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Cody Martin

Founder

Brings over 18 years combined of federal law enforcement, training, and physical security experience.
About > Cody Martin

About cody

Cody is the founder of Risk Strategy Group, based in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex, centrally located in North Texas.

Cody has over 18 years of federal law enforcement, training, and physical security expertise. He’s advised and trained 20+ Fortune 500 firms, as well as numerous schools, churches and private individuals. As the founder of Risk Strategy Group, he’s been a firearms and tactics instructor for 17 years and led threat management training across four states for his former federal agency.

Cody’s major work has included:

  • National course creation for Improvised Explosive Device Recognition and Response for his federal agency
  • Subject Matter Expert and national trainer in firearms and officer survival
  • Risk assessments and security plans for some of the world’s wealthiest companies and ultra-high-net-worth individuals
  • Assisted the United States Secret Service with physical security of President George W. Bush

Cody holds a BS and a Masters in Criminal Justice from Tarleton State University.

Highlights

Certifications

Recent presentations

Publications

Full Resume

Work experience

Risk Strategy Group—Dallas/Fort Worth, TX

Principal Consultant (2017 – Present)
Offer a variety of physical security services including; evaluating risk levels, active shooter response, threat identification, crafting mitigation strategies, and mail-borne threats.

  • Conduct risk assessments/surveys
  • Security planning with an emphasis on mitigating risk
  • Training in threat recognition and response
  • Perform travel risk analysis

United States Postal Inspection Service—Chicago, IL & Fort Worth, TX

Federal Agent (2005 – 2016)
Support and protect the U.S. Postal Service and its employees, brand, infrastructure, and customers; enforce the laws that defend the nation’s mail system from illegal or dangerous use. Ensure public trust in the mail.

  • Liaison with U.S. Department of Justice, state and local law enforcement agencies, and local prosecutors to investigate complex federal cases and prepare them for court
  • Directly targeting robbery, burglary, and assault
    • Dedicated work violent crime team
    • Conduct security and safety audits
    • Facility safety training and awareness campaigns
    • Active shooter training to 100’s of civilian employees
  • Utilize investigative techniques to conduct thorough investigations with the intent to prosecute. These techniques include but are not limited to:
      • Analytical research
      • Open-source intelligence
      • Human intelligence
      • Surveillance
      • Interview and interrogation
      • Prepare complex comprehensive legal documents and prosecution reports
      • Pursue and restrain suspects
      • Utilize technical equipment
      • Preparation of affidavits to successfully acquire court orders
      • Serve federal warrants and subpoenas
    • Format and write complex prosecution reports
    • Trial preparation research
    • Support prosecutors by providing expert testimony in court
    • Executive protection
      • Advance trips
      • Travel route planning
      • Medical considerations
      • Venue specific training
      • Threat recognition
      • Control measures
      • Hazard avoidance techniques
    • Additional responsibilities:
      • Threat Management Coordinator for 3-State Division
      • Officer Survival Instructor
      • George Bush Security Detail (Mail Screening)
      • East Texas Identity Theft Task Force
      • Public presentations and training on mail screening, active shooter response, security, facility preparedness, and situational awareness

Dangerous Mail Specialist (2006 – 2016)

Responsible for responding to all CBRNE events related to the USPS and some private couriers.

  • Biological Detection System (BDS) – System within processing facilities screening for biological threats (requires level B PPE/SCBA)
  • HAZWOPER certification
  • Forensic Sampling and Suspicious Substance Screening (FSSSS)
  • Post-blast investigations
  • Narcotics
  • Improvised Explosive Device (IED) Recognition and Response
  • Presidential Mail Screening SME for President Bush (43)
  • Super Bowl mail screening operations
  • NBA All-Star Game mail screening operations

Emergency Response Team Alternate Team Leader (2011 – 2016)

Provide rapid response and perform tasks necessary to mitigate any crisis, emergency, critical incident, or natural disaster. Oversee and/or participate in the command, planning, logistics, or finance sections of the Incident Command System (ICS), or all of the above simultaneously.

  • Prompt and professional response
  • Assess and secure the scene while developing a command structure
  • Protect and preserve all visible evidence
  • Determine and initiate preliminary security measures
  • Determine and initiate secondary searches and/or surveillances as necessary
  • Determine additional personnel and equipment necessary to conclude the initial response as soon as possible
  • Establish lines of communication with the appropriate Crisis Team
  • Assist in re‑establishing operational continuity
  • Coordinate with emergency medical and fire personnel
  • Control resources and establish effective interagency cooperation
  • Establish an Emergency Operations Center
  • Establish communications with the Incident Command Post
  • Coordinate response and recovery efforts

Executive Protection Detail (2014 – 2016)

Responsible for conducting close protection and efficiently responding to emergent situations as they develop. 

  • Safeguard principal
  • Mitigate threats
  • Conduct advance operation planning, including site surveys
  • Complete risk assessments
  • Protective intelligence
  • Maintain sensitive information

Fort Worth Division Threat Management Coordinator (2014 – 2016)

Oversee the Fort Worth Division Threat Management Training Program (Firearms, Officer Survival, and Defensive Tactics) and implement threat management standards for the Division.

  • Supervise (3) three coordinators and approximately 18 instructors in Texas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas
  • Manage training dates, locations, class, and individual schedules
  • Conduct research on policy, procedure, and best practices
  • Create research-driven proposals to facilitate new equipment acquisition
  • Meet agency training standards and requirements outlined in USPIS policies
  • Ensure all Fort Worth Division Inspectors meet requirements outlined in USPIS policies
  • Create training and lesson plans built around active shooter response for both civilian and law enforcement personnel
  • Implement training standards for the Fort Worth Division
  • Maintain training records
  • Create lesson plans
  • Create purchase requests
  • Facilitate contracts and contract renewals
  • Purchase and maintain equipment, ammunition
  • Coordinate training efforts with Headquarters
  • Seek additional training for instructor staff
  • Prior relevant experience:
    • Firearms Instructor, August 2006
    • Officer Survival Instructor, February 2008
    • Fort Worth Division Firearms Coordinator, July 2012
    • Fort Worth Division Officer Survival Coordinator, November 2009

Officer Survival Subject Matter Expert for National Headquarters (2013 – 2016)

Identified by USPIS National Headquarters as a subject matter expert in both Firearms and Officer Survival. Created course material and taught instructor courses.

  • Researched and drafted course content based on current trends, methodologies, and best practices
  • New instructor and instructor recertification courses
  • Tested instructors for proficiency and mastery of the material
  • Ensured agency policies and procedures were understood, as each instructor is held accountable to them
  • Taught methods of instruction
  • Created, then taught, course content, including but not limited to:
    • Active-shooter response
    • Emergency response
    • Critical incident management
    • Violent crime response to include: robberies, burglaries, and assault

Improvised Explosive Device Recognition and Response (IEDRR) Instructor (2012-2016)

Selected by national headquarters to research and develop the IEDRR training program from the ground up. The goal of the program was to teach students how to respond to suspicious item incidents, conduct proper threat assessment procedures, determine hazardous characteristics of suspicious items, and take appropriate actions after determining hazardous characteristics of suspicious items.

  • Research needs related to agency response and to build related training materials
  • Coordinate with staff at the National Center for Explosives Training and Research
  • Portable X-ray instruction and image enhancement techniques
  • Explosive detection system training
  • Threat assessment
  • Bomb construction analysis
  • Investigative techniques
  • National forensic lab
  • Explosive demonstrations
  • Homemade explosives (HMEs) overview
  • Recent Mail-Related IED Incidents
  • Skill Stations

Arlington Police Department—Arlington, TX

Police Officer Recruit (January 2005 – July 2005)

Education

Tarleton State University—Stephenville, TX

  • Masters in Criminal Justice
  • Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice

RELEVANT TRAINING/CERTIFICATIONS

  • Mail Flow Train the Trainer
  • HAZWOPER (Hazardous Waste Operations)
  • Level B SCBA (Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus)
  • Advanced Forensic Sampling
  • Suspicious Substance Screening
  • Biological Detection System
  • SABRE 5000 Trace Detection
  • Prohibited Mailings
  • Logos Imaging Orama II Portable X-Ray
  • MultiRae Portable X-Ray
  • MultiRae
  • Ludlum
  • GenPrime Prime Alert
  • HAZMAT ID | HAZMAT 360
  • Miscellaneous testing papers
  • Post-blast Investigations
  • Improvised Explosive Device Recognition and Response

PROFESSIONAL RECOGNITION

  • Contribution Award, Inspector in Charge Regina Faulkerson
  • Certificate of Appreciation, DTMC, Inspector in Charge Regina Faulkerson
  • Certificate of Appreciation, Coldspring, TX, Homicide Case, VP Area Operations
  • Certificate of Appreciation, Waldo, AR, Homicide, Inspector in Charge Randall Till
  • Team Player Award, Acting Inspector in Charge Regina Faulkerson
  • Letter of Appreciation, ETX Bomb Case, Team Leader Timothy Vasquez
  • Letter of Appreciation, Assisting FTW EC Team – Team Leader James Galloway
  • Certificate of Appreciation, ETX Bomb Case, Inspector in Charge Randall Till
  • Excellent Performance, Broadway Robbery – Inspector in Charge Thomas Brady
  • Letter of Commendation, Chief of Police, Village of Winfield, Illinois
  • Outstanding Performance Recognition, Bishop Bomb Case
  • Letter of Appreciation, Threat Management, Inspector in Charge Thomas Brady
  • Special Recognition – Bishop Bomb Investigation, Chief Alexander Lazaroff
  • Excellent Performance Award, FY 2006, Inspector in Charge Kenneth Laag
  • Letter of Appreciation, Inspector in Charge Kenneth Laag

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