After training more than 32,000 responders in over 2,700 active shooter exercises, we’ve seen Rescue Task Force (RTF) become so focused on who “counts” that it can distract from the actual goal: use the people you have to save as many lives as possible.

In this episode of the Active Shooter Incident Management Podcast, Bill Godfrey talks with instructors Kevin Nichols and Kelly Boaz about a mission‑first definition of RTF that works in big cities and small communities alike: a team with a medical mission operating in an unsecured area, with its own internal security, regardless of which uniforms are on it.

They discuss why time doesn’t apply the same way to every injured person, why judgment at the casualty collection point matters more than labels, and how keeping RTF concepts simple helps responders focus on getting the right patients on the first ambulances instead of debating terminology.

Get the free sample Rescue Task Force SOP and glossary of definitions mentioned in this episode at: 

https://ncier.org/asim/checklist

https://ncier.org/research

https://ncier.org/blog

View this episode on YouTube at: https://youtu.be/W7HUJCBFWOc

Like what you hear? Drop a review and subscribe to our Podcast Channel. 

If you have questions, you can send them to [email protected] with “Podcast Question” in the subject line. 

Check out our websites and learn more about C3 Pathways / NCIER by going to: https://www.c3pathways.com or https://www.ncier.org

The Active Shooter Incident Management Podcast is owned by C3 Pathways and NCIER. None of the content presented may be copied, repurposed, or used without the owner’s prior consent.

Your active shooter plan needs an Emergency Manager. After 2,700 active shooter exercises across the country, we keep seeing the same pattern: one agency tries to improve its active shooter response, but without emergency management leading a shared plan, training stays siloed, and different approaches collide at the same incident.

In this episode of the Active Shooter Incident Management Podcast, Bill Godfrey talks with instructors Kevin Nichols and Kelly Boaz about why your active shooter plan needs an emergency manager out front.

They discuss:

The bottom line: hope is not a plan. In almost every real event, “everybody is coming to this thing,” so somebody has to own one coordinated plan for everybody. That somebody is your emergency manager.

Get the one‑page conversation guide mentioned in this episode to use with your emergency manager: https://ncier.org/research

View this episode on YouTube at: https://youtu.be/EnG5QLvhjn8

#ActiveShooterResponse #EmergencyManagement #PublicSafety #Podcast

Like what you hear? Drop a review and subscribe to our Podcast Channel. 

If you have questions, you can send them to [email protected] with “Podcast Question” in the subject line. 

Check out our websites and learn more about C3 Pathways / NCIER by going to: https://www.c3pathways.com or https://www.ncier.org

The Active Shooter Incident Management Podcast is owned by C3 Pathways and NCIER. None of the content presented may be copied, repurposed, or used without the owner’s prior consent.

After training over 30,000 responders in 2,700 active shooter exercises across the country, we keep seeing the same gap: when EMS isn’t fire-based, the written plan for who goes inside and how transport capacity is protected is often unclear.

In this episode of the Active Shooter Incident Management Podcast, Bill Godfrey talks with instructors Kevin Nichols and Kelly Boaz about practical ways to solve that problem before the incident happens.

They discuss:

The theme is simple: the gaps are real, but they’re fixable if you sit down now with EMS, fire, law enforcement, hospitals, and emergency management and work the problem together.

Get the Active Shooter Incident Management Checklist & Help Guide to support your RTF, triage, and transport planning: https://ncier.org/asim/checklist

View this episode on YouTube at: https://youtu.be/an5NNOmbiTg

#ActiveShooterResponse #IncidentManagementSystem #FirstResponders #LawEnforcementTraining #FireEMS #Podcast

Like what you hear? Drop a review and subscribe to our Podcast Channel. 

If you have questions, you can send them to [email protected] with “Podcast Question” in the subject line. 

Check out our websites and learn more about C3 Pathways / NCIER by going to: https://www.c3pathways.com or https://www.ncier.org

The Active Shooter Incident Management Podcast is owned by C3 Pathways and NCIER. None of the content presented may be copied, repurposed, or used without the owner’s prior consent.

When should Contact Team 2 move downrange in an active shooter response, and how do you do it without flooding the scene or risking blue‑on‑blue?

In this episode of the Active Shooter Incident Management Podcast, Bill Godfrey is joined by instructors Kevin Nichols and Kelly Boaz to answer a listener question about Contact Team 2. Drawing on more than 2,700 active shooter exercises, they explain why the old habit of waiting on tactical to “have time” to deploy Contact Team 2 was costing minutes, and how a simple trigger and self‑forming process gets the second team there faster without creating chaos.

They cover:

If you’re a patrol supervisor, trainer, or command‑staff leader responsible for active shooter readiness, this is a useful episode to turn into a short roll‑call block, in‑service talk, or tabletop drill.

View this episode on YouTube at: https://youtu.be/IL0d5mCPAyM

Download the Active Shooter Incident Management Checklist & Help Guide at: https://ncier.org/asim/checklist to give your agency a single, validated playbook for contact teams, staging, CCPs, and Unified Command.

Like what you hear? Drop a review and subscribe to our Podcast Channel. 

If you have questions, you can send them to [email protected] with “Podcast Question” in the subject line. 

Check out our websites and learn more about C3 Pathways / NCIER by going to: https://www.c3pathways.com or https://www.ncier.org

The Active Shooter Incident Management Podcast is owned by C3 Pathways and NCIER. None of the content presented may be copied, repurposed, or used without the owner’s prior consent.

Where should the Perimeter Group Supervisor actually be in an active shooter response: standing a post on the perimeter, or inside the command post?

In this episode of the Active Shooter Incident Management Podcast, Bill Godfrey is joined by Sheriff Kevin Beary and Assistant Chief Kevin Nichols to answer a listener question from a Canadian officer about the Perimeter Group Supervisor’s position and responsibilities as an incident grows.

They cover:

If you’re assigning perimeter, running the command post, or training others on ASIM, this is a useful discussion for your next training, policy review, or tabletop.

View this episode on YouTube at: https://youtu.be/Gd94JCk8rPc

Like what you hear? Drop a review and subscribe to our Podcast Channel. 

If you have questions, you can send them to [email protected] with “Podcast Question” in the subject line. 

Check out our websites and learn more about C3 Pathways / NCIER by going to: https://www.c3pathways.com or https://www.ncier.org

The Active Shooter Incident Management Podcast is owned by C3 Pathways and NCIER. None of the content presented may be copied, repurposed, or used without the owner’s prior consent.

When do you move from a single law enforcement incident commander to a unified command in an active shooter event—and how do you do it without creating chaos at the command post? That is the question we dig into in this episode of the Active Shooter Incident Management Podcast.

Host Bill Godfrey sits down with Sheriff Kevin Beary and Assistant Police Chief Kevin Nichols from the National Center for Integrated Emergency Response to talk through real-world considerations that don’t show up on a checklist. They explore how jurisdiction size, time of day, staffing, and executive availability shape the “right time” to make the switch, and why the answer is more nuanced than a simple rule.

You’ll hear them unpack what unified command should actually be focused on, what “speaking with one voice” really means, and how to transition from that first law enforcement incident commander into a unified command structure without disrupting what’s already working in the field. Along the way, they share lessons learned about speed, situational awareness, and avoiding self‑inflicted delays.

If you’re a law, fire, or EMS leader—or someone likely to end up at the command post—this conversation will help you think through how your agency should approach unified command before the next major incident.

🔗 For a deeper dive on this topic, check out the companion pieces on our website:

View this episode on YouTube at: https://youtu.be/aspgiNW8jzs

#ActiveShooterResponse #UnifiedCommand #IncidentManagementSystem #FirstResponders #LawEnforcementTraining #Podcast

Like what you hear? Drop a review and subscribe to our Podcast Channel. 

If you have questions, you can send them to [email protected] with “Podcast Question” in the subject line. 

Check out our websites and learn more about C3 Pathways / NCIER by going to: https://www.c3pathways.com or https://www.ncier.org

The Active Shooter Incident Management Podcast is owned by C3 Pathways and NCIER. None of the content presented may be copied, repurposed, or used without the owner’s prior consent.

Dispatch isn't just a voice on the radio—it can make or break an active shooter response. In this episode we sit down with Bill Godfrey, Sheriff Kevin Beary, and Kevin Nichols to unpack why 911/dispatch is a true operational lifeline in modern critical incidents.​

You’ll learn how dispatchers:

We also talk about:

This episode is a must-listen for:

If you’re serious about improving active shooter incident management, you can’t afford to treat dispatch as an afterthought. Hit play to hear real-world lessons, hard truths, and simple changes that can dramatically improve outcomes in your next critical event. We also encourage you to check out our white paper “The Critical Role of Dispatch and 911 in Hostile Event Management” on our website at https://ncier.org/research/white-paper-critical-role-of-dispatch-and-911-hostile-event-management.

View this episode on YouTube at: https://youtu.be/a6kP61u4MMM

Like what you hear? Drop a review and subscribe to our Podcast Channel. 

If you have questions, you can send them to [email protected] with “Podcast Question” in the subject line. 

Check out our websites and learn more about C3 Pathways / NCIER by going to: https://www.c3pathways.com or https://www.ncier.org

The Active Shooter Incident Management Podcast is owned by C3 Pathways and NCIER. None of the content presented may be copied, repurposed, or used without the owner’s prior consent.

In this episode, the team breaks down the real-world differences between a Casualty Collection Point (CCP) and an Ambulance Exchange Point (AEP), why they matter, and how to set them up so you save more lives in an active shooter or mass casualty event.​

Episode 120 dives into working in the warm zone and explains how CCPs and AEPs function together to move victims rapidly from point of injury to definitive care, while maintaining responder safety. The team discusses who should establish the CCP, how law enforcement Contact Teams drive early triage and security, and why CCPs are not just a “medical” job.​

You’ll hear practical tactics on:

• Defining and securing a CCP in the warm zone so Rescue Task Forces can work safely​
• What makes an AEP different from a traditional MCI loading zone​
• Prioritizing which “reds” go first and using medical judgment beyond simple triage tags​
• Matching patient loads to available medics without overwhelming the ambulance crew​
• Coordinating tactical, triage, and transport to avoid fatal delays in getting ambulances to the AEP​

Whether you’re law enforcement, fire, EMS, or an incident commander, this episode will help you visualize how CCPs and AEPs should work on your next high-threat incident.

View this episode at: https://youtu.be/0tvPO0lvEVs

Like what you hear? Drop a review and subscribe to our Podcast Channel. 

If you have questions, you can send them to [email protected] with “Podcast Question” in the subject line. 

Check out our websites and learn more about C3 Pathways / NCIER by going to: https://www.c3pathways.com or https://www.ncier.org

The Active Shooter Incident Management Podcast is owned by C3 Pathways and NCIER. None of the content presented may be copied, repurposed, or used without the owner’s prior consent.

On April 17, 2025, a normal college day suddenly turned into a crisis when an active shooter appeared on campus, and Hope—a senior at Florida State University—was right in the middle of it. She talks about what it was really like: hearing sirens, getting lockdown alerts, and dealing with fear, confusion, and the challenge of keeping calm when nobody knew what was happening. In this powerful and emotional interview, Hope describes barricading the classroom, texting her parents, and relying on each other when official instructions seemed confusing and social media added to the panic. For four hours, Hope and her classmates stuck together, their emotions swinging from worry to courage. This video isn’t just about a scary event—it’s about the real people who lived through it, what schools can do to prepare, and why talking about tough moments matters. If you want to know what facing the unimaginable is really like, and how teamwork and family can help you get through anything, don’t miss this story. It’s gripping, heartfelt, and a sobering look at resilience, community, and the lessons learned from tragedy.  

Viewer Discretion Advised: This episode contains an unfiltered discussion about a real campus emergency and may not be suitable for younger viewers. There is no graphic or gory content, but the conversation includes emotional and mature themes related to safety and trauma. If you’re a parent, we encourage you to watch this episode together with your child — it’s an important, honest look at how students experience and process difficult events.

View this episode on YouTube at: https://youtu.be/nnDa7Dua2n4

Like what you hear? Drop a review and subscribe to our Podcast Channel. 

If you have questions, you can send them to [email protected] with “Podcast Question” in the subject line. 

Check out our websites and learn more about C3 Pathways / NCIER by going to: https://www.c3pathways.com or https://www.ncier.org

The Active Shooter Incident Management Podcast is owned by C3 Pathways and NCIER. None of the content presented may be copied, repurposed, or used without the owner’s prior consent.

Today’s episode tackles the question How can first responders get real practice with active shooter incident management—when true incidents are (thankfully) rare in a career? Our panel explores practical strategies for integrating incident management skills into everyday calls and routine events—so you're always prepared, even if you only see a "big one" once in your career.

Key highlights:

• Discover how to build skills by applying active shooter incident management techniques during regular calls (like missing persons, single-patient shootings, or barricaded suspect events).
• Learn why adopting consistent terminology and roles on low-risk or special event calls (like fairs or football games) builds strong incident command habits.
• Hear examples of leveraging staging, tactical roles, and unified command in day-to-day operations—on both fire/EMS and law enforcement sides.
• Find out how these daily practices help responders break down silos, develop relationships, identify training gaps, and get more comfortable with critical incident management tools.
• Tips on building relationships, practicing rapid triage, and involving all agencies in pre-planning for special events.

Even if you respond to routine incidents or planned gatherings, there are constant opportunities to use and strengthen your active shooter response skills. This episode is packed with real-world advice, stories, and actionable ideas you can put to work immediately!

View this episode on YouTube at: https://youtu.be/2zABgzQ7Yi0

Like what you hear? Drop a review and subscribe to our Podcast Channel. 

If you have questions, you can send them to [email protected] with “Podcast Question” in the subject line. 

Check out our websites and learn more about C3 Pathways / NCIER by going to: https://www.c3pathways.com or https://www.ncier.org

The Active Shooter Incident Management Podcast is owned by C3 Pathways and NCIER. None of the content presented may be copied, repurposed, or used without the owner’s prior consent.