From his birth in a Texas hill country town that no longer exists, Weldon L. Kennedy has come a long way. After service as a naval intelligence officer, he joined the FBI in 1963. Over the course of four decades, he served the Bureau with distinction, exemplifying the cutting-edge of crisis management. In 1987, he earned fame as the on-scene commander during a riot at the federal prison in Atlanta, where he negotiated an end to a violent thirteen-day siege--without any loss of life. His skillful management of the Oklahoma City bombing case led to the quick arrests of Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols. Kennedy capped his brilliant career by serving as the FBI's highest-ranking official under Director Louis J. Freeh. Imparting a wealth of law enforcement experience and of wisdom about how to succeed at a job one truly loves, On-Scene Commander is for anyone with an interest in the real world of the FBI.

Incident Command: Tales From the Hot Seat presents a unique examination of the skills of the on-scene or incident commander who is in charge of an emergency or major incident. Experienced commanders from the police and fire services, the armed forces, civil aviation and the prison service give personal accounts of their command experiences, discuss their dilemmas and the pressures they faced, and reveal the demands of leading under extreme conditions. They share intimate details of cases where their command skills were tested, ranging from industrial fires, riots, hostage taking, warfare, peacekeeping, to in-flight emergencies. Each case ends with lessons learnt and tips for the developing commander. Additional chapters present expert accounts of the art of incident command, incident command systems, competencies for command, as well as reviews of the latest psychological research into decision making and team work under pressure. The book is an essential compelling text that captures the essence of incident command by analyzing command experiences across a range of professions.