Split-Second Decisions: How to Train for the Moment You Can’t Rewind

During my career in law enforcement, there are moments I still replay in my mind. Mistakes I made under pressure. Decisions I wish I could take back.

 I can’t.

One of those moments is detailed in a blog post you can read here. My only option now is to share what I’ve learned so others don’t repeat those mistakes and so they can begin to heal after an incident.

At Bitsko Consulting, we help first responders perform under pressure. We teach science based tools that improve decision making during high stress incidents.

Emotional regulation and mindset are just as essential as a vest, weapon, or radio. But tools only work if you train with them. That is where we come in.

Stress is predictable. The body reacts the same way whether you’re a brand new officer or a seasoned operator. If you haven’t trained your mind to stay grounded, that stress will make the decisions for you.

You can’t rely on willpower in the moment if you’re not prepared. You need muscle memory including mental and emotional reps, not just physical ones. Breathing techniques and emotional regulation are skills that can be trained until they become second nature. Used consistently, they build resilience and help you think clearly when others freeze.

Training should reflect the real pressure of the job. Tabletop exercises, scenario training, and honest debriefs build the kind of readiness you can’t get from a lecture.

There’s another way to get reps under pressure: take risks. I don’t mean being careless with your safety. I mean putting yourself in tactical positions where you can practice these skills in real scenarios.

I remember when I was fresh out of SWAT Operator school, working as a K9 handler. My partner was ready, and so was I. On my first few missions, I took rear containment. Basically, if someone ran out the back, I was there to stop them, possibly deploying my K9 to apprehend them. It was generally a low risk position. Not because it was safer than working the front, but because there was less chance of failure.

When it came time to work the front, I was nervous. That meant sending a K9 past SWAT operators to clear the interior of a structure. There were so many things that could go wrong: an accidental bite, missing a hidden suspect, or something else that would land squarely on me.

Part of me wanted to keep working the back. I didn’t want to fail or look like I couldn’t do the job. But I had to force myself to step up. I was nervous on those first few deployments, but the more I did it, the better I got. That confidence carried over into the rest of my career.

When you’re on a dynamic scene, be the one who steps up and takes action. Lead. It will make you better in almost every part of the job.

Mistakes will happen. But fewer of them happen when you’ve trained your brain to work with your body under stress.

You don’t get to rewind the worst moments. But you can prepare for them. That is the work that matters.