Joshua Bitsko

About Joshua Bitsko

As one of three officers to breach the door and make entry into the suspect’s room during the 1-October Massacre in 2017 in Las Vegas (the largest mass shooting incident in US history to date), I know the feelings we as police officers are taught to feel, and the feelings I actually felt during that incident. Fear, anxiety, and uncertainty are REAL, yet seldom talked about in the law enforcement and first responder community. If we are not honest with our first responders about the reality of what their emotions will be IN the moment, they will struggle to manage those emotions not only in the moment, but the years after.Because of this experience, as well as many others over the course of my career, I provide training for law enforcement and first responders that addresses: The intense emotions you’ll experience before, during, and after responding to a critical incident. Coping strategies (backed by data science) first responders can employ in the moment of a critical incident. Coping strategies post-incident. Ways law enforcement and first responder agencies can improve the wellness of their workforce post incident, and how agencies can minimize the impact of internal stressors on the workforce. “We had Josh provide the Police Resiliency and Critical Incident Mindset Training course to over 100 first responders,(police, fire, EMS, and even a few clinicians), here in Colorado. The details he shared about the October 1 massacre – the mindset, leadership, decision making, and emotional aftermath, as well as details from other traumatic events were incredibly informative. Josh demonstrated that he is not only an expert in this field but showed his true desire to help others. Many of the participants remarked that after attending this course, they felt better equipped to respond to critical incidents as well as manage past traumas. This should be a required course for all first responders. Well done!” -Dennis Flynn, Deputy Chief of Commerce City Police Department Are you a private business or corporation? Any of my services can translate to the private sector as well! NEXT STEPS: Hear more about my 1-October story and why I started this business here: Read my bio here: Visit my website for more resources and to get in touch:

Experience

1. Co-founder

   Bitsko Consulting

   Jul 2023 — Present

   POLICE RESILIENCY AND CRITICAL INCIDENT MINDSET TRAININGJoin us for this in-person class as I share my 1-October story and address the intense emotions that a first responder will experience before, during, and after responding to a critical incident, and how to mitigate these emotions in order to push through these emotions and have a successful outcome. I also discuss the emotions and trauma post-incident, coping strategies post incident, and ways agencies can improve the wellness and minimize stressors post-incident. CRITICAL INCIDENT TABLETOP EXERCISESTabletop exercises are a valuable tool to prepare your department for critical incident response. I will work with your agency to help build a realistic tabletop exercise, and then administer it in a dynamic and informative manner. I will then provide you with feedback, consulting, and areas of improvement for your EMPLOYEE RESILIENCE PROGRAM CREATION AND CONSULTINGEmployee resiliency programs are vital to not only minimize burnout and turnover rates but also enhance team cohesion, productivity, and overall well-being. I will help create a program uniquely designed for your organization, to include: Identifying stressors and vulnerabilities specific to your agency Creating and leading strategic planning sessions for your organization with a focus on resiliency Conducting personalized coaching sessions for leadership Developing a custom program to increase employee wellness and ARE YOU A PRIVATE BUSINESS OR CORPORATION?Any of my services can translate to the private sector. Check out this link to see Visit my website for more resources and to get in touch:

Education

• University of Nevada-Las Vegas

  Public Administration

  2011 — 2014

Skills

• Criminal Justice
• Interrogation
• Public Safety
• Patrol
• Firearms
• Evidence
• Crime Prevention
• Law Enforcement
• Criminal Investigations
• Homeland Security