Dan Langford is no stranger to transitions. In 2016 he made a major one, as he shifted his career path, retiring after 28 years of service from the Westchester County Police Department in New York to his current role as subject matter expert for New Mexico Tech’s First Responder Training Program. To this role he brought extensive experience; during the last 6 years of his career with Westchester County, Dan was a bomb technician and commander of the County’s Hazardous Devices Unit. In addition, he was certified by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the State of New York to instruct in a variety of topics. When asked what aspects of his previous career he misses the most, Dan didn’t hesitate to mention that it was the operational part of his position and “the men and women I worked with in the department and especially in the bomb squad. Even though most responses involve a bomb tech walking alone towards a suspicious package, you depend heavily on those other people to keep you safe.”
In his current position as Subject Matter Expert for EMRTC, Dan’s responsibilities include researching, creating content, and reviewing material to present to DHS/FEMA for evaluation and approval. As part of these responsibilities, Dan’s role sometimes includes that of computer technician, video editor, and accessibility consultant. Along the way, he has also become a certified drone operator to facilitate the new Drone Assessment and Response Tactics course. As he wears these multiple hats, Dan really enjoys staying connected and involved in the first responder community. He appreciates the opportunity to have an impact on first responders’ professional development and their responses to explosive-related incidents.
During the last year and a half, like the rest of the world, Dan had to transition to COVID realities. While he certainly experienced some silver linings such as flexibility in his schedule allowing him to break up his day for projects around his house, he dealt with pandemic-related work challenges as well. The most challenging aspect, according to Dan, “was the transition from developing and planning in-person learning to completely virtual courses.” Beyond inevitable technical challenges, trying to ensure course participants were still engaged in a virtual setting consumed significant time and energy.
As part of a continuous improvement approach, Dan and colleagues are proposing a virtual reality program in the next funding cycle. Such a program would enable participants to engage in response scenarios in a virtual platform where the environment and the stimuli affecting their actions could be manipulated. For instance, one scenario might involve placing a team of participants in a virtual school in response to a bomb threat. Teams could conduct a virtual search and identify suspicious items and then implement appropriate response strategies. With this virtual approach, the learning opportunities for participants surpass those that could be implemented in the physical classroom. This approach would also be augmented with a field exercise at the range to allow students to see the demonstrated effects that explosive devices can have.
Teacher Rhona and Student Dan
In case you are wondering what it might be like to move from New York to New Mexico, that too was a significant transition. Magdalena, the town west of Socorro where Dan and his wife live, is rather remote and rather small (population under 1000!). While restaurants and stores are lacking, scenery is abundant, as the Magdalena Mountains offer incredible views, less traveled trails, and dark and clear skies. When he’s not working, Dan can be found caring for his 3 dogs and 2 horses. He also enjoys riding horses with his wife, though he is quick to note he’s an amateur, not an expert, in that area.
