    The stories themselves are fascinating. “A Rookie’s Tale” by Lt. Kimberly Owens literally had me laughing out loud and reminded me of my own silly rookie days. Officer Brittni King aptly describes how “gallows humor” gets cops through tough...

    Article • December 20th, 2012

  • Cold Weather Myths My Mom Taught Me
    Cold Weather Myths My Mom Taught Me

    Do people always gain weight over the holidays? Do you lose body heat by not covering your head in cold weather?

    Article • December 3rd, 2012

  • Welcome to the Holidays Crime-Fighters

    I would love to tell you that that time of year from Thanksgiving till Christmas is a time of peace on Earth and goodwill to men and in most quadrants and with most people this tends to be true. However, in others fueled by alcohol, drugs, rage or the...

    Article • November 29th, 2012

  • Formula For Success & Survival?

    It’s been said that people are either optimists or pessimists. Simplistically speaking, you’re either a “glass half full” or “glass half empty” kind of person, right? Wrong!

    Article • November 26th, 2012

  • What Do You Do With A Vampire?

    What do you do tomorrow when there is no reason for someone to be impersonating a vampire, has committed a heinous crime, and insists that he “must feed” on human blood as he snarls at you bearing teeth? Everyone knows vampires aren’t real. Well...

    Article • October 31st, 2012

  • Impediments to Your Survival
    Impediments to Your Survival

    How officers are their own worst enemies in their own survival

    Article • October 22nd, 2012

  • Understanding the Nature of Panic

    The other night, I woke up about three o’clock in the morning in what I would consider a state of “panic.” I was sweating profusely, my breathing my shallow and fast, my heart was racing, I was disoriented. As I got control of myself, I realized...

    Article • October 18th, 2012

  • Training To Win Gunfights
    Training To Win Gunfights

    Firearms training can no longer be simply a nice outing - a day to get together with buddies, shoot a couple boxes of ammo, and then go play golf or retire to the nearest gin mill for a few drinks.

    Article • October 10th, 2012

  • Officer Survival and Attention to Detail
    Officer Survival and Attention to Detail

    Little things add up and can seriously affect your survival. Just this week several (at least three) officers showed up at carbine qualifications with personally owned carbines topped with red-dot sight which had dead batteries. It can happen...

    Article • October 8th, 2012

  • One-Man Go Bag: Kit up now
    One-Man Go Bag: Kit up now

    Far too often the good guys and the innocent citizen are found on the ground leaking. If you are out on the road, it’s more often than not going to be you who show up first on the scene. I won’t upset your stomach any further by recounting the...

    Article • August 21st, 2012

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