AZDPS Personnel Provide Security Assessment and Training in the Republic of Palau
- For Immediate Release -
PHOENIX — Four Arizona Department of Public Safety (AZDPS) personnel flew more than 7,000 miles to Koror, Republic of Palau, on a mission to get Palau ready to secure the upcoming Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting.
From July 20-24, 2026, Captain Brad Kudler, Captain Vern Havens, Captain Jared Kramer, and Manager Heather Anderson teamed up with the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL), U.S. Embassy Koror, the FBI, and Australian Federal Police to deliver a five-day Event Security Readiness Assessment and Training program.
Approximately 25 Palauan public safety and government professionals participated, representing law enforcement, marine enforcement, immigration and customs, fire/EMS, airport and port authorities, emergency management, transportation, communications, and other critical stakeholders.
The training covered everything needed to secure a major international event, including threat and vulnerability assessments, intelligence and information sharing, interagency coordination, command and control, cybersecurity, security planning, route and venue security, incident response, contingency planning, and effective use of available personnel.
Participants didn’t just talk theory, but put their skills to use with hands-on venue assessments and scenario-based exercises. They finished with a high-pressure tabletop exercise that pushed agencies to coordinate through a series of increasingly complex incidents.
For AZDPS, this was a chance to put Arizona’s major-event expertise on the world stage and forge stronger ties with U.S. and international partners who share our public safety mission.
Our personnel demonstrated the professionalism and leadership that define AZDPS as they helped Palau prepare to safely host leaders from across the Pacific.
This engagement was made possible through funding provided by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs.
