About Firearm Mentor

About Firearm Mentor
Marcus Melnick

Marcus Melnick is a seasoned, prominent public safety professional turned coach, speaker, and trainer. Marcus brings a unique blend of law enforcement, stress psychology, firearms expertise, and personal resilience training—all delivered with compelling authenticity and wit. From radio to TEDx, classroom to shooting range, his mission is to empower people to stay calm, stay safe, and make smart decisions under pressure. Through using the perfect amount of engaging storytelling, humor and gravitas, students leave feeling safe and comfortable.

Marcus, a well-rounded expert in stress resilience, safety and firearms, he equips individuals and organizations to stay calm, make strong decisions under pressure, and communicate in both conflict situations and or everyday stress. From public safety and stress coaching to authoring and speaking, interactive programs shifting mindsets from Worrier to Warrior, teaching tangible techniques to de-escalate precarious situations, stay safe, manage anxiety, and respond to adversity with grace and poise.
Based in Illinois, Marcus serves the greater Chicago area and beyond.

About Marcus’ key roles and experience:

• A public safety career beginning in 1988 encompassing roles in private security management, law enforcement, emergency management, and firefighting.
• Firearms experience since 1980.
• Graduate-level adjunct college professor.
• Second generation inventor.
• International Emergency Response/Public Safety/Firefighting Trainer.
• Established security programs across Chicago area hospitals, schools, community centers, religious institutions, businesses and other civic organizations.

About Marcus’s credentials:

• Multiple Criminal Justice Degrees.
• Northwestern University Police Staff & Command graduate.
• Two-Time Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Scholar.
• Instructor certifications such as NRA pistol instructor and range safety officer, United States Concealed Carry Association (USCCA) Instructor, active shooter, National Incident Management System, Pepper Spray (Oleoresin Capsicum or OC), Control and Restraint/Handcuffing, Violent Patient Management, OSHA Safety, and Crisis Prevention Institute/CPI restraint. Also certified as a Glock Armorer.
• Court and media-recognized expert witness.
• Host of The Personal Safety Show on 99.9 FM (WYML, and YouTube, teaching real-world safety tactics, covering Chicagoland). The show includes expert discussions, guest interviews, and real‑world tips on personal safety, violence prevention, violence response, and post tragedy recovery.
• International Safety Keynote Speaker.
• TEDx Speaker.
• Published author (several books and national safety publications).

Marcus is available for in person or remote speaking engagements, workshops, firearm classes, and radio/YouTube broadcasts.

🎤 Signature Talks & Topics

• Overcoming the Hot Stress Mess – helps leaders and individuals conquer “fight-or-flight” responses in high-stress, everyday scenarios like meetings or public speaking.
• Active Shooter Response– combines law enforcement insight with practical training for various settings to respond to an active shooter in one’s workplace, place of worship, or school.
• Active Shooter Survival – drawing from a career in public safety, working with those involved in the Winnetka, Illinois Laurie Dann School Shooting, extensive study of mass shootings, and being present during a thwarted mass shooting, this course combines street smarts and situational awareness for individual survival if encountering an active attack in public.
• Managing Agitated People – focuses on the signs of pre-violence & proven de-escalation techniques. Healthcare C.E. is available.
• Street smarts and Scam Prevention. This training is catered to individual audiences such as adults with special needs, small business, real estate, and older Americans
• Wellness: Fighting Obesity & Stress – shares his personal journey of losing 120 lbs., reversing diabetes and sleep apnea, and how stress contributed to weight gain.