The Antihero Podcast: National Tactical Officers Association (Washington DC)

Date: September 15, 2025
Host: The Antihero Podcast Team

Episode Overview

This episode takes listeners inside the 2025 National Tactical Officers Association (NTOA) conference in Washington, DC—a gathering point for law enforcement, military, and tactical technology industries. The Antihero Podcast crew brings their signature irreverence (“an appropriate level of inappropriateness”) and honest discussions through lightning-round interviews and firsthand explorations of new gear and technology—from cutting-edge K9 tactical equipment to innovative drone-based site modeling and more. The episode captures a boots-on-the-ground look at the current climate for tactical officers, how technology is impacting field operations, and the evolving culture of law enforcement.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Current State and Culture of Law Enforcement

• Recruitment and Morale:
  Early banter highlights a tough recruiting environment and cultural headwinds—“People want to see their sausage get made. They want people to not want to be cops, and the people that do want to be cops are now walking into the job, scared to do the job.” (Phil, [00:38])
• Pride and Camaraderie:
  Repeated shouts of “JV team for life” and playful SWAT trivia echo the value of brotherhood and humor in maintaining morale.

2. Lightning Rounds: Knowledge, Camaraderie, and SWAT Pride

• Inside Jokes & SWAT Lingo:
  Ongoing quick-fire questions blend levity with testing SWAT credentials:
  • “Curls or bench?”
    “Bench.” / “Wrong. Curls.”
    (Tyler & John, [02:07])
  • “What does SWAT stand for?”
    “Special Weapons and Tactics.” (multiple, [03:07], [17:21], [27:45])
  • “Who’s better, Delta Force or SEAL Team Six? And why is it Delta Force?”
    “Delta Force and integrity.” (John, [03:00])
• History Trivia:
  “Name the first three presidents of the United States.” A surprisingly tough one for SWAT officers on the floor. (Multiple, [04:26], [17:53], [27:45])

Memorable Quote:
“Curls or oxygen? Because you need oxygen to do the curls. You got it. You watch the show.”
—Tyler & John, [02:23]

3. Technology & Gear Showcases

a. K9 Tactical Equipment – Dark Systems

• K9 Helmets & Hearing Protection:
  Lena from Dark Systems details modular K9 helmets for various breeds, including passive and active hearing protection—“Their ears are more sensitive than ours, so it makes sense to protect them.” (Lena, [06:54])
• Integrated Cameras & Marking Systems:
  Stabilized dog-mounted cameras, ATAC compatibility, and tactical markers to track search/rescue dogs or mark hazards.
• Defensive Lighting:
  Strobe systems to protect K9s in room-clear scenarios—“…can just give him some more seconds by blinding the enemy.” (Lena, [10:54])

Memorable Quote:
“It’s really hard to imagine what the dog is seeing. So now… you see like through the lenses what is going on in front of the dog.”
—Lena, [08:16]

b. Human Performance / TRT for Operators

• Testosterone & Stress:
  Discussion about how tactical stress, shift work, and adrenaline dumps affect testosterone levels—
  “You are already way behind the power curve. You should be between 900, 800 to a thousand at 30.” (Tyler, [13:34])
• Navigating Healthcare Roadblocks:
  Barriers to treatment, insurance denials, importance of finding supportive practitioners.

c. Camera and Entry Tools – Tactical Electronics & Holmatro

• Pole & Under-Door Cameras:
  Curtis demonstrates compact cameras combining thermal/visual sensors, allowing safe searches without physical exposure—“Instead of an operator sticking their head in an attic space… we designed this to be Superman portable.” (Curtis, [19:57])
• Hydraulic Entry Tools:
  John presents the T1 and a hydraulic ram, combining multiple breaching functions for rapid solo entries.
  • “100 to 1 mechanical advantage versus a 15 to 1… on a classic Halligan Bar.” (John, [23:00])
  • “One guy does the whole system. You don’t need a second guy to run a sledge.” (John, [23:55])

d. Advanced Site Modeling – Reveal Technology

• 3D Mapping from Drone Feeds:
  Mike showcases “Farsight,” quick-deploy 3D modeling for tactical planning and after-action analysis—
  • Planning public events (e.g. President Trump rally site post-incident)—“I can drop the pin where the President was and enable his line of sight… now I get a true representation of what his line of sight [was].” (Mike, [38:07])
  • Noting vulnerabilities: “Anything left in green are gaps… literally, the sliver where security can’t see. And we have technology that could have kept this from happening.” (Mike & Tyler, [41:07])

Memorable Quote:
“It almost be impossible to get that type of information without it—it’s amazing.”
—Tyler, [39:15]

e. Weapon Lights & Illumination – Cloud Defensive

• Company Overview:
  Matt runs down Cloud Defensive’s trajectory from switches to full weapon lights, featuring ambidextrous design and redundancy for field reliability.
• Upcoming Products:
  Discussion of pistol lights, concealed carry adaptations, and built-in cable management—“Door frames are going to be your number one enemy when it comes to those cables.” (Matt, [31:46])

f. Training Tools – Unit Solutions

• Non-Lethal Training Systems:
  Zach describes CO2-powered marking rifles and pistols offering realism and safety—“Not a drop-in bolt conversion kit… only fires pneumatic CO2 powered projectiles. Nothing on the market like it.” (Zach, [46:31])

4. Community, Counterculture, and Inside Jokes

• Law Enforcement Humor:
  Interview with Mike from Copville, a meme creator and podcaster—“I make a meme about it. So it’s been really cool. Really good reception. These guys are great.” (Mike, [49:12])
• Value of Levity:
  The importance of “clownery” and memes in diffusing job-related stress for tactical officers.

Memorable Quote:
“It brings some light and some clownery to the job where everything is so serious.”
—Mike from Copville, [49:12]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Doctors will tell you the insurance won’t cover it… If you’re at 400 and you’re over 30, you are already way behind the power curve.”
  – Tyler, [13:34]

• “The truth, Toxicity, compromised immunity and chronic inflammation—they’re not fate, they’re engineered. And so is your power to undo them.”
  – Tyler, [32:56] (in a monologue on holistic medicine)

• “Instead of guys sticking their head up in an attic space, sticking a pole camera instead.”
  – Curtis, [20:49]

• “This little ruler over here… you can measure all the way out… and it’s over a thousand feet and I can convert that to yards, meters, whatever…”
  – Mike, [38:07]

Timestamps for Important Segments

| Segment | Timestamp | |-----------------------------------------------------|------------------| | SWAT culture, morale, and lightning questions | 00:25–05:00 | | K9 tech with Lena (Dark Systems) | 05:21–11:54 | | TRT (Testosterone) discussion with Phil | 11:54–14:22 | | Tactical Electronics (pole camera, under-door cam) | 17:07–22:02 | | Holmatro hydraulic breaching tools | 22:40–25:42 | | Cloud Defensive (illumination, product line) | 28:26–32:56 | | Reveal Technology (drone-based 3D site mapping) | 35:44–42:59 | | Unit Solutions (non-lethal training weapons) | 46:03–48:18 | | Copville memes & law enforcement counterculture | 48:21–50:10 |

Tone and Style

• Authentic, irreverent, and direct—the “all truth” style is maintained by casual, sometimes sarcastic exchanges, inside jokes, honest vendor reviews, and playful but insightful interviews.
• Blends technical specifics with approachable explanations, making it useful to both tactical operators and the wider audience curious about law enforcement culture and technology.

Takeaways

• Technology is rapidly improving the speed, safety, and effectiveness of tactical law enforcement.
• Morale and identity remain top priorities for officers, with camaraderie and humor crucial for resilience.
• Vendors at NTOA are innovating not just for cool factor, but with real-world safety and mission success in mind.
• Transparency and counterculture voices (memes, honest podcasts) are valued inside the community.

For pictures, product links, or to learn more about the people and gear featured, check out the show notes or visit the vendors and contributors mentioned throughout the episode.