Applied Public Safety Leadership: Leading in Uncertain, Complex Times
Course Description:
This two-day (16-hour) professional development course is designed for current and emerging leaders in law enforcement, the fire service, emergency management, and homeland security. The course is instructed by a four-member faculty team, all graduates of the Naval Postgraduate School’s Center for Homeland Defense and Security (CHDS), collectively bringing nearly 100 years of public safety experience across multiple disciplines and levels of leadership.
The course focuses on practical leadership principles and their application during routine operations and high-consequence critical incidents. Instruction emphasizes how leaders make decisions under pressure, manage uncertainty, and sustain organizational effectiveness before, during, and after major events. Through case-study-based presentations, students will examine real-world leadership challenges drawn from public safety operations, critical incidents, and complex emergencies.
A central theme of the course is trauma-informed and empathetic leadership. Participants will explore short-, mid-, and long-term leadership tools designed to support personnel wellness, mitigate operational stress, and promote resilience within agencies. Topics include communication under stress, leadership presence, organizational trust, and maintaining accountability while caring for personnel impacted by cumulative and acute trauma.
The course also introduces the responsible use of artificial intelligence in public safety leadership. Instruction will address how AI tools can serve as force multipliers to enhance situational awareness, decision support, administrative efficiency, and strategic planning—while remaining consistent with ethical, legal, and organizational standards.
Why Attend:
This course offers public safety professionals practical, experience-driven leadership strategies to strengthen agencies, support personnel, and lead effectively through the most demanding operational challenges.