He knew he was probably getting fired. He was in trouble and tomorrow was Friday and none of this was fair.
So, he loaded his pistol in preparation for the next day’s meeting.
He would leave it in the car and, if they terminated him, he’d go get the gun and terminate them right back.
Unfortunately, these facts were unknown to the HR manager as she prepared for the meeting. But her instincts told her this one was dangerous, so, earlier Thursday, she called for help.
“Tim,” she said, “I think this could be a bad one.”
Retired Chief of Police and Threat Management expert Tim D. Keck responded and conducted an assessment. What he learned scared him. The HR manager’s intuition was rock solid. This one would be dangerous.
“I’m glad you’re here. You always tell me what to do,” sighed the manager.
There is a reason Tim always knows what to do. He’s been making life and death decisions since 1979. Here are a few highlights:
- Two weeks into his first police job, he was almost shot in the back of the head by a prisoner who snuck a gun past his partner’s search. Result: He became a survival tactics instructor.
- He worked multiple sexual assault cases. Result: He designed and taught personal safety classes for women.
- His police department was attacked by a murderer who kidnapped a hostage and took over the building. Result: He designed Workplace Violence and Active Shooter Prevention seminars for businesses.
- After successfully running the SWAT team for a decade, he learned the importance of teamwork for success. Result: He developed several innovative teambuilding programs, some of which were featured in the business section of the NYT.
- While working a stalking case in Kansas City, the company decided to stop investing in the victim employee’s safety. Result: Tim worked the case pro-bono for two years, defeating the stalker and getting recognized by the district court as an expert witness in Threat Management.
At some point during all of this, Tim had an epiphany:
He could have the biggest impact on keeping people safe from violence by educating them directly. But not just with the cold hard facts, vis a vie “Bueller…Bueller…Bueller.”
With true stories. With humor. With inspiration.
Every presentation should leave them feeling inspired and empowered!
Now, Tim speaks at dozens of conferences and organizations across the nation each year. His most popular topics are:
- Threat Management: The New Standard in Active Shooter Training
- GET…LIVE: How to De-Escalate Almost Any Situation
- Bulletproof Leadership: The Three Keys to Leading Under Stress
Why is he so darn busy? Conference committees and leaders say it’s because the topics are timely, necessary, and he’s so easy to work with.
But participants, the real “end user” of this product, say things like:
- “I could listen to this guy talk all day! We need him back.”
- “Tim’s presentation was highly engaging and full of stuff I never knew!”
- “By far, the best presentation of the three-day conference. Just like last year.”
Tim now works closely with SafeHaven Threat Management, a company founded by Doug Elms, formerly of Walmart. Doug has created a world-class boutique consultancy with credentialed and experienced threat management professionals from around the country. Their backgrounds include the United States Secret Service, United States Marshall, and Chief Security Officer for multinational corporations.
Tim’s role these days is much less about managing threats and much more about educating people on recognizing and avoiding violence in all its forms.
Like the guy who plots to murder his HR manager when they fire him.
Tim sat down with said HR manager and her director that Thursday afternoon, and they crafted a plan. They set up the right time, place, and conditions for the termination interview. They loosely scripted it, anticipating what he might say and how she should respond to it.
Friday afternoon came and the employee was called into the small conference room, without time to go back to his desk. Tim waited in the next room, monitoring the conversation in case anything went wrong. The manager had an answer ready for each objection and a listening ear when the employee wanted to speak. The interview lasted a tense two hours. In the end, he apologized for his behavior and went home without incident, deciding not to carry out his plan because he believed she cared about him.
Tragedy was averted because someone knew who to call and that person knew what to do. All because she had seen Tim speak on this topic.
This is but one of the true stories Tim uses to illustrate what can and has happened, both good and bad, to people in your profession. And you never know which direction the lesson may come from. (Ask him how to de-escalate a werewolf.)
Be it a keynote, a seminar, or a mainstage address, audiences tend to rave about Tim’s presentations. If you want a message that is full of information and inspiration and laughter, Chief Tim D. Keck might be your guy.
Let him tell you what to do.
Megan Caldwell
Director of Communication and Strategic Initiatives
[email protected]
SafeHaven Security Group
SafeHavenSecurityGroup.com