Schedule

See the latest in technology and training tools by visiting the exhibitors.  A breakfast sandwich, coffee and whole fruit will be provided.

all attendees and exhibitors welcome

More details to come

Grow as a professional and connect with peers during this meeting. Discover resources, share your knowledge, and get your questions answered.

1. This section shows the importance How to build a Long-Term Development plan for Health & Human Performance in Law Enforcement
2. How to build a staff with properly credentialed professionals. Implementing assessments, how to collect data and implement programming to positively impact the entire agency.
3. How to interpret the data from assessments and develop individual programs.
4. Discuss new technologies and Sport Science in assisting the Training Division on improving organization in skill acquisition.

Lecture sponsored by Perform Better

1. Explain how chronic stress, sleep disruption, and nutritional habits influence key hormones (e.g., cortisol, testosterone, estrogen, insulin) and impact performance, recovery, and readiness in tactical professionals.
2. Identify common lifestyle and operational factors (e.g., shift work, sleep debt, under-fueling) that contribute to hormonal dysregulation in first responder and military populations.
3. Apply practical strategies related to fueling, and nutrition-related opportunities to improve sleep and stress to support hormonal balance, improve recovery, and sustain operational performance.

Lecture

1. Identify common musculoskeletal injury patterns in tactical operators and explain how occupational demands combined with predominantly bilateral and sagittal plane training may reinforce these vulnerabilities.
2. Differentiate squat variations that address asymmetrical loading, multi-planar movement, and load carriage demands relevant to tactical performance.
3. Apply progressive squat variation strategies to improve skill transfer, durability, and movement efficiency in tactical populations.

Hands-On

1. Understand how identity disruption affects stress regulation, motivation, injury recovery, and long-term performance in tactical populations 
2. Assess Purpose, Home, and Tribe to identify identity-related vulnerability and resilience gaps during transition, injury, or role change 
3. Apply the TEARS reinvestment model to support sustainable resilience, engagement, and post-uniform performance beyond a single role

Lecture

1. Highlight the flaws in both “embrace the suck” and “avoid the suck” approaches
2. Explain the methodology behind periodize the suck
3. Provide 10+ examples of practical ways to periodize the suck'

Lecture

1. Outline the unique biomechanical and physiological demands of military rucking.
2. The role of traditional compound lifts such as the squat and deadlift will be discussed as a means of developing general strength characteristics, while also addressing the point of diminishing returns when excessive axial loading is emphasized.
3. The discussion then transitions to ruck-specific “sport strength” strategies with greater transfer, including loaded carries, yoke walks, sled pushes, and sled drags

Hands-on

Carve out time to visit all the exhibitors – leaders in equipment, nutrition, and cutting-edge technology.  We’ll also be providing lunch!

Unopposed exhibit hall time

1. What operators and leaders expect from embedded human performance professionals
2. What actions build credibiity, what erodes it and why cultural understanding is so important

Lecture moderated by Jay Dawes, PhD, CSCS, NSCA-CPT, TSAC-F, FNSCA

1. Attendees will be able to describe the primary factors impacting tactical personnel fitness and readiness.
2. Attendees will learn how to translate current research into practical interventions such as pre-joining conditioning and ability-based training models. 
3. Attendees will gain the skills to design and implement strategies that sustain physical capability and resilience across the occupational lifespan of tactical populations.

Lecture

1. This presentation will help you identify physical and mental performance needs of your population. It will show you how to create drills for the identified needs to improve general capabilities which may be progressed and later specified as improvement is shown. Both “high” and “low” tech options will be discussed to fit every budget.
2. The presentation will also show how to structure and plan your training program to include mental performance drills without taking away what you are trying to accomplish physiologically. 

Hands-on

Chalk talks give the attendee an opportunity to participate in the discussion as Kelsey Bailey is available to delve further into her topic.

Chalk Talk

1. Introduce the concept of Mental Health First Aid.
2. Describe why a Tactical Strength & Conditioning Coach should receive MHFA training and how to implement it. 
3. Learn how to integrate MHFA into a multidisciplinary team including LCSW and Psychologists.

Lecture

1. Understand the current ecosystem for data collection, from procurement to collection.
2. Develop a model for moving data from external inputs into different repositories to show the data via dashboards.
3. Learn to communicate key data driven insights to Battalion, Brigade, and Division level leadership.

Lecture

1. Current Terminology
2. Reason for changing from "Injury Control" to "Tactical Performance Restoration" 
3. Proposed Path Forward using the new terminology.

Hands-on

1. How aerobic and performance standards are written, revised, and defended.
2. Where the underlying science is strong, where it is outdated, and where non-scientific pressures enter.
3. How standards unintentionally distort training priorities and health outcomes.
4. What coaches and clinicians can do now to protect performance and health without waiting on formal revisions.

Lecture

1. Distinguish psychological and physiological contributors to cognitive performance in tactical athletes. 
2. Analyze how psychological and physiological systems interact to influence decision making under stress.
3. Apply an integrated biopsychophysiological framework to evaluate and enhance cognitive readiness in tactical populations.

Lecture

1. How to perform the movements.
2. How to teach the movements.
3. Why these can help your athletes.

Hands-On

Chalk talks give the attendee an opportunity to participate in the discussion as Rob Orr is available to delve further into his topic.

Chalk Talk

1. Explain the relationship between sprint speed and survivability in tactical populations, including how reduced exposure time impacts real-world outcomes.
2. Design safe and effective speed training progressions for adult tactical professionals that account for age, load, and occupational demands.
3. Implement practical warm-up and sprint training strategies that improve acceleration, reaction ability, and long-term physical resilience.

Lecture sponsored by Perform Better

1. Analyze common HP program failures through the DOTMLPF-P framework, identifying specific gaps in Doctrine, Training, and Policy.
2. Define the critical role of the "Enabler" (Force Fitness Instructor) as a cost-effective solution to the Personnel and Training capability gaps.
3. Develop practical communication strategies to align HP goals with Unit Mission Essential Tasks (METLs), ensuring buy-in from both commanders and junior service members.

Lecture

1. Analyze defensive tactics techniques using fundamental biomechanical principles to identify mobility, stability, and motor-control demands.
2. Design targeted warmups and micro-drills that directly support DT execution and address common law-enforcement injury mechanisms.
3. Implement a practical, time-efficient integration model that helps S&C improve tactical training goals and increase skill transfer.

Hands-On

Chalk talks give the attendee an opportunity to participate in the discussion as Ryan Carroll is available to delve further into his topic.

Chalk Talk

All attendees & exhibitors welcome

See the latest in technology and training tools by visiting the exhibitors.  A breakfast sandwich, coffee and whole fruit will be provided.

Unopposed exhibit hall time

1. Participants will learn the IMPACT framework for establishing an effective culture in their program and/or with their coaching.
2. Participants will learn to identify basic communication styles and how to adjust their communication style to suit the situation/person receiving.
3. Participants will discover common issues coaches encounter in coaching their athletes. 

Lecture

1. Execute targeted interventions that harden team cohesion, reinforce accountability, and improve the quality and reliability of outcomes.
2. Examine systematic breakdowns within human performance teams by identifying recurring patterns, misalignments, and gaps that undermine program effectiveness.
3. Apply practical framework to intentionally strengthen team dynamics, building high performing systems of sustainable success.

Lecture

1. Apply a rapid Zone 1 neuromuscular activation micro-protocol to improve hip and trunk readiness prior to training or operational tasks in law enforcement and public safety populations.
2. Assess and re-test neurological output using simple field measures (manual muscle testing and grip strength) to inform warm-up decisions, readiness adjustments, and training modifications.

Hands-On

1. Identify which wearable metrics actually matter for tactical readiness, and which can be ignored.
2. Apply simple decision frameworks to convert wearable data into training and recovery actions.
3. Understand how to use human data to influence behavior and inform unit-level decisions without eroding trust.

Lecture is sponsored by Garmin

1. Appreciate the programmatic perspectives of operators, coaches, and leadership
2. Lean on scientific methods to separate noise from substance in priority identification
3. Leverage your expertise to enhance cradle to grave operator durability 

Lecture

1. What is ELDOA?
2. How to progress and regress the ELDOA exercises
3. How ELDOA fits into a broader S&C program

Hands-on

Carve out time to visit all the exhibitors – leaders in equipment, nutrition, and cutting-edge technology.  We’ll also be providing lunch!

Unopposed exhibit hall time

1. Provide a practical framework for building a training program with constraints.
2. Identifying minimum effective doses for strength, power, and conditioning.
3. Building modular programs that adapt without losing purpose.

Lecture

1. Apply evidence‑based methods for deriving interval training prescriptions using the 3‑min all‑out test and critical speed/power modeling to improve conditioning for running, load carriage, and rowing tasks. 
2. Identify and interpret key physiological and psychometric indicators of internal load, including measures such as oxygen uptake, muscle oxygen saturation, heart rate response, and perceived exertion, to enhance monitoring and training evaluation in tactical populations. 
3. Evaluate the effectiveness of high‑intensity interval training structures by understanding how different interval configurations influence internal load, fatigue, and performance outcomes during tactical conditioning.

Lecture

1. Demonstrate the importance of ability based training (ABT) in law enforcement academies to reduce injury rates and individualize academy physical training.
2. Provide a comprehensive breakdown of the creation of a training system and assessments to implement ABT.
3. Participate in a hands on physical screening to create training groups of similar ability levels.

Hands-on

Chalk talks give the attendee an opportunity to participate in the discussion as Nate Palin is available to delve further into his topic.

Chalk Talk

1. Navigate the phases and challenges of building a human performance program from the ground up.
2. Learn how to leverage diverse skill sets to amplify program credibility and organizational impact.
3. Optimize outcomes through creative problem-solving in constraint-driven environments.

Lecture

1. Understand the science of optimizing hydration status.
2. Recall realistic strategies for improving hydration on shift and on the fireground.
3. Review the use of electrolyte products in various fire department settings, including which products to use based on the scenarios.

Lecture sponsored by DripDrop Hydration

1. Demonstration of benefits of increased hip mobility.
2. Developing exercises that draw from tactical skills.
3. Learning how to integrate tactical skills into fitness programming.

Hands-on

1. Explain the roles of subjective and objective readiness monitoring tools.
2. Provide attendees with scalable and tangible readiness tracking protocols to implement with this own athletes.

Lecture

1. Develop a data-capture and assessment framework that drives effective decision-making and system adaptation.
2. Build and resource a functional H2F implementation strategy.
3. How to overcome compos-specific constraints i.e. funding, procurement.

Lecture

1. Demonstrate the importance of ability based training (ABT) in law enforcement academies to reduce injury rates and individualize academy physical training.
2. Provide a comprehensive breakdown of the creation of a training system and assessments to implement ABT.
3. Participate in a hands on physical screening to create training groups of similar ability levels.

Hands-on

Chalk talks give the attendee an opportunity to participate in the discussion as CJ French is available to delve further into her topic.

Chalk Talk

1. Learn how traumatic brain injuries occur, as well as their impact on cognitive and physical performance, short and long-term health, and quality of life.
2. Understand evidence-based rehabilitation protocols that combine functional neurology with functional movement to optimize recovery, reduce pain, and improve long-term health outcomes for tactical athletes with TBI.
3. Discover the role of targeted nutrition in TBI recovery, including the use of anti-inflammatory foods and specific supplements that support brain health and healing.

Lecture

1. Learn how to evaluate vision and vestibular systems.
2. Learn how training can impact these systems.
3. Learn how to address these deficiencies.

Hands-on

See the latest in technology and training tools by visiting the exhibitors.  A breakfast sandwich, coffee and whole fruit will be provided.

1. Apply cutting-edge trimester-specific programming , including evidence-based implementation of HIIT and heavy-load resistance training throughout pregnancy for tactical populations
2. Implement three-phase postpartum return-to-duty progressions with concrete readiness markers, exercise modification guidelines, and progression decision frameworks
3. Identify critical red flags requiring medical referral during both perinatal and postpartum periods, including signs of complications, pelvic floor dysfunction, and contraindications to training progression
4. Witness the progressive power that can result in a well-formulated NSCA mentor-mentee relationship.

Lecture

1. Explain how the narratives used to frame strength and conditioning influence firefighter buy-in, health behaviors, and preparation for fireground work, beyond compliance with workouts or standards.
2. Connect strength and conditioning to firefighter health, mental resilience, and fireground performance outcomes, including fatigue management, decision-making under stress, recovery, and injury risk.
3. Apply a practical communication framework that helps coaches move beyond programming details and tell a clearer, more relevant story about why training matters across a firefighter’s career.

Lecture

1. Training the tactical athlete is more than what many coaches currently prescribe baased upon their athletes(Specificity)!
2. How does overtraining, musculoskeletal injury and rhabdomyolysis impact our tactical athletes and their operations?
3. Learn how to approach police recruiters on how their applicants can be better equipped to pass their entrance PT tests!

Lecture

1. Explain the key physiological mechanisms underlying recovery in tactical athletes and how chronic operational stress alters recovery needs compared to traditional sport populations.
2. Evaluate common and emerging recovery interventions by linking specific modalities to targeted physiological systems, evidence strength, and operational feasibility.
3. Apply integrated monitoring and decision support principles to prescribe individualized recovery strategies that enhance readiness, resilience, and long-term durability in tactical environments.

Lecture

1. Describe the physiological and neurocognitive effects of sleep deprivation and fragmented sleep on attention, reaction time, executive function, and injury risk in firefighters. 
2. Explain the relationship between training load (physical and mental stress), sleep quantity and quality, and fatigue-related performance impairment in safety-sensitive occupations. 
3. Analyze the association between daily impairment scores, injury frequency and duration, and sleep deficits in professional firefighters. 
4. Apply evidence-informed strategies for monitoring fatigue and integrating sleep considerations into injury prevention and performance optimization programs for tactical athletes. 

Lecture

1. Understand the differences in modalities of aerobic exercise.
2. Ascertain the advantages and disadvantages of different modalities of aerobic exercise.
3. Prioritize the optimal modality or method to improve aerobic capacity for the tactical athlete.

Lecture

1. Explain the role of autonomic recovery in tactical readiness following maximal exertion.
2. Differentiate between HRR and HRV as physiological recovery metrics.
3. Identify evidence-based breathwork strategies to accelerate parasympathetic reactivation.

Lecture

1. Explain how chronic and acute stress affect physical performance, cognitive function, and recovery in tactical athlete populations, using applied stress physiology concepts relevant to real-world operations.
2. Describe the mechanisms and evidence supporting salidroside as a performance and resilience aid, including its role in stress modulation, fatigue resistance, and cognitive performance under pressure.
3. Apply practical supplementation and programming considerations for integrating salidroside into a comprehensive human performance strategy for military, law enforcement, and first responder athletes.

Lecture

1. Understand the key components of a structured 4-month training program tailored for ruck-based endurance.
2. Learn strategies for injury prevention, load management, and recovery in high-stress physically demanding training environments.
3. Explore effective methods of building mental toughness and team cohesion in preparation for tactical endurance challenges. 

Lecture

Chalk talks give the attendee an opportunity to participate in the discussion as Ann Marie Chizewski is available to delve further into her topic.

Chalk Talk

1. Identify how physical activity relates to the general and job-specific fitness of law enforcement officers, and how this could impact job performance and career longevity.
2. Recognize the relationships between motivation, self-efficacy, physical activity, and fitness in police officers, and how these relationships could be fostered by health and wellness program staff.
3. Document and explain the effects of an exercise intervention, supported by a wellness provider, implemented at a city police department and the effects on physical activity patterns and wellness of police officers.

Lecture

1. Identify the performance risks of relying solely on SMEs (e.g., S&C coaches, medics) to interpret and action physiological data in tactical settings.
2. Define the unique role and value of embedded tactical scientists within integrated performance teams.
3. Apply a systems-based model for real-time decision-making using biometric, cognitive, and recovery data.
4. Evaluate successful case examples of embedded performance science from military, sport, and hybrid domains.
5. Develop an actionable roadmap to advocate for the inclusion of tactical scientists in unit-level human performance structures.

Lecture