Kiernan Group Holdings (KGH) – Changing the World (Multi-Video)

KGH, the recipient of two Platinum ‘ASTORS’ Homeland Security Awards by American Security Today (AST), is in Old Town Alexandria, Virginia and is owned and operated by Dr. Kathleen Kiernan, a 29-year law enforcement and intelligence community veteran.

Kiernan refers to herself, as a “prakademic”, fueled by practitioner earned knowledge, and bound by academic rigor. 

She is proud of the fact that the company, founded in 2009 was built by practitioners for practitioners, who are mission focused, and share a common drive of public service.

At KGH, Kiernan invests in two kinds of world changing employees:

• Those who have earned experience across law enforcement, intelligence, military and academic communities, and
• Those who are taking their first professional leap from graduate school into the professional workforce.

The former brings operational knowledge and strategic patience, the latter, an entirely different kind of energy and technological curiosity.

The convergence of both is extraordinarily powerful says Kiernan and the “mentoring is reciprocal” which changes the workplace dynamic-and the results show in our business products and in our relationships.

A ready example can be found in the KGH in-house media production department, whose primary mission is transforming and communicating intelligence-driven learning points via digital storytelling.

KGH’s digital storytelling methodology focuses on the identification of experts and eye-witnesses of mass-casualty attacks, enabling the KGH team to communicate public safety teaching points to its clients through the lens of practitioners and the words of the survivors.

This approach empowers the audience by providing ground-truth stories of survival, and more effectively communicates best practices and lessons learned than do traditional public-safety-styled vignettes and written resources.

Stakeholders can better understand and learn from seeing and hearing the stories that occurred to ordinary people in the ordinary course of everyday life.

The immersive learning techniques place individuals in the key decision cycles in factual scenarios of actual events, guided by practitioners, many of whom were involved in the events themselves. 

Even though results are known through after-action reporting and widespread news coverage, the experience of having to “decide” what actions should be taken by whom, when, provide a very different learning experience which translates into action which includes the development of, or refinement of existing operational planning guidelines.

Recognized by AST as a Top Homeland Security Consulting firm, KGH’s strategic and actionable solutions include a trademarked approach to the enhancement of security awareness and preparedness which has its origin in the premise that any ordinary day can turn extraordinary.

“I developed Preparedness Without Paranoia™ (PWP) because violence is no longer a rarity nor confined to any type or place of business”, said Kiernan.

Active threat incidents can happen anywhere, to anyone, at any time: where we work, where we serve, where we learn, where we worship, and even where we play, as evidenced by the grievous attacks in mass gathering venues where families go to relax and be entertained.

The second and third order effects on society are incalculable from a human suffering perspective, as families never fully heal.

From a socioeconomic perspective, the impacts on commerce resonate across the critical infrastructure community in terms of the hotel and travel industry, long-term health care, job loss and an undercurrent of uncertainty when making decisions on personal and corporate security.

Perspectives on security have shifted as the routine assumptions that a military base or other “hard target” would preclude the opportunity for an assailant to gain access, as we have painfully learned, is no longer viable.

Mitigating this evolving threat environment from a citizen/practitioner level through education on preparedness of both individuals and organizations is at the core of KGH’s business model. 

(Learn More about KGH’s Preparedness Without Paranoia™ (PWP) training, courtesy of Kiernan Group Holdings (KGH) and YouTube)

The future holds even more complexity and risk and KGH is tailoring its products and services to adjust to the ever-evolving threat climate.

KGH expects to see more hybrid-type attacks like those using vehicles that are re-purposed into weapons as well as a new hybrid warfare which employs multiple weapon systems to include a combination of physical and cyber-attacks.

Firearms, improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and knives have long been the weapons of choice for terrorists, but in what has become their latest warfare tactic motor vehicles are being weaponized as their instruments of attack against pedestrians.

While this tactic has long been used in conflict zones such as in the Middle East and elsewhere), it is relatively new in the West, including the United States.

During the 2016 – 2017 period, for example, in Western Europe, the United States, and Canada, based on a rough estimate, 12 of the 27 multiple-casualty terrorist attacks, in which two or more casualties were inflicted, have employed trucks, vans or cars that are intentionally driven into public crowds, sometimes over long stretches before the attacks are terminated, usually through crashes.

At times, the attackers’ violence continues when they flee their vehicles and inflict further damage on pedestrians, using hand-held weapons.

The KGH team continues to monitor, research, and analyze vehicle ramming and other emerging hybrid scenarios and platforms to identify the adversarial technology adaptation cycle.

Understanding the tactics, techniques and procedures (TTP’s) used by active assailants results in state of practice training and services for our clients.

Often, the means to an attack include the adversarial exploitation of routine behavior and process when expectations of threats are low, for instance, attending an open-air event or riding a bicycle on a city street.

“These are precisely the kinds of threats that are often hidden in plain sight, invisible to the untrained eye,” says Dr. Kiernan.

“KGH specializes in training individuals and organizations on how to identify these hidden threats and what to do when they are identified.”

“When individuals are prepared, they are also confident and capable of responding quickly and appropriately; if they have planned, practiced and, most importantly, accepted the fact that violence can occur anywhere, they will know how to respond,” says Dr. Kiernan.

She added: “I like to think of it as seeing with one’s ears, and hearing with one’s eyes, a variation on sensory perceptions which can refine cognitive abilities and identify early indicators of anomalous behavior.”

Three types of attacks which repurpose vehicles as weapons:

• Type 1 – the vehicles are intentionally driven into public crowds to cause as many casualties as possible
• Type 2 – the vehicles ram into crowds and the driver gets out and uses hand-held weapons to attack bystanders and first responders, and
• Type 3 – the vehicles are used to breach a hardened target’s security to conduct a further attack within its compound

“Security is now a personal responsibility” say Dr. Kiernan.

“Security sense is really just common sense.”

“Everyone, from the kitchen table to the boardroom table should take the opportunity to learn about techniques that can enhance their situational awareness and preparedness” and employ these skills regularly.”

“As kids, we all learned security lessons about danger, danger from passing cars, fire, strangers, sharp or hot objects and we retain those lessons throughout life.”

“These new lessons are not all that different.”

“Preparedness Without Paranoia™ (PWP) is predicated on the fact that understanding the modern threat environment and training for the worst-case scenario does not have to be an intimidating or overwhelming task.”

“From small businesses to Fortune 500 companies, the resiliency of any organization in a threatening situation depends on the extent to which its employees are prepared, confident and capable of reacting appropriately and effectively.” 

“If individuals, from children to adults, are trained on how to survive an active threat, they will act as they have been trained when and if an incident occurs.”

“PWP teaches heightened situational awareness and increasing everyone’s security efficacy by emphasizing the importance of understanding today’s threat environment, recognizing telltale signs of an evolving threat, and empowering people to take effective action.”

“One of the easiest points for individuals to learn—developing a sense of awareness for what is going on around us—is the hardest, sometimes, for us to put to practice.”

“People often see but do not react to important early-warning indicators that could identify a person on the pathway to violence because they are themselves distracted by the demands of a busy life and may not want to get involved for fear of reprisal, or fear of being wrong.”

“The triggers which can compel an individual include life stress imposed by job loss, divorce, financial problems, and health issues to identify a few.”  

“Learning to accept that a culture of active engagement is beneficial to all mitigates the sense of “reporting” a colleague or friend who appears to be struggling to HR, and directly contributes to a safer work environment.”

KGH specializes in training organizations to develop a capable and confident workforce that can recognize behavioral indicators of individuals who may be on the pathway to violence.

KGH specializes in training organizations to develop a capable and confident workforce that can recognize behavioral indicators of individuals who may be on the pathway to violence.

The historical reliance on calling 9-1-1 and waiting for first responders to arrive is no longer a viable singular option.

First responders (law enforcement, fire, EMTs) take, on average, 8 to 10 minutes to arrive to an active threat scene.

That 8 to 10 minutes is an eternity if you are in the pathway of an individual on a rampage.

Those crucial first minutes of the attack may well determine who survives and who does not.

Often, by the time the first responders arrive at the scene, the assailant will have already achieved his or her objective and either committed suicide, or staged for the final confrontation with law enforcement.

What this means is that the average citizen is now the initial responder; that survivability from a violent attack could depend on the preparedness, confidence and capabilities of one’s coworkers, employees, co-worshippers and or until that time, strangers in public venues who have consciously prepared for an event.

KGH is continually adding research to the PWP approach, such as their Minor Visions program which focuses on our youngest and most vulnerable segment of the population.

(Learn More about KGH’s Minor Visions Program, because Security Sense is Common Sense – and applicable to all ages. Courtesy of Kiernan Group Holdings (KGH) and YouTube)

“These kids will carry the lessons learned in our training throughout their lives,” says Dr. Kiernan, “and capturing their worldview really ensures that the learning models are accurate.”

“We obviate the presumption that a singular training model suits all age levels and learning styles.”

“We are educated by the kids who have already translated Preparedness Without Paranoia™ into “Be Prepared Not Scared” and as one young earnest learner very seriously informed me that “Clever Beats Strong” when we were discussing what the fight piece, of the national run, hide, fight model means to a ten-year old!”

“I think she is exactly right,” said Kiernan.

KGH has also been developing more in-depth and specialized training at the organizational level.

“We label our newest training “Corporate Triage” which promotes psychological first-aid for the workforce, triage for the organizational brand, and protocols for crisis communication that promotes recovery and healing, not only for the organization, but for the community as a whole.

The Kiernan Group Holdings (KGH) customer base includes both government and corporate/business organizations as well as public and private colleges and universities.

Dr. Kathleen Kiernan, CEO of Kiernan Group Holdings, a 29 Year Veteran of Federal Law Enforcement, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and CEO of SameShield*, was recognized for her life-long commitment to Government and Homeland Security was recognized with a prestigious 2017 ‘ASTORS’ Excellence in Homeland Security Award.

AST applauds Dr. Kiernan’s ongoing efforts to Change the World, we salute her efforts and are honored to work with KGH towards that end.

*SameShield, chronicling the role of women in traditionally insular professions – specifically law enforcement, the military, diplomacy, and private industry. To Learn More, please visit http://www.sameshield.com/.