Gene Petrino helps organizations strengthen workplace safety, reduce risk, and equip employees with the practical skills to recognize danger before it escalates. As a retired SWAT commander with nearly three decades of experience in high-stakes environments, Gene brings a calm, professional, and highly practical approach to organizational safety and threat awareness.

Today, he works with HR leaders, corporate teams, schools, and nonprofits to build proactive safety cultures grounded in early-warning recognition, confident decision-making, and realistic prevention strategies.

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A Career Built on Prevention, Not Fear

Workplace incidents rarely start as emergencies. They begin with small behavioral or environmental cues that often go unnoticed. Gene’s mission is to teach organizations how to identify these early indicators, respond appropriately, and reduce risk long before a crisis develops.

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His training shifts the mindset from reaction to prevention, helping teams:

• Recognize concerning behaviors and pre-incident patterns

• Strengthen situational awareness without creating fear

• Support supervisors in early intervention

• Improve reporting pathways and organizational readiness

• Build a shared, company-wide approach to safety and resilience

 

Gene’s programs translate real-world experience into clear, actionable frameworks HR teams can implement immediately.

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Leadership Experience That Translates to the Workplace

Before founding Survival Response, Gene spent more than 28 years in law enforcement, including service as a SWAT commander responsible for managing critical incidents, training teams, and evaluating high-risk situations.

 

His leadership experience includes:

• Overseeing major incident response operations

• Teaching threat assessment, behavioral awareness, and decision-making under stress

• Training law enforcement professionals, civilians, educators, hospital staff, and corporate teams

• Developing strategies that prioritize human behavior, early detection, and de-escalation

 

This background gives Gene uncommon insight into how threats develop, how people behave under pressure, and how organizations can prevent escalation through awareness, communication, and culture.

Trusted By HR and Organizational Leaders

Gene’s work is designed specifically for HR managers, directors, and business leaders who want practical solutions—not theoretical security models or tactical courses.

 

He supports teams through:

• Workplace violence prevention training

• Situational awareness and behavioral cues workshops

• Threat recognition and early-intervention programs

• Leadership briefings for executives and supervisors

• Risk assessment and environmental awareness evaluations

 

His approach is professional, relatable, and grounded in real human behavior, making it accessible for frontline staff as well as leadership teams.

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Professional Credentials

• Retired SWAT Commander with 28+ years of law enforcement experience

• Co-founder of Survival Response LLC

• Master’s Degree in Security Management

• Bachelor’s Degree in Criminology

• Certified Protection Professional (CPP)

• Published in Security Management Magazine; work republished by SHRM

• Instructor in threat recognition, behavioral awareness, decision-making under stress, and workplace safety preparedness

 

These credentials reflect both operational expertise and the academic grounding that HR leaders value when selecting trainers, consultants, and speakers.

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A Practical Approach That Empowers People

Gene’s teaching philosophy is simple:
When people understand what to look for, they make better decisions.

 

His programs emphasize:

• Calm, confident awareness

• Practical, real-world examples

• Easy-to-use behavioral frameworks

• Decision-making strategies employees can use immediately

• Non-fear-based, professional communication

 

The result is a workforce that feels capable, supported, and aligned with your organization’s safety goals.

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Let’s Strengthen Your Workplace Safety Culture

Gene works with organizations of all sizes to build safer, more aware, and more resilient teams. Whether through training, speaking, workshops, or leadership strategy sessions, he brings clarity and competence to one of the most important challenges facing today’s workforce: staying safe in an unpredictable world.