1. What It's Like to Be in the Secret Service 43:41

For 24 years, Daniel Dluzneski's job required him to be in the White House and attend events with the President–often with a large, very well-trained dog: Daniel was a lieutenant in the U.S. Secret Service.  In this episode he shares behind-the-scenes stories from that position–what it was like to be in the White House on September 11, 2001; his “favorite” President to serve; and what happened when he was giving a tour of rarely-visited areas of the White House and they had an unexpected encounter with President Clinton.   After leaving the Secret Service, Daniel began using his skillset to help school systems better prepare for emergency situations, like active shooters or bomb threats.  He gives us tips and thoughts on how teachers and students can stay safe: being prepared is better than being scared.

In this episode:

  • How the Secret Service came to be (02:09)
  • Describing working in the White House and the West Wing (05:37)
  • Daniel's favorite President to work with (07:56)
  • Working in the White House on 9/11 (12:41)
  • What the private residence in the White House is like (19:11)
  • Next career: school safety (21:00)
  • Explanation of a lockdown drill (23:56)
  • “Implicit memory” and how his training in the Secret Service informed his new work (27:30)
  • The importance of saving yourself so you can save others (28:37)
  • Why Daniel thinks cell phones should be banned from schools (34:44)
  • “Security theater” (37:46)
  • Don't live in fear; use “situational awareness” (40:17)

Want to know more about Daniel?

Want to know more about “What It's Like To…”?

  • Sign up to be on our Insiders' List to receive our newsletters and insiders' information! Go to whatitsliketo.net (sign-ups are at the bottom of the page)
  • Follow us on social media:

Support the show

Elizabeth Pearson Garr has spent a lot of her life asking questions. A daughter of a professor and a principal, as a kid she loved sitting at the “adult table” during their dinner parties so she could participate in the “real” conversations.

Elizabeth went on to graduate with honors from Harvard with a degree in History and Literature, and promptly attended professional cooking school to become a food writer. That led to various career opportunities, including becoming one of the first employees of the Television Food Network; writing/producing gigs at networks from PBS to E!; anchoring/reporting at the NBC affiliate in Billings, Montana; earning a graduate degree in Documentary Film & Video from Stanford University; and various and sundry other things. The through-line to all this has been curiosity. Elizabeth is a skilled interviewer who loves diving deep into research, finding connections, and telling good stories.

Elizabeth has a husband, two daughters, and a fluffy white dog who rarely leaves her side.