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Our Mission

The Saving Lives USA Foundation is a publicly funded non-profit founded by former military and law enforcement. We have a passion for human rights and deep expertise in training systems and human performance.

Our mission is to address the negative social and
societal impacts that result from police and security service use-of-force within the United States and its territories.

What we Do

  • Help implement training and qualification reform.
  • Improve use-of-force decision-making.
  • Integrate de-escalation into all firearms training.
  • Improve stress resilience and officer safety.
  • Educate communities and concerned citizens.
  • Provide funding and tools to implement effective reform.
See Our Impact

Our Board of Directors

Dustin Salomon, Member, President

Dustin is a former naval officer and protective security specialist. Between the military and the private sector he has conducted 20 overseas deployments and, while on active duty, developed the weapons training programs at multiple military commands. He is a certified law enforcement firearms instructor and the author of seven books on the application of brain-science and psychology research to improve firearms and tactical training. Several of his books are now used as instructor texts by numerous federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. He has spoken on the application of brain-science to training design at the FBI Academy in Quantico Virginia, at the Georgia Association of Law Enforcement Firearms Instructors annual conference, and at the Force Science Annual Conference. Dustin is also the Founder of Building Shooters Technology LLC, a small business dedicated to improving the performance of armed professionals through the application of brain-based training design.

Matthew Brakeman, Vice President

Matt spent four years in the U.S. Marine Corps as an infantryman and scout/sniper. He then worked as a full-time executive protection agent for Las Vegas Sands Corporation, as a Force Protection and Special Response Team provider for the U.S. Department of Energy, and as an independent executive protection agent. Matt worked for three years as Head of Security for Free Burma Rangers, operating in the tribal conflict areas of Burma then subsequently returned to the United States and spent six years as a Patrol Deputy with the Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. He now works as an independent security consultant, providing discreet security services for private clients.

Chris Persinger, Treasurer

Chris has over a decade of experience as an active law enforcement officer and multiple decades of experience as an armed professional. He is currently active in both operations and training and passionate about improving police performance in the field.

Jason Falconer, Secretary

Jason has a law enforcement background; he is the former Chief of the Albany Police Department and he continues to serve as a part-time officer with the City of Avon. Jason also serves as the department’s firearms instructor and has created POST Board approved firearms training curriculum. From 2008 to 2016 Jason assisted with St. Cloud State University’s Law Enforcement Skills Training in the disciplines of decision shooting and dynamic entry.  He is the president and owner of Tactical Advantage in Waite Park, Minnesota and has also been operating Tactical Advantage Firearms Training, Inc., since 2003. 

Police use-of-force is one of the great issues of our time.

Events over the past decade have severely damaged much of the public’s trust in law enforcement and the criminal justice system.

Help us reform it.

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If it won’t have real-world impacts, then we aren’t out doing it.

Please see below for a summary of the work that we or our related organizations are involved in.

Recent and Ongoing Projects

State of New York – Department of Criminal Justice Police Academy Curriculum Development Project:

Helping to insert thinking, decision-making, and de-escalation as integral components of academy level police firearms training in New York State.

See an article about our impact on Page 42 of the recent Chief’s Chronicle here:

See the public presentation from New York’s Department of Criminal Justice Services on the academy firearms program development starting at minute 49 in the video posted here.

State of New York – Department of Criminal Justice Instructor Development Workshop:

Presenting on the application of brain science to adult learning, and providing an overview and the basis of design for the new academy-level firearms training program that is currently in development.

Cities of Syracuse and Ithaca, New York – Training and Equipment Provision:

With funding from Saving Lives USA, Syracuse and Ithaca New York Police Departments will be receiving training and equipment during an upcoming event this November to put their officers on the leading edge of decision making and de-escalation capability.  More information to follow.

 

Get involved

With your help we can make every cop in America train and qualify in de-escalation of deadly force.

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