Mission Critical Partners Announces Dates for Swatting Masterclass

Virtual event will take place on May 22 and provide expert advice from industry leaders regarding how to combat a dangerous practice that is increasing in frequency and severity

State College, Pa. (May 1, 2024)—Mission Critical Partners (MCP) announced that registration is open for its Swatting Masterclass, a free virtual event on May 22 designed to educate emergency-response organizations—primarily 911 centers and law-enforcement agencies but also fire/rescue and emergency medical agencies—regarding strategies to combat “swatting.” The practice involves fake 911 calls designed to prompt an emergency response, especially from special weapons and tactics (SWAT) teams.

Swatting is a dangerous practice that has been occurring for more than a decade. However, the practice has escalated in frequency and severity, leading to what has been referred to as a national epidemic. In a 2022 public alert regarding swatting, the FBI issued a stark warning that swatters were intensifying their targeting of public venues, including airports and schools.

The Masterclass is designed to be inclusive, catering to various audiences, all of whom play a critical role in recognizing, responding to, and ideally preventing swatting incidents. This includes all aspects of emergency response. The Masterclass also will contain resources for investigators, prosecutors, and policymakers, all of whom play a critical role in ensuring stiffer punishments for those convicted of swatting.

“We are excited to present our first Swatting Masterclass,” said John Chiaramonte, president of MCP’s consulting division and a former emergency responder. “It offers participants a first-of-its-kind, industrywide resource for identifying, mitigating, and preventing swatting incidents, which unnecessarily tie up resources that could be deployed to legitimate incidents while also placing responders and citizens at risk.”

Participants can develop their own educational paths by attending the complete Masterclass or individual sessions. The following topics will be presented live:

• Introduction to Swatting
• Swatting Incident Identification, Parts One and Two
• Operational Changes for Effective Swatting Mitigation
• Policy Recommendations
• Technology Considerations
• Call to Action

Registration for the MCP Swatting Masterclass is now open to reserve your position. The Masterclass is eligible for one National Emergency Number Education (NENA) continuing education unit (CEU) towards Emergency Number Professional (ENP) certification and one continuing developing education (CDE) credit from the International Academies of Emergency Dispatch (IAED).