Training
CRITICAL INCIDENT MANAGEMENT 360°: MANAGING THE INCIDENT AND THE AFTERMATH
COURSE DESCRIPTION
Critical Incident Management 360°: Managing the Incident and the Aftermath is a 24-hour, highly interactive course designed for law enforcement leaders (of all ranks) who must make rapid, principled, and informed decisions before, during, and after a critical incident.
This course goes beyond the initial response phase. Students will not only learn how to manage the chaos of a crisis — such as an active shooter, hostage situation, barricade, or major crime scene — but also how to lead through the aftermath that follows. The aftermath modules address the most challenging and often overlooked responsibilities of command, including managing line-of-duty injuries and deaths, ensuring family notifications and care, handling media and political dynamics, preparing for litigation, and safeguarding officer wellness and resilience.
Through a blend of facilitated discussions, group decision-making exercises, debriefs, and workshops, students will be immersed in realistic, scenario-driven learning — not a “death by PowerPoint” environment. The course is built on differential learning principles, which research shows significantly increased retention through video-based scenarios, audio recordings, and small-group problem-solving exercises.
Each participant will be equipped with practical leadership tools, including checklists, command forms, and even a Critical Incident Response Guide (issued to all students), which is a field resource guide designed for incidents such as Active Shooter/Killer events, Barricades, Hostage Situations, Natural Disasters, Officer/Deputy Involved Shootings, Missing Persons, Protests/Riots, Search Warrants, Major Crime Scenes, and Establishing Perimeters (with K9 and SWAT). The guide includes resource lists, intelligence templates, suspect/location/vehicle information sheets, and organizational charts that are designed to be filled in to simplify complex operations under stress. This guide can be added to any mobile command post or equipment bag carried by law enforcement leaders.
In summary, students will leave this course with a complete system for managing critical incidents from first call to conclusion, emphasizing:
-
Establishing and maintaining command
-
Making confident, defensible decisions under pressure
-
Mitigating risk while protecting personnel and the community
-
Leading the recovery, not just the response
Critical Incident Management 360°: Managing the Incident and the Aftermath isn’t just about learning — it’s about equipping leaders with a mindset, a structure, and a system they can immediately apply the next time a critical incident occurs in their city, county, or state.
If you are interested in receiving training, learning about upcoming classes, or even hosting a Critical Incident Management 360° course in your city or county, contact Toby Darby at cimresponse@gmail.com (nationwide) or Tdarby@catotraining.org (California).
ABOUT CAPT. TOBY DARBY
Toby Darby is a retired law enforcement professional with over 30 years of experience, serving as a Captain from the Glendale Police Department. He is also a United States Air Force veteran, where he served four years as a law enforcement specialist. During his distinguished career, Toby was a member of his department’s SWAT team for 19 years, working in high-stakes operations and developing expertise in tactical leadership.
Throughout his career, Toby has held multiple specialized assignments, including serving in Narcotics with the Los Angeles Interagency Metropolitan Police Apprehension Crime Task Force and the High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas Program. He also worked as a sergeant with the U.S. Marshals’ Regional Fugitive Task Force.
An accomplished instructor, Toby taught active shooter response tactics at a POST-approved SWAT school and was an instructor and facilitator for the California Association of Tactical Officers (CATO) Critical Incident Leadership Course and Strategic Leadership Program.
Toby is also a board member with the California Association of Tactical Officers, where he continues to contribute to the advancement of tactical leadership and training in law enforcement. He is a graduate of the Sherman Block Supervisory Leadership Institute (SLI) and CATO’s Strategic Leadership Program, and he holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice Management. Now retired, Toby focuses on teaching critical incident leadership courses, where he shares his extensive knowledge and experience to help prepare the next generation of law enforcement leaders.
