Foundation Award for Service

I. Philosophy of Service

My philosophy of service is rooted in the belief that service is an integral part of academia and scholarship. Moreover, service is a means for enhancing personal and professional growth as an educator.  I view service as an opportunity to cultivate meaningful relationships and partnerships that transcend individual interests and advance collective goals.  By engaging with the community, I have broadened my perspectives on the issues that I teach and research and have been able to incorporate these insights into my academic contributions.

My service primarily focuses on helping prepare police, fire, and EMS for responding to active shooter events.  Through my service I have worked at the federal, state, and local levels to provide the national standard for active shooter training.  Additionally, I have dedicated myself to better educating the public about these events, and what they can do to protect themselves, through courses designed to prepare civilians.  It is my hope that one day we will no longer need active shooter training.  But until that day, I will strive to provide education and equitable access to training throughout all levels of the community.

II. Examples of Service

• Missouri’s Office of Homeland Security active shooter training
• Springfield Police Department active shooter training and virtual reality training
• FBI’s active shooter working group
• Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training (ALERRT) Center active attack data manager
• Battlefield community neighborhood watch civilian response to active shooter event training
• Ozark Technical College navigator civilian response to active shooter event training

III. Future Commitment to Service

I plan to keep working with departments and communities throughout the state, and nation, to provide active shooter training.  The Missouri Office of Homeland Security funding for active shooter training should continue into the foreseeable future, which will be vital for preparing Missouri officers for such events.  I will also continue to work with the Springfield Police Department to provide any training and support they see fit to better protect our local community.  I hope that this national standard for active shooter training will one day become required curriculum in all Missouri police academies as well as be offered as continued education for all first responders. 

IV. Topics related to service for which you are available for presentations and/or consultations (e.g., public affairs, relationship of service to teaching, and relationship of service to research).

Civilian Response to Active Shooter Events (CRASE), setting up ALERRT training for police departments, virtual reality police training, connecting service to teaching and research