Virtual Training Testimonial
Basic SWAT
The instructors brought real life experiences into the material they taught and were not afraid to let students know about their own mistakes. Various situations were presented that made us think about how we would react if it were a real-world scenario. The instructors make this course. They are legitimate, humble SWAT officers who connect well with the students. I was disappointed to see the course end!
SWAT Team Leader Development
The instructors (Dan Murphy and Tim Swanson) know this material cold. The course has been well flushed out, there is no fat on the training. There were no times during the week that I was not engaged in learning. I have been an ATL for 10 years and this was the first formal training I have had on how to do my job. It will make me better at leading and teaching my people how to save lives and get home safe. My gratitude cannot possibly be translated in a simple critique.
There was plenty of material that I thought that I had a sold grasp of that I learned that I did not or I was flat doing things wrong. The way that we are going to do slow and methodical searches for barricaded subjects if necessary will completely change after hearing the debrief on the NYSP case. I am upset with myself for not going through this course 10 years ago.
SWAT Team Leader Development
This was the best class I have been to in my 13 years in law enforcement. Dan Murphy and Tim Swanson did a great job presenting the information, answering questions, and providing real world examples to back everything up. The scenario debriefs and lessons learned were incredibly valuable in reinforcing the tactics and information being taught.
Basic SWAT
The course taught us priorities of safety, which gives us a go buy for what is important in an operational environment. The instructors were great, professional and didn’t mind getting in there and working it out with us.
Great course for a modern day tactic that will not only save lives but save departments.
Basic SWAT
Learning about entry and building clearing tactics/covering of angles was the most useful part of the class. A lot safer and smarter way to avoid a gunfight, or be in a position of advantage if you get in one.
Awesome class! I feel 110% more confident and safe on the way we will be doing business.
Supervising Patrol Critical Incidents
I thought the scenarios and discussions were great. It was very beneficial to discuss thoroughly the proper responses to situations and what can be learned from the incidents discussed. The instructor was well spoken and articulate, and the presentation from his experiences was very beneficial.
NTOA’s Law Enforcement Operations Virtual Conference
What an outstanding conference. Learned much and everything looked smooth on our end. So proud of you, your team, and NTOA.
Virtual seems like a great venue for future events – and if we can use the chat function next time, there will be some good networking too.
Thank you for all you did, and all you do.
NTOA’s 2020 Law Enforcement Operations Virtual Conference
I want to thank and commend the NTOA on the tremendous success of the 2020 Virtual Training Conference. Every aspect of this unprecedented training conference was outstanding. From the online registration process and the course selection on the member dashboard, to the hosting and instructor presentations, the execution was truly exceptional.
Job well done by all!
NTOA’s 2020 Law Enforcement Operations Virtual Conference
The virtual conference has been outstanding. Very well executed. Massive success!
NTOA’s 2020 Law Enforcement Operations Virtual Conference
I’ve attended several NTOA training sessions and have always been impressed. You guys do an amazing job and this conference is no exception.
Supervising Patrol Critical Incidents
Thank you for presenting such a great class! The information was presented in the perfect way for fellow officers/supervisors.The information provided was also very engaging and thought provoking. Your attitude towards the material, your officers, and the job is inspiring. Sometimes we allow “the job” to take us off our path of making a difference and providing a safer/better job for our officers. Shame on me. It takes vigilant leaders such as you to nudge us back to where we used to be and ignite the fire once again. I applaud you for it.
Advanced Response Police Officer
By far one of the best LEO training courses I have attended! The Instructors were both professional, knowledgeable and engaging. Their ability to pass on their considerable skill sets was absolutely enjoyable.
Supervising Patrol Critical Incidents
Instructor: Travis Norton
Thank you for presenting such a great class! The information was presented in the perfect way for fellow officers/supervisors.The information provided was also very engaging and thought provoking. Your attitude towards the material, your officers, and the job is inspiring. Sometimes we allow “the job” to take us off our path of making a difference and providing a safer/better job for our officers. Shame on me. It takes vigilant leaders such as you to nudge us back to where we used to be and ignite the fire once again. I applaud you for it.
Supervising Patrol Critical Incidents
I just wanted to say again how much I enjoyed attending the Supervising Patrol Critical Incidents class in Sarasota, Florida.
The instructor, Travis Norton, did a great job with the topic and it was the best LEO class I have taken in 12 years!
SWAT Command Decision-Making and Leadership I
Both instructors were very knowledgeable and had a way of relating their knowledge base and experiences to the class. I have attended numerous training courses throughout my career and I can honestly say this is one of, if not the best. I would highly recommend this to any existing or potential team commander, regardless of experience.
SWAT Command Decision-Making and Leadership I
I left very happy with the course and what I got out of it. This is exactly the leadership class I have been looking for! I wanted to know the whats, ifs and whys of handling certain types of calls and the instructors checked those boxes.
Scenarios Based Tactical Operations
This week, our SWAT team was put to the test, as they were instructed by two of the best NTOA instructors: Bill Yelton and Ben Cortina. This five-day course covered multiple areas of SWAT operations with an emphasis on Hostage Rescue. It was a challenging and edifying week to say the least. Thank you, gentlemen, for the excellent training! And thanks to all of our role players for your valuable participation in our Simunitions scenarios.
Saint Joseph County Metro SWAT
SWAT Command Decision-Making and Leadership I
The tenure and experience of Instructor Jeff Selleg was obvious. His in-depth knowledge was easily translated into the flow of the course and provided students with valuable insight to a wide variety of scenarios, theories and options. He was candid about his past mistakes, allowing us the opportunity to learn. Jeff was clear in his instruction and presented the material in a manner that was easily understood by lesser experienced students while at the same time kept the more advanced students engaged.
As a supervisor, I received numerous comments of the course success and there was an overwhelming positive feel from the class. The course was excellent and of incredible value to me and my team. Outstanding job!
NTOA Academy in the news!
NTOA program combats disparities in SWAT leadership, readiness
Tactical missions handled by SWAT are some of the most difficult and challenging facing law enforcement. In an effort to combat the broad disparities in SWAT leadership and readiness across the nation, and to provide equal access to the best practices in tactical operations, the NTOA developed the NTOA Academy Command College. (Mike Wood, PoliceOne.com)
As a bureau chief over our SWAT, K-9 and EOD units, the course refreshed my knowledge of current practices and case law giving me a better operational understanding of the decisions that need to be made from a command perspective.
Legal/Use-of-Force Seminar
Glad I got to attend. Very good course. The fact it was lined up with the Shot Show was also a good bonus.
I just attended the Legal/Use of Force seminar in Las Vegas. It was outstanding!! Extremely informative.
Basic SWAT
Just wanted to say thank you to our instructor, Jason Behun, for the Basic SWAT training. It came in very handy recently. Last Saturday we had a barricade situation with a man who had a grenade. The standoff lasted about 11 hours before we were able to take the subject into custody. We implemented a lot of the ideas taught in the Basic SWAT course like cutting the power and disabling his cell phone. Negotiations failed as well as OC and CS gasses. We were able to make entry using the robot and finally take him into custody. Being a new guy on the team, the NTOA training helped immensely and the team functioned very well together.
CLICK HERE to read an article on the incident.
SWAT Team Leader Development
The NTOA’s SWAT Team Leader Development course was some of the best training and direction I have received in my 16-year career. The tactical competency of both instructors, Matt Hardesty and Pat Hilliker, rang true when instructing aspects of SWAT operations. As an operator for 13 years, I can really appreciate their points of view and will take a lot of great ideas and tactics back to our team. Listening to their experiences was humbling and rejuvenating. I aspire to be the warrior or at least one of the nine fighters that make the battle. As I get older, my mind is still sharp and my drive increasing, but sometimes my body doesn’t want to cooperate. I will share with the young blood on our team and in turn we will all benefit. Thank you for keeping us sharp. We will not let you down.
SWAT Team Leader Development
This course was the best training I have attended in a very long time! I have never attended a training in which I felt completely challenged to re-evaluate my position in my career or how my department/team operates. The personal touch of Sgt. A.J. DeAndrea’s presentation hardened my dedication to doing my job the right way and to motivating those around me to be held to the same high standard.
SWAT Team Leadership Development
I attended the SWAT Team Leader Development course in Chesterfield, Va. The overall presentation was excellent! The instructor, Fred Meyer, was easy going and delivered the information in an easy to understand manner. Especially important were the blocks devoted to liability training and proper documentation. Also the discussion of tactics was important. The mission debriefs along with sidebar discussions among the different teams were invaluable.
Supervising Patrol Critical Incidents
Thank you to both instructors! This was a fantastic training course and one of the best I have attended in years. Both instructors were passionate about the training, they made it fun while learning, and the tactics related to supervising critical incidents were spot on. Highly recommend this training for all supervisors.
Rescue Task Force
RTF is a program not utilized by any agency in our region (county). The tools to help teach responders AND the tools to help educate decision-makers will serve well as we try to integrate an essential tool into our collective Paramedic, Police, and Fire services.
The instructors (Ed Anderson and Jim Etzin) were amazing! I have participated in dozens of courses with a variety of organizations. These two gentlemen were phenomenal. Their real-life experience, charisma, ability to engage learners, and willingness to push our learning capabilities make them the best instructors I have had to date. THANK YOU to both of them!
Managing Critical Incidents
I recently attended the NTOA’s Managing Critical Incidents training taught by Mark Pergola. It was one of the best I have ever attended and I have been to many over my 32 years. I am interested in bringing you back to Indiana. I would like my supervisory staff to receive the same training.
Sniper I
I just want to let you guys know Gar Haugo and Tony Bisbee are the best instructors I have ever had the pleasure of being taught by. Very knowledgeable and if I needed help, they were there. They took their time to help out even if they did not have too. They are an asset to the NTOA and deserve recognition.
Hostage Rescue Tactics
The depth of knowledge the instructors brought to the training is beyond measure. Hearing real life examples of different situations or tactical problems during training scenarios makes it all feel more realistic. These instructors deliver their knowledge in a manner that made us all want to perform well.
I’ve been on our team for 14 years now. In my opinion, this past week was the best training we’ve had in that time. This was a long, hard training week and I will be looking forward to any future courses given by this group of instructors.
Supervising Patrol Critical Incidents
This course was amazing and gets you thinking of stepping back and looking at the big picture, and not being wrapped up in the moment. The instructor was amazing, one of the best I have learned from in my 17 years in law enforcement.
I would take this course 10 times over!
SWAT Team Leader Development
The course shed light on some deficiencies we have in the administrative side of the team especially. We have been working to improve this and gained some valuable insight into what we should be doing regarding record keeping, etc. The discussions around liability and the role of the tactical commander vs incident commander were also very beneficial.
The debriefs and breakdowns from the instructors were fantastic and got our minds thinking even more about the “what if” possibilities.
The instructors did an excellent job presenting and were able to keep me engaged and wanting to hear more throughout the entire week. Their experience and competency showed through, both as tactical leaders and presenters. I am walking away from this course feeling much more equipped as a team leader. Thank you!
Police Response to Active Shooter Instructor Certification
The instructors for this course, Rod Schaeffer and Jose Ramirez, provided an excellent overview and training program as it relates to active shooter. The course was interactive, engaging and informative. The professionalism displayed by these two outstanding instructors was appreciated, their inclusiveness of the candidates, the respect they demonstrated for various learners and use of professional language allowed the candidates to feel comfortable in the setting and provided for a safe, effective and efficient training environment for adult learners.
The instructor level course provided a very good understanding of teaching adult learners and utilizing the concepts of the EDI instructional method, identical to my agency training program.
The layered approach to developing sound tactics and application during the use of scenario-based training allowed for many unique learning opportunities for candidates as they recognized the importance of prioritizing stopping the threat, preservation of life and evacuation of victims/witnesses with the phase 2 process of getting the corridor secure to facilitate the phase 3 approach to have the RTF come in and getting injured to the necessary medical facilities.
Overall, excellent course and much appreciated.
Online – SWAT Team Leader Development
It was a first for me going through an online course on Zoom and I wasn’t sure what to expect but I thoroughly enjoyed it. I’m looking forward in implementing many of the ideas for our team.
As important as all the information is that you guys provided I wanted you to know that one of my big takeaways will be the passion each of you have for SWAT and teaching this course. Great job and much appreciated.
SWAT Command Decision-Making and Leadership II
This was a good course. Probably one of the most challenging I have taken.
SWAT Command Decision-Making and Leadership I
The amount of knowledge and experience passed on in the SWAT Command Decision-Making and Leadership I class was extremely informative, as were the guidelines on current trends in training and documentation. The guidance on team structure, individual roles, and leadership development was also highly valuable and will help me to restructure my current team to be more professional and capable.
Fantastic course, should be required for all SWAT team leaders and commanders.
SWAT Command Decision-Making and Leadership II
The SWAT Command Decision-Making and Leadership II class has been great. I was worried about the online platform, however, the instructors and the NTOA have done a great job making the course engaging and overcoming the virtual experience difficulties.
It is important to me to let you know how great the NTOA and the instructors have been at overcoming the online challenges. I completed my Masters from a nationally-recognized university and they did not came close to the engagement, instruction and quality that this course has been.
SWAT Team Leader Development
I am very pleased with the entire NTOA training experience. Starting with the NTOA staff and ending with the instructors, you all made this an uncomplicated process for me. Instructors Fred Myer and Rob Morris are top-notch, very personable, and provided all of us with a wealth of knowledge throughout the week.
I have already been in touch with my team Commander and it is my hope to host other trainings through NTOA at this same facility, and perhaps our range facility as well.
School and Workplace Violence: Preparation and Response
Everything offered in this course was very important and useful to me. The instructors were incredibly knowledgeable, and made the course enjoyable because they are very down to earth. They showed that they are real people that want to teach because they really care.
SWAT Team Leader Development
I recently attended one of your SWAT Team Leader Development trainings in North Haven, CT. The instructors, Pat Hilliker and Rob Morris, were two of the best instructors I have had the pleasure of learning from in my 20 years as a police officer. They showed up every day enthusiastic about the day’s training and brought with them life experiences that were informative. Both instructors were personable and approachable the entire week and offered a wealth of knowledge. Pat and Rob are an asset to NTOA and I look forward to attending one of NTOA’s classes in the future.
Hostage Rescue Training
At the end of the training week our team completed multiple fast-paced field training exercises which improved and enhance their tactical skills. The NTOA and their instructors met their mission statement and exceeded our team’s expectations.
Hostage Rescue Training
Debriefs, especially debriefs from local agencies, were particularly valuable. When making contingency plans for an incident, one is always trying to think of hypothetical situations that may present themselves. After hearing so many debriefs, I think I will be able to come up with more contingency plans because I am now aware of possible situations that may occur. I also liked how there was not too much focus on specific movement. Instead, we were able to focus more on priorities and how to act accordingly.
Come to California more often!
Hostage Rescue Training
Instructors had a good balance of classroom work/lecture/PowerPoint and hands-on range scenarios. Instructors briefed each scenario and small changes were made to improve skills in HRT. I am able to take what I have learned from this course and implement it in my team’s training.
Great course and instructors! Look forward to more NTOA courses and sending more of our operators to this course!
Hostage Rescue Training
Probably one of the best courses I’ve taken! The course was great and both instructors were amazing!
Basic SWAT
I want to thank the NTOA, and especially Instructor Marc Neal for conducting the Basic SWAT course here in Gloucester County, NJ last week. I received positive feedback from those who attended the course and I was fortunate enough to sit in on the majority of the week’s training.
Mr. Neal administered an excellent class. He is a consummate professional who is clearly an expert in his subject matter. He did an excellent job, was well organized and delivered an outstanding course of instruction.
Great course and great instructors! The experience and intensity of both instructors brought realism to the training and provided a great foundation to teach from. I look forward to continue training with the NTOA and their instructors!
This course far exceeded my expectations. I was excited to attend an NTOA course given the reputation of the NTOA, but this was awesome! No BS when I say this was an outstanding course. I am excited to apply the principles I learned to my team.
This was the best 40-hour class I have attended in my 16-year career in law enforcement! I would recommend it to anyone and am going to try to send my whole team through it.
Thanks to NTOA for offering this level of training. The training was very emotional and deep. The instructors (A.J. DeAndrea and Dan Murphy) were true professionals and they have shared true stories with the class which needed to be shared. Some of us have taken this job for granted because we have not been through what those guys been through. For these reasons, I applaud NTOA for allowing the true heroes to shared real SWAT stories with us.
Sgt. Sherman’s preparation and knowledge was evident. His delivery was professional and still humble and approachable. He explained the concepts in a way that only a person who has a deep understanding of their topic can do. His energy was constant. Despite the limited amount of feedback and interaction, he remained motivated. Sgt. Sherman is impressive and a credit to his agency and community, and an asset to our country.
I recently attended NTOA’s two-day Supervising Patrol Critical Incidents class instructed by Sgt. Fred Farris. The class was very beneficial and in all honesty one of the best training I have been to. I have let others know that when this class and instructor come around again next year, they need to go!
Advanced Response Police Officer
Another great job by NTOA! Top notch training with very qualified and experienced instructors. The Sublette County Sheriff’s Office looks forward to hosting more NTOA trainings in the future.
Virtual Training Testimonial
Webinar: Panel Discussion – Less Lethal Munitions in Crowd Control Operations
That was a fantastic panel discussion! I appreciate you guys getting together to provide this info. It has given me a lot to think about in the areas of our use-of-force policies and resources.
Supervising Patrol Critical Incidents
This class was a good reminder of some basic information/some new ideas/fresh way of looking at age old police issues with the new era of societal restraints. The instructor was knowledgeable, consistent, energized, passionate and approachable. Provided relevant information without it being “story time”. I gained a lot of insight, new reading material ideas and reenergized passion about safety, leadership and caring for personnel.
Basic SWAT
Derek Ogden, Diego Castro and Jake Shumate were some of the most down to earth instructors I’ve ever had, but they weren’t afraid to tell us when we were messing up. It was a very effective teaching style in my opinion.
Webinar: Critical Thinking and Decision Making for Planning Tactical Operations
I attended the Critical Thinking and Decision Making for Planning Tactical Operations webinar online today. Absolutely great presentation!
Your organization has been doing great with its online training and resources available on the web.
Sniper I
Overall, I think this was one of the best and most comprehensive courses I have attended in my career. The instructors covered a lot of information and every single topic was extremely important and useful in the deployment of sniper operations.
The instructors were phenomenal. All three were extremely knowledgeable and experience. They all did a great job being able to translate their knowledge and experience into a way that made it easy to understand and learn from. I would definitely attend any course with any of these instructors.
LE Response to Suicidal Subjects
The instructors are obviously passionate about this topic and very knowledgeable. I don’t believe this information can be shared too much. As law enforcement we have been conditioned to react to individuals with mental illness in certain ways, and while our intentions may have been good, the tactics used may not have been appropriate.
The instructors did an excellent job providing historical context, both from a law enforcement perspective as well as a legal perspective (case law).
Excellent training class!
High-Risk Warrant Service
I enjoyed this course. There was a good balance of instruction of planning of a high-risk warrant service and executing it. The instructors were great. These two guys were very enthusiastic on this subject. They provided a lot of techniques to complete a high risk warrant service that I will take back to my department and use to make our Tac team better.
High-Risk Warrant Service
Loved the case studies/debriefings of past events that went well, or not so well. The instructors were top notch and really knew this material. Easily one of the best law enforcement classes I have ever taken in almost 19 years. i will absolutely be taking more NTOA classes very soon.
Armored Rescue Vehicle Tactics
This whole course was extremely useful to me. I am in the process of setting up an ARV program and everything had value. The instructors brought insight, practical use, and presented a variety of options for using ARVs with our agencies.
They also did an incredible job at tailoring the course to students who had a diverse level of experience with ARVs and on SWAT. Fantastic job all the way around and I will be looking to host one next year when we get our ARV delivered.
Sniper I
This course was one of the best courses I have ever attended. I cannot say enough about the quality of the instructors and materials in the class. This is a mandatory class for any sniper or precision shooter.
Keep up the good work NTOA, and I look forward to more classes from you guys. A++++
Sniper I
Positional shooting, real world scenarios and practical drills sent me away from this class feeling very comfortable with my rifle. This class focused on the basics and what we would be most likely to face as a police sniper. Both instructors were extremely knowledgeable about anything and everything related to police sniping and marksmanship. Their drive and passion for the subject made the course easy to get excited about. I was extremely happy with this class and it left me excited to take NTOA classes in the future.
SWAT Team Leader Development
The real life experience in conjunction with the classroom material had a major impact on the amount of material I was able to take away from this course. It was a truly humbling experience and was crucial to my growth as a leader.
The experiences shared by instructor A.J. DeAndrea were eye-opening. He is a true leader of men who I would gladly follow into the abyss. It was an honor to have him as an instructor!
SWAT Team Leader Development
I just completed the SWAT Team Leader Course at the NTOA’s 2015 tactical conference in Salt Lake City. I want to thank the instructors, A.J. DeAndrea and Dan Murphy, for an outstanding class. This was truly one of the most informative classes I have attended in my 20 years on the job.
It is clear that both instructors put passion and commitment into this class and I greatly appreciate that. This class will certainly save lives in the law enforcement community.
Basic SWAT
NTOA’s Basic SWAT course is the best training I have attended in my law enforcement career. This course taught excellent material for use in both SWAT and patrol. Since I am mostly patrol, it was great to see that the same techniques can be applied. I learned that the technique of slow, deliberate planning and movement gets to the same objective and is hopefully safer.
Police Response to Active Shooter Instructor Certification
I want to thank the instructors for their hard work during the Police Response to Active Shooter course in St. Peters, MO. You all did a great job and I thought the training was outstanding.
Manual and Shotgun Breaching
The caliber of the instructors was excellent! They utilized real world experience and applied it to the instruction; both classroom and practical exercises. They did not have egos and weren’t afraid to admit that they had failed to accomplish some desired task – they fought through and succeeded.
SWAT Team Leader Development
We had our first armed barricade over the weekend and my first major OP as team leader. I want to say, taking your SWAT Team Leader Development course helped me tremendously and I definitely used some of the things you taught us in the course. I also observed a lot of “problems” that happen when an incident of this size occurs. Overall, it went very well with the bad guys in custody and the good guys going home safe. I learned a lot for the future and will improve on some of the little things for next time. I would definitely recommend the course to new or current team leaders. Thanks for your class! (Click here to read article on this incident.)
SWAT Command Decision-Making and Leadership II
The SWAT Commander II class that I took in Green Bay, Wisconsin, forced me to consider the “big picture” when making command decisions. I will leave this class a better leader, which was my goal when I started.
Less-Lethal/FSDD/Chemical Agent Instructor Certification
I want to commend Lt. Dave Pearson and Sgt. Mark Martinez for the outstanding Less-Lethal/FSDD/Chemical Agent Instructor class they brought to us in Portland recently. From the first day of class I knew we were going to be in for a great week. In my almost 14 years in law enforcement, I have had the opportunity to attend many different schools. Some have been less than what I had hoped for in terms of professionalism, instructor knowledge/experience and overall applicability to the job. I wasn’t sure what to expect with this class, but my hopes were high and these instructors did not disappoint.
The level of professionalism that they both displayed is what should be expected of any law enforcement instructor. I appreciate the fact that they were able to do their job as instructors while not making students feel inferior and recognizing that we are all veteran officers. We have all been to those classes where the instructor knows everything and the students are just students. To have instructors willing to listen to their students and their experiences is something that unfortunately we do not see very often. Soliciting input from students and actually caring about what they are saying is huge.
I learned a great deal about the subject matter, but I also learned a lot with regards to instructing. I’ve been trained by AZPOST as a general instructor and I have also been trained as an instructor in several specific disciplines. Despite having a bit of instructor training and experience under my belt, I’m always interested in learning from guys who are dedicated to our profession, especially as it relates to training other officers. The more I can learn, whether it be tactics or methods of instruction, the better I can be at preparing our new (and sometimes not so new) officers to do their job well and to keep themselves alive. These instructors helped me to be more effective in achieving this goal.
Again, I sincerely thank Lt. Pearson and Sgt. Martinez for putting on a top-notch class. The NTOA is fortunate to have them!
Police Response to Active Shooter Instructor Certification
I recently took your Police Response to Active Shooter Instructor Certification course in Deptford, NJ. Your two instructors, Don Alwes and Vinnie Lariccia, were tremendous! I can’t tell you the last time I have had two instructors that were as good as they were and worked together so well. They were extremely knowledgeable and their willingness to teach were second to none. This is the first NTOA class I have taken and I am looking forward to more!
Advanced Response Police Officer
Fantastic class and excellent instructors. I enjoyed every day and I was apprehensive about missing a week of work to attend. Worth every damn minute!