First-Line Supervisor Leadership Training
Program nameTraining Tomorrow's Leaders Today
An intensive, scenario-based program for current and aspiring first-line supervisors: sergeants, FTOs, future sergeants, company officers, EMS crew leads, and civilian supervisors.
What you'll build here
Training Tomorrow's Leaders Today is the Thatcher Lewis first-line supervisor program: an intensive, scenario-based course built for sergeants, field training officers (FTOs), future sergeants, company officers, EMS crew leads and field supervisors, and civilian supervisors. Priced between $695 – $895 per student depending on cohort size and delivery format, it equips frontline supervisors with practical tools for accountability, credibility, and tactical communication so they can lead effective teams under pressure.
Tailored for individuals stepping into supervisory roles or those who act as informal leaders within their departments: FTOs guiding new recruits, newly promoted sergeants managing patrol shifts, and civilian supervisors overseeing administrative units. Every cohort is aligned to your agency's standard operating procedures and highest-risk scenarios.
- Investment
- $695 – $895/student
- Cohort
- 15+ students
- Length
- 2–5 days
- Format
- on-site, online, or hybrid
- Instructor
- Chief Jon Fehlman · serving since 1984
Want to hear it from an agency first? Ask for a reference introduction.
Core Curriculum Modules
Supervisor Toolkits
Briefing drills, leader scorecards, and counseling frameworks to manage personnel effectively from day one.
Accountability & Credibility
Train other leaders, evaluate performance honestly, and identify the next generation of agency leadership.
Scenario Labs
Role-specific exercises customized to your agency's highest-risk scenarios and standard operating procedures.
Identifying Leadership Challenges
Navigate the shift from peer to supervisor and lead both sworn and civilian staff without relying solely on rank.
Tactical Communication
De-escalation, critical conversations with employees, and clear radio/scene communication that holds up in court.
Looking for a specific subject? See the full range of leadership topics covered across both courses.
Built for the people who carry the shift.
This is first-line supervisor leadership training: the tier for people who run a shift, a crew, or a unit. Current supervisors, newly promoted supervisors, and the informal leaders everyone already follows all sit in the same room, because they are all making the same move from peer to boss.
Sergeants
Setting standards, running briefings, and debriefing every shift.
Field training officers (FTOs)
Coaching new officers through their first real decisions in the field.
Future sergeants
Preparing for first-line supervision before the promotion lands.
Company officers
Holding the standard on the apparatus floor and on scene.
EMS crew leads and field supervisors
Carrying the shift and the crew while still running calls.
Civilian supervisors
Leading administrative units that keep the agency running.
Not sure which tier fits?
The two published courses share one methodology; the difference is rank and responsibility. Tell us who you are developing and we will point you to the right tier.
Where it runs, how it is delivered, and what your agency gets.
Law enforcement
Police and sheriff agencies, from the patrol shift to the command floor. See patrol-supervisor and command leadership.
Fire departments
Stations and battalions bringing officers together across shifts. See company-officer and battalion leadership.
EMS services
Ambulance services and EMS divisions developing supervisors who still run calls. See crew and operations leadership.
Public administration
City and county departments, the local-government partners who share the table with public safety. See local-government leadership development.
How it is delivered
- On-site at your agency or a host facility
- Live online, instructor led, never self-paced
- Hybrid: part in person, part online
- Runs 2–5 days, ideal cohort 15+ students
Smaller departments split the seats through regional multi-agency training.
What gets customized
- Scenarios drawn from your highest-risk call types
- Standards aligned to your general orders and SOPs
- Role plays cast to the ranks actually in the room
- Debriefs built on your own after-action themes
The method is fixed; the content is not. That is the policy-aligned training process.
What is included
- A written proposal stating the full price before you commit
- Completion certificates for personnel files and record audits
- Learning objectives, hours, outlines, and instructor bio
- Reinforcement coaching after the formal training window
POST credit is not yet available. Agencies submit for approval in their own state using POST and continuing-education documentation.
Budget, class size, multi-agency cohorts, and certificates are answered in full in the training FAQ.
Four steps, built around your agency
Discovery
We review your goals, general orders, IA and RMS trends, CAD data, and high-risk call types to customize the curriculum.
Design
Build the program around your agency's policies, community priorities, and operational pain points. Never off-the-shelf.
Delivery
Scenario-based coaching, real-world debriefs, retention-focused practice. No lecture, no slide-deck overload.
Reinforcement
Sustained coaching after class converts new skills into durable, on-the-job habits, not a one-and-done event.
The Evanston Police Department recently completed a two-week leadership training program facilitated by Thatcher Lewis, and I am pleased to share my highest recommendation. The expertise and professionalism demonstrated by Thatcher Lewis, LLC made a meaningful impact on our department, strengthening our leadership team and enhancing our service to the community.
Schenita StewartChief of Police · Evanston, IllinoisExplore more training
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See every course in one place
Compare both tiers side by side, see who each course is built for, and watch for new programs as they are announced.
Browse the catalogJoining a cohort that's already on the calendar? Register for a scheduled cohort
Bring Training Tomorrow's Leaders Today to your agency.
To host this course, request a custom proposal, or view our transparent pricing options, including no-hidden-fees pay-on-site availability, reach out to our coordination team.