It was 1980. It was the most prominent year in law enforcement in my life. A then-unknown, yet incredibly talented author, Charles Remsberg, along with photographer/producer extraordinaire, Dennis Anderson, collaborated and compiled what was to become the Bible of law enforcement tactical training.
A then-tiny company called Calibre Press, Inc., of Northbrook, Ill., published a book entitled, Street Survival: Tactics for Armed Encounters. The book went on to become the bestselling textbook of its kind, and has been used to train officers in more than 50 countries across the globe.
Calibre Press, while still in the reins of Chuck and Denny, also published The Tactical Edge: Surviving High-Risk Patrol and Tactics for Criminal Patrol. These two books quickly became companions to the original Street Survival book, in the personal library of every tactically conscious officer across the world. Chuck and Denny were also responsible for what was/is arguably the most important police training video of all time, Surviving Edged Weapons.
Although much of the information conveyed in Chuck and Denny’s work has been assimilated into basic academies and by other trainers, I feel very confident in saying there’s not a police trainer or police officer alive today who hasn’t been influenced by the work of Chuck Remsberg and Denny Anderson.
Within a year of the original Street Survival’s publication, the Street Survival Seminar was born out of a request for Chuck and Denny to do a presentation. It quickly grew to become the most popular and respected resource for officer tactical training in the world.
I first attended a Street Survival Seminar in the mid-1980s and was extremely impressed, with not only the content, but also the production qualities. They were second to none.
Because of my tactical articles that were being published, at the time, in Police Product News, I befriended Calibre Press, and the company used many photos and information from my articles in the seminar. I was highly honored that my materials met their standards.
Numerous people have been quoted with variations of, “The only constant in the universe is the passage of time.” It’s true. With time, everything changes.
Chuck and Denny sold the original Calibre Press, Inc., and with it, the Street Survival Seminar in 1999. After the sale, I went to the seminar twice. Although the information was as solid as it gets, the presentation’s production qualities under those owners didn’t live up to the standards set by Chuck and Denny.
A Changing of the Guard
Fast forward to today. Once again, it’s time to change the guard of a highly respected company name and seminar. However, I believe this change will be one of positive significance in law enforcement training.
Jim Glennon is one of the most respected and leading law enforcement trainers in the world. He’s a rare combination of a tactical expert, a stand-up comic and a man that has an incredible passion for law enforcement training.
He’s probably best known for what should be required reading for every officer, his book Arresting Communication. Jim’s company, Lifeline Training, has been presenting his Ultimate Survival Instincts Seminar across the nation to rave reviews (including mine).
Jim has recently acquired Calibre Press, and the Street Survival Seminar will be under his direction. To put it mildly, I’m very excited about this. Although I hold no business ties to Jim or the Street Survival Seminar, I hold a deep emotional tie to the original Street Survival Seminar, as I credit it for saving my own life back in the 1980s.
The Street Survival Seminar has been responsible for saving hundreds, if not thousands of officer’s lives. Jim’s Ultimate Survival Instincts Seminar, although different, has the same life-saving potential and has undoubtedly made the difference in countless situations, as well.
In Sum
I’ve seen Jim’s classes and read his book. He is an outstanding individual, and I believe he will be the man to take the word seminar to the next level. I can’t wait to see what Jim does as he combines the Street Survival Seminar with the Ultimate Survival Instincts Seminar. If I were a betting man, I’d put my money on the old Bachman Turner Overdrive song, “You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet!”
For more information, log onto www.lifelinetraining.com or www.calibrepress.com.
