Law Enforcement Officers Firearms Survival Summit

January 31, 2023

8:45 AM – 4:30 PM ET

Location:

National Law Enforcement Museum
(virtual attendance option also available)

Questions?

Join the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund for a pivotal event on the topic of prevention of firearms injury and line-of-duty deaths. The full-day event will feature law enforcement and firearms experts and leadership, as well as statistical data from NLEOMF’s proprietary Mid-Year and End-of-Year Law Enforcement Officers Fatalities Reports to deliver actionable content and tools. The nation’s most respected law enforcement tactics practitioners, combined with the most current and innovative training and technology will provide lifesaving firearm and ambush survival solutions.

ATF Director Steven Dettelbach will serve as keynote speaker, and special remarks will be made by Brian Gould, Chief of Police, Bristol, CT, whose department recently lost officers in an ambush attack.

The Firearms Survival Summit will answer critical and timely questions, including:

  • What is killing our officers nationally?
  • What can we learn from the data?
  • What changes in policy can be implemented to improve safety and survivability?
  • How must training evolve to meet the increase in ambush style firearm attacks?
  • What improved technology and equipment are available?
  • Where do we go from here?

Featured Speakers

Keynote Address:

ATF Director Steven Dettelbach

Special Guests:

Brian Gould, Chief of Police, Bristol, CT
Jeff Caggiano, Mayor, City of Bristol, Connecticut

Itinerary

8:45 am
Opening Remarks

Troy S. Anderson – Executive Director, Officer Safety and Wellness, National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund (NLEOMF)

Marcia Ferranto – Chief Executive Officer, NLEOMF

9:00 am
Keynote Presentation

Steven M. Dettelbach – Director, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF)

9:30 am
Lt. Randy Sutton – Founder & Chairman, The Wounded Blue; Partner, The Armor Research Company

Lt. Randy Sutton (Ret.) from the Armor Research Company (ARC) delivers remarks on Wounded Blue and the ARC’s lightest Rifle Rated Compact Response Shield

9:35 am
Analysis from the 2022 End-of-year Preliminary Law Enforcement Officers Fatalities Report

Bill Alexander – Executive Director, National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial, NLEOMF

10:15 am
Leading an Agency After an Ambush-Style Attack

Brian Gould – Chief of Police, Bristol (CT) Police Department

Chief Gould will share the experience of his agency’s recent fatal ambush style attack and the heroic actions of his officers in the immediate aftermath that led to one officer’s life being saved.

Jeff Caggiano – Mayor, City of Bristol, Connecticut

Bristol Mayor Jeff Caggiano delivers remarks on handling post incident leadership from a public administrator perspective.

11:00 am
Success Stories from Destination Zero Agencies and Resources from NLEOMF

Matthew Garcia – Senior Program Manager, Law Enforcement Ambassador Program, NLEOMF

Matt Garcia will introduce video remarks from two nationally recognized agencies, the San Antonio (TX) Police Department and Chesterfield County (VA) Police Department on the improvements to law enforcement and public safety during firearms related calls for service and how their techniques can be replicated across the country. Garcia will also share with the audience the programs that NLEOMF offers that can assist agency’s looking to make a change, including the Destination Zero and Ambassador Programs.

11:50 am
Lunch
1:00 pm
Officer Safety Awareness Training (OSAT)

Philip D. Wright – Liaison Specialist, Law Enforcement Engagement Unit, FBI Criminal Justice Information Services Division

Liaison Specialist Philip D. Wright delivers insights from FBI’s Law Enforcement Officers Killed and Assaulted (LEOKA) data on the rising number of firearms related injuries and fatalities in law enforcement.

2:00 pm
Winning Armed Encounters

Peter Soulis – Inspector, Sworn Training Unit, Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE)

Inspector Soulis presents a detailed account of his extensive gunfight experiences as a civilian law enforcement officer. Soulis, who was ambushed in 1997, describes what training benefited him and what did not. He outlines the significant changes he has made to his own training as it relates to deadly force and how he has implemented these tactics/skills into a firearms training system created to address spontaneous shooting situations. Further discussed is FDLE creation of the “The Solo Officer Response to An Active Shooter” and “Counter Ambush” courses, which have already saved lives and are now evidence based. In addition, Soulis will highlight changes made to Florida’s firearms qualifications course and why change was needed.

3:00 pm
Panel Discussion on Law Enforcement Firearms Related Injuries and Fatalities

Moderator: Jim Burch – President, National Policing Institute

Brenda Goss Andrews – President, National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE)

William G Brooks III – Chief, Norwood (MA) Police Department; Board of Directors, International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP)

Jim Burch and representatives from our nation’s leading law enforcement organizations discuss the increasingly dangerous conditions that peace officers find themselves in and offer their insights for solutions.

3:55 pm
Program Concludes
4:05 pm
Screening of Service and Sacrifice Film
(for in-person attendees)

SUPPORTING SPONSOR

Questions?