“Beyond Off Duty Survival: Bringing Your Family Into Your World” was originally developed for the United States Border Patrol and is now available to all law enforcement organizations. Most law enforcement training focuses on getting you home in one piece at the end of each shift, and yet ten percent of police officer murders occur off duty. Dave and Betsy Smith have authored numerous articles on this topic and now offer a course like no other, one that can be attended not only by police officers but by their spouses, partners, parents, and other significant people in the lives of any crimefighter.

This class teaches officers what off duty threats they may face and how to respond safely and tactically, and then goes further by helping attendees teach their family and friends how to stay safe and respond appropriately when the unthinkable happens. We also discuss family firearms safety, officer ambush, levels of risk, and how to bring your family into “your world” in a safe and healthy manner.

This training then goes beyond “off duty survival” and talks about how to survive and thrive in your personal relationships. Police work is notoriously hard on marriages, families and relationships. Cops have a 75% divorce rate, a high rate of alcoholism, and we die twice as often by our own hand as we do in deadly force assaults. Issues such as effective communication, what cops really do at work, dealing with career disappointments, domestic violence, balancing control at home, and making peace with a work-related critical incident are just a few of the topics we’ll discuss in this fast-paced, entertaining presentation. Constantly updated with new information and real-life examples, this course helps fill in the gaps between your work world and your personal life.

Police trainers Dave and Betsy Smith bring their unique experiences as cops, spouses, parents, step-parents, and law enforcement trainers to this unprecedented look into the real life of cops and their friends and families. This course will provide attendees with resources, networking opportunities, and a chance to share their experiences with others.

At the end of this training students will have learned:

• Why, how and what weapons and tools to have available in an off duty situation and how to make your family a part of the process.
• How to develop and nurture a winning mindset on the street and still be a good spouse, parent, and friend.
• Effective ways to help your loved ones understand what you do, how you think, and why you act the way you do, both on and off duty.
• Teaching various levels of firearms safety to any member of your inner circle.
• Some of the distracters officers may carry with them from home into the field, and how to make sure they don’t interfere with tactical integrity.
• How to maximize your job enjoyment and success by making your friends and family career allies.

The Smiths believe that you must “train for your relationships as hard as you train for your survival.” You can be the best cop, agent, correctional officer, or commander in your agency, but if you want to be a “winner” in your personal life, tactically, mentally and emotionally, this course is essential to your success!