The Debrief with Jon Becker

In this engaging discussion, Patrick Van Horne, a Marine Corps veteran and co-author of 'Left of Bang,' shares insights on threat recognition and proactive violence prevention. He explains the Combat Hunter program, emphasizing the shift from reactive to proactive measures. Patrick discusses how recognizing pre-event indicators can enhance decision-making and resource efficiency. He also highlights the broader applications of this framework beyond military contexts, such as in cybersecurity and public health, showcasing its significance in today's unpredictable world.

On October 27, 2018 a lone gunman entered the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh, PA with the intent of killing anyone he could. Tree of Life was the home to three different congregations, Tree of Life, New Light, and Dor Haddash, all of which were preparing for or having their normal shabbat services.  What followed was the deadliest attack on the Jewish Community in American history. 11 innocent people were killed, and a further 6 were injured.This attack is the subject of our documentary called Confronting Hate, where we dealt with the attack and aftermath in detail. However, we wanted to make a more traditional episode of The Debrief to cover the team’s lessons learned from the event and their advice to other units. In this episode, we will hear from several of the responding members of Pittsburgh SWAT. As usual, we will not mention the shooters name or discuss his agenda because we are hoping time will erase him and the hate he hoped to propagate.

On Friday May 17 2024 the Surprise Arizona Police department received a call that a suspect had broken into his ex-girlfriend’s home and taken her and their 7-month-old child hostage. The suspect told her that he planned to kill her and the baby and eventually killed her dog.  She eventually convinced the suspect to let her go outside and fled to local construction workers who called the Surprise police.  When police arrived on scene, they found the suspect shooting out the front of the house into neighboring homes.  The decision was made to conduct a high-risk entry to rescue the child.  What ensued was a textbook hostage rescue by members of the Surprise SWAT team augmented by patrol officers who entered the home and rescued the child getting him to medical attention and saving his life. The team, having rescued the baby, then pulled out of the home leaving the suspect barricaded in a back bedroom.  The suspect eventually lit the house on fire before committing suicide.  My guests today are Officer Ryan Scott and Officer Travis Karpuleon from Surprise PD who were both part of the team that rescued the baby Resources: Critical Incident Debrief 5.17.2024 - YouTube

On this episode of The Debrief we are going to be looking at Post Traumatic Stress and Post Traumatic Growth.  These are two topics that I am extremely passionate about because, as you might imagine, each incident we cover on The Debrief has had a profound effect on everyone involved.  Over the years that I have been working with teams and the years I have hosted this show I have seen people destroyed by their experiences.  Yet I have also seen others use the trauma they endured to build a stronger, happier and more purposeful version of themselves.   Although I have certainly seen patterns, I have always wondered what separated these two groups of people, which is why I wanted to have this discussion on Post Traumatic Growth.  Simply put there is a LOT we can do to prepare for and respond to traumatic incidents that will reduce the fallout to those involved.All of my guests today have a different perspective on Post traumatic growth.  Dr. Richard Tedeschi is the world’s foremost authority on Post Traumatic Growth and literally coined the expression.  His work forms the foundation for most PTG programs.  Josh Goldberg is the CEO of Boulder Crest Foundation, a nonprofit whose Warrior Path and Struggle Well programs have reached over 100,000 people.And Finally Chief Chad Kasmar is the current Chief of Police in Tucson Arizona.  Following the suicide of a friend and former fellow officer Chad has led a revolution in the way his city prepares and supports their staff for traumatic incidents.  He has a truly unique perspective on the implementation of these types of programs.I hope you enjoy this deep dive into Post Traumatic Growth and that this episode inspires you and your agencies to improve on the way we prepare and treat our warriors and first responders. Resources: Boulder Crest Foundation – www.bouldercrest.org Boulder Crest: Reborn - Boulder Crest Foundation Presents: Reborn - YouTube

On the 15th of December 2014, a terrorist took over the Lindt Chocolate café in Martin Place, in the heart of Sydney, Australia, holding 18 customers and staff hostage, creating a siege that would last for over 16 hours. Although numerous hostages escaped, by the time the event conclude,d 2 innocent people were dead, 4 others were injured.   For 10 years, this incident was suppressed under a government-mandated gag order. This prevented the New South Wales Police Tactical Operations Unit (or TOU) members from even publicly revealing their names.  As a result, despite a detailed and scathing coroner’s inquest report, the largest and most expensive in Australian history, there has been very little discussion about what actually happened that night, particularly from a tactical perspective.In keeping with the standard policy of The Debrief, we will not be discussing the name, objectives, or affiliations of the terrorist in the hope that time will erase his memory.  We will, of course, be discussing the names of the team, and in this case, hostages, because they are heroes and need to be remembered. I hope you enjoy my conversation with Ben Besant. Guest:My guest today is Ben Besant.  Ben, or ‘Officer A’ as he was identified in the coroner’s report, was the lead member of the Alpha Team during the intervention and the officer who engaged and killed the terrorist. He is currently the author of a book Tiger! Tiger! Tiger!  which details not only what happened that night but also explains a very personal battle to recover his mental health following ‘the Lindt Café siege.’Resources: Ben Besant - https://tigertigertigerbook.com/Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100086482286065#Resolute Ready - https://resoluteready.com/Official Report - https://coroners.nsw.gov.au/documents/findings/2017/lindt_cafe_findings-and-recommendations.pdf

Guests Nazmia Comrie, a sociologist from the DOJ Office of Community-Oriented Policing Services, and Frank Fernandez, a retired police chief, delve into the harrowing events of the Uvalde Robb Elementary tragedy. They discuss the independent review process, which included extensive interviews and document analysis. Key topics include the critical misclassification as a 'barricaded subject', leadership failures that stalled response efforts, and the profound impact on the community. They also share vital recommendations for improving law enforcement protocols in active shooter scenarios.

Trey Sorensen, a Captain in the Pasadena Fire Department, and Bobby Crees, a Sergeant in the Pasadena Police Department, share gripping insights from the Eaton Canyon fire. They recount the harrowing first hours, highlighting chaotic evacuations fueled by relentless winds. Their discussions reveal the intense pressure faced by responders and the crucial coordination required to save lives. Personal anecdotes illustrate the emotional toll of the crisis, showcasing teamwork under fire and the resilience of the community amid destruction.

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/

John Dowd, a former Navy SEAL and founder of SOFware, LLC, shares his insights on elite personnel selection. He discusses evolving assessment methods and the balance of skills and attributes essential for leadership. Dowd emphasizes the importance of choosing candidates who enhance team dynamics alongside physical endurance. He also explores the role of failure in training and how introspection can fortify leadership. Finally, he highlights the need for clear criteria and the impact of mentorship in selecting the right individuals for high-stakes environments.