DeAndrea, A J
The Tenets of PIE; Its Origins, Application, and Considerations as an Operational Philosophy

Deputy Chief AJ DeAndrea (Ret.) held leadership roles during three school shootings that forever changed the fabric of American society and transformed law enforcement's response to active shooter incidents worldwide: Columbine High School, Platte Canyon High School, and the Youth With A Mission (YWAM) shootings. These pivotal events, along with extensive realworld experience, form the foundation of the P.I.E. Tactical Decision-Making Matrix, a framework now utilized by law enforcement agencies, school districts, and corporations worldwide to guide decision-making under pressure.

The P.I.E. Matrix - Priorities, Intelligence, and Environment - was originally developed by Deputy Chief DeAndrea to help officers make solid, life-saving decisions in high-stress situations. It was then introduced to SWAT team leaders and later adopted as an operational philosophy across multiple agencies. The framework emphasizes:

  • Priorities - identifying and focusing on the most critical objectives during an incident.
  • Intelligence - gathering, assessing, and applying actionable information to make informed tactical decisions.
  • Environment - adapting to the dynamic circumstances, terrain, and situational factors in real time.
    This decision-making tool provides responders with clarity, structure, and adaptability in the midst of chaos, ensuring actions remain focused, coordinated, and effective. Beyond tactical applications, P.I.E. serves as a universal framework for leadership, crisis management, and organizational preparedness, empowering individuals and teams to navigate uncertainty with confidence and precision.

    Through examples from Columbine, Platte Canyon, YWAM, and other real world incidents participants gain rare insight into how this framework has been applied in life-or-death situations, offering practical lessons that can be implemented across agencies, organizations, and communities to strengthen decision-making, leadership, and resilience.

    • A J DeAndrea - Bio
    Deputy Chief A.J. DeAndrea (retried) began his career with the Arvada, Colorado Police Department in 1993, retiring from APD in 2023. During his time there, he served as a member of the Jefferson County Regional SWAT Team from 1996 to 2012 - a collateral duty team where he was a Team Leader. The majority of his career was spent on patrol, but he also spent 2 years as the Sergeant of the Internal Affairs Unit and 4 years as the Sergeant in the Community Response Impact Team (CRIT) and was also an Operations Commander. As Deputy Chief, he oversaw both the Field and Operations divisions of the Arvada Police Department.

    Deputy Chief DeAndrea is a lead instructor for the NTOA's Team Leader Development Course, a lead instructor in the NTOA's Command College, a Master Less Lethal Instructor, and a Colorado and Alaskan POST certified instructor. He teaches Leadership, Officer Survival, Building Searches, Rapid and Immediate Deployment (RAID), Enhanced Active Shooter Strategies, Single Officer Response to an Active Shooter, SWAT, SWAT Team Leader Development, Defensive Tactics, and Firearms, as well as many other disciplines. He was formally certified in Explosive Breaching. Deputy Chief DeAndrea graduated from the University of Colorado in Boulder in 1990 and has a Bachelor of Arts degree. He graduated from the Northwestern School of Police Staff and Command, Class 504, and the FBI National Academy Session 283. In 2014, Deputy Chief DeAndrea received the John Kolman Award of Excellence from the National Tactical Officers Association.