High-Threat Decisions: When It’s a Matter of Life and Death

High-threat decision-making is intrinsic to many domains and carries an individual, organizational, and social responsibility. Tactical and incident commanders make decisions in the high-threat law enforcement context of hostage rescue, armed barricaded suspects, and armed suicidal individuals that can result in successful or catastrophic outcomes. This book describes the experiences and methods of making decisions in these types of extreme environments.

The presented research addresses learning strategies that could better prepare leaders for information processing in any high-threat domain, while optimizing speed and accuracy in decision-making. This volume emphasizes the role of adaptive expertise in decision-making, and explains how mental models of recurring patterns are created and retrieved, and why they are necessary for effective situational assessments.

This book is ideal for police commanders and executives, emergency response managers, first responders, and criminology researchers. It is also well-suited for professionals seeking further information about improved high-threat decision-making strategies.

Dr. Stuart Meyers, Ed.D. is the CEO of OpTac International, Inc., and has been the Director of SWAT Operations and Training in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates and Program Director and Assistant Professor of Public Protection & Safety at Louisiana State University, Eunice. He is the author of the books, SWAT Operations and Critical Incidents: Why People Die, SWAT Fitness, A Guide To Police Sniping, and Police Sniper Administrative Policy & Training. Stuart continues developing elite SWAT teams, writing policy and protocols, conducting tactical team evaluations, and teaching a wide range of public safety, criminal justice, homeland security, emergency management, and leadership courses throughout the world. He has trained domestic and foreign counter-terrorist teams, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Special Forces, and federal, state, and local law enforcement personnel across the globe. He holds a Doctor of Education degree in Adult Learning and Leadership (AEGIS) from Teachers College, Columbia University and a Master of Liberal Arts degree from Harvard University. His extensive executive problem-solving and special operations experience have made him a sought-after special consultant for domestic and foreign governments.