In this gripping episode, retired Denver Police SWAT Sergeant Jamie Smith shares unforgettable stories from his decades-long career—including his role as one of the first responders at the Columbine High School massacre. Jamie reflects on fear, leadership, and the importance of mental health support for law enforcement. The episode closes with a look at how he's using those lessons today to help shape technology that could save lives.

In this episode, Jamie and your hosts Dani Crain and John D. Conway get into:

(11:00) Jamie’s Early Career and Joining SWAT

* Jamie’s years as a Denver police officer. 

* The demanding nature of SWAT work, including no-knock drug raids, presidential visits, etc. 

(22:00) Columbine High School Shooting

* Jamie recounts responding to the scene and the initial chaos. 

(42:00) Columbine: Lessons Learned

* James shares the harrowing experience of encountering unexploded homemade bombs and navigating the high school. 

* Jamie reflects on the critical lesson learned after seeing the shooters. 

(1:04:00) Mental Health and New Technologies

* Jamie discusses the vital role of mental health training provided by the Denver Police Department. 

* He highlights the LifeSpot app, designed for active shooter situations. 

Thanks to our sponsors for supporting this show: 

* Laney Solutions: leaders in the recruiting talent for the parking industry: https://www.laneysolutions.com/ 

* SpotHero: Parking made easy, wherever you go: https://spothero.com/ 

* Parking Revenue Recovery Services (PRRS): bringing you a new standard in parking compliance: https://www.parkingprrs.com/ 

* LAZ Parking: making a difference, one car at a time: https://www.lazparking.com/ 

* Asura Technologies: an automated license plate recognition (ALPR) and video analytics company: https://asuratechnologies.com/ 

* Parking Whisperer: https://parkingwhisperer.com/ 

Thanks to Jamie Smith for being on the show. 

Learn about the LifeSpot app: https://www.lifespotapp.com/ 

Connect with the hosts:

* http://www.parkingtalk.com 

* Dani Crain: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dani-crain-3754a3178/ 

* John D. Conway: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-d-conway-b55a7025/ 

* [email protected]

Subscribe, like, and follow: 

* Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/44KScHB 

* Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3rKBJVn 

* YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ParkingTalkwithDaniJohn-hb9ku 

* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/parkingtalk-com/ 

* X/Twitter: https://x.com/parkingtlk 

This episode was produced by Story On Media: https://www.successwithstories.com.