RECENT PROJECTS
Here are a few of the projects that LaPonda J. Fitchpatrick has been engaged in. There are more to follow so please keep returning to this page for updates!
Aviation Security for Law Enforcement Officers
With a concentration on enforcing aviation-related security, laws, and regulations, the Aviation Security for Law Enforcement Officers (LEO) Training School provides comprehensive training for aviation security and law enforcement practitioners who must enforce the laws, rules, and regulations within an aviation environment. It has been attended by more than 1500 national and international law enforcement and security personnel since its inception in 2002, including the entire law enforcement components for Atlanta-Hartsfield, Phoenix-Sky Harbor, and Okaloosa County Airports Police Department in Fort Walton Beach/Destin, Florida, and their associated operational staff. The course was also provided to members of the Houston Police Department.
Unique to this course is the continuous updates that ensure the most current information, policies, procedures, and tactics are provided to address the ever-changing aviation law enforcement and security environment. As with aviation, this course is not static.
The LEO Training School has been approved for Continuing Law Enforcement Education (CLEE) credits through the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement Officer Standards and Education (TCLEOSE), the South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy (SCCJA), and has been approved in other states for CLEE credits based on the individual submission of the request by officers/agencies participating in the class. These certifications go to the continual efficacy and applicability of the course content and the expertise and experience of LaPonda J. Fitchpatrick, who created the course and is the primary instructor.
Currently, this course is given in partnership with the American Association of Airport Executives (AAAE). Conducted twice a year in Alexandria, Virginia, the LEO Training School can be provided to individual airports as an on-site training program tailored to an individual agency's needs. For additional information, please click on the LEO logo above.
Crisis Management in the Aviation Environment
LaPonda J. Fitchpatrick developed and instructed a training course for the American Association of Airport Executives and the Charlotte Douglas International Airport Senior Leadership Staff that discussed strategies and responses during aviation-related emergencies, crises, and disasters. The 3-day course, which was provided to both civilian and sworn leadership, focused on all aspects of developing and maintaining an Airport Emergency Response Plan (AERP), integration of all airport stakeholders and non-traditional partners in the Unified/Incident Command Structure through training and exercises; and Crisis Communication and Presentation Delivery. Emphasis was placed on the research that has been conducted by the Airport Cooperative Research Project (ACRP) on the sharing of after-action reports and other lessons learned.
Psychological Preparedness
It is not a matter of if; it is a matter of when. Airports are not only lucrative targets for those who want to cause harm but are also industrial environments where incidents and accidents occur that can be traumatic. Ensuring that not only the first responders are prepared for what can sometimes be very gruesome scenes, we must also ensure that other employees who may witness these events are psychologically prepared as well. LaPonda J. Fitchpatrick developed this 4-hour short course to provide guidance on recognizing signs and symptoms of incident-related stress that may manifest after an event has been secured. The course discusses the benefits and limitations of connecting with and supporting the recovery of others in the wake of traumatic events. Additionally, the course examines the importance of grief counseling for first responders and other employees involved in incidents. Critical to this course is a discussion of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in a civilian population and its manifestation, symptoms, diagnosis, duration, and treatment.
Airport Terrorism Preparedness and Response
This 2-day training is designed to help airport employees recognize behavior and activities that could indicate a threat to airport safety and security. The course defines the psychology and ideology of terrorism, what an insider threat is, behavioral indicators, suicide bombers and improvised explosive devices, active shooters, airport emergency response plan, employee security responsibilities, and how employees can make a difference and help secure their work environment.
Business Case for Diversity and Inclusion in Aviation
With a focus on the future, LaPonda J. Fitchpatrick, created a presentation for aviation professionals responsible for hiring and onboarding. The presentation is designed to introduce aviation workers and hiring agents to diversity and inclusion and bias issues that can adversely affect the hiring process.
Concentration is on the current lack of diversity in the aviation space and how the changing demographics will have a tremendous impact on the ability to hire qualified employees and what those employees will look like. They will not look like the aviation worker of today. This presentation will be provided at the upcoming American Association of Airport Executives Annual Conference in San Diego, California, April 15-18, 2018. Find out more at AAAE2018.
Workplace Violence Prevention Program
A workplace violence incident will adversely affect the bottom line of any organization by severely damaging its reputation in the industry and with its employees. K. Bell, a globally connected small business warehouse, actively sought LaPonda J. Fitchpatrick to create a workplace violence prevention program and training curriculum for K. Bell's managers and supervisors at their Inglewood, California facility. This training provided them with the information, laws, requirements, and tools to deal with employee issues that could result in a workplace violence incident. The training included de-escalation techniques and active shooter protocols.
K. Bell wanted to ensure their supervisors, managers, and employees understood that one workplace violence incident was too many. K. Bell's executive staff recognized that within their work environment, their most important asset was their employees. Workplace violence is an occupational safety and health hazard; therefore, each employer must provide a safe and secure work environment for their employees, clients, and customers.
Companies can take overt and public action to invest in their employees and ensure that it is known throughout the company and industry that they have zero tolerance for workplace violence of any kind.
Threats to Local Communities
LaPonda J. Fitchpatrick developed and instructed a training presentation for the California Crime Prevention Officers' Association (CCPOA), Region I addressing threats local communities, including the "Lone Wolf Terrorist." The presentation, which was provided to both civilian and sworn Crime Prevention Officers (CPOs), focused on the need for entire communities to become involved in protecting themselves from radical ideologies and stressed what CPOs should be looking for and how to get the community involved. Because the transition to radical ideologies can be very subtle and very quick, the presentation curriculum stressed the need to remain vigilant and to ensure that suspicious activity is reported immediately. LaPonda J. Fitchpatrick provided this presentation as a keynote speaker to the Statewide Association in October 2015, and to the Monterey Park California Community Volunteers annual meeting in November 2015. She will be giving this presentation to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Volunteer Program (LASDV) as a keynote speaker at their annual conference in May 2016.
Department of Education Training Series
After completion of a comprehensive diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility organization assessment for the Department of Education Office of the Inspector General (OIG) Audit Services (AS), a DEIA-related training series was planned, developed, and provided to AS employees to build knowledge, awareness, and skills applicable to audit activities, working in teams, building culture, mitigating bias in the workplace, communicating across cultures, leveraging cognitive diversity, and inclusive leadership.