I have noticed an increasing number of courses marketed under titles such as “Protect This House,” aimed at training volunteers to protect their church or place of worship. While the intent behind these programs is commendable, similar training should also be extended to schools and any location where large groups regularly gather. I attended one of these courses to better understand what was being taught. While it included some strong video content, the overall program fell short. The...

Operational Planning: Beyond the Big Picture Operational planning models vary widely across industries, yet they share a common goal—functional, repeatable processes that enable predictable outcomes. During my time in the Marine Corps, we relied on the SMEAC format: Situation, Mission, Execution, Admin & Logistics, Command & Control . It worked—simple, disciplined, and effective. After a few repetitions, it became muscle memory. Since transitioning into roles across multiple sectors, I’ve...

How important are these words? To me, they mean everything. Not only as a medical provider—but long before I ever entered pre-hospital medicine—I was once just another person in the crowd, standing around someone who was injured and not knowing what to do. How many times have we seen videos or heard survivors say: ·       “If only someone had helped sooner.” ·       “EMS took a long time to arrive.” ·       Or worse, “I didn’t know what to do.” These statements should trouble all of us. So...