How prepared are public safety agencies for current and evolving challenges? This question is the focus of the 2026 State of Readiness in Public Safety survey, conducted by Lexipol, the leading provider of solutions that support Total Readiness in public safety.
The survey drew 915 responses from law enforcement, fire, EMS, and corrections professionals – 74% in command- or chief-level roles – and found a striking divide between preparedness for day-to-day events and for “disrupter” events. While 78% of respondents say their agency is prepared for typical calls, that number falls to 38% for legal/regulatory changes and to 22% for major operational disruptions. Only 8% say they are extremely confident in their agency’s ability to respond to evolving challenges such as emerging incident types and new risks.
Additional key findings:
Staffing
How prepared are public safety agencies for staffing shortages?
Only 17% of agencies say they are extremely or very prepared for staffing shortages.
What percentage of public safety agencies struggle with recruitment?
40% of respondents say recruitment is more difficult than it was two years ago, and staffing shortages (65%) and recruitment challenges (39%) rank as the top workforce factors limiting readiness.
Leadership
Does leadership quality affect public safety agency readiness?
The survey found a strong correlation between leadership capability and agency preparedness. Agencies with more-prepared leaders also report stronger training effectiveness, retention, wellness support, policy quality, and data use.
What percentage of public safety agencies are effective at developing future leaders?
Only 19% of respondents rate their agency as very or extremely effective at developing future leaders.
Training
What’s the biggest barrier to law enforcement/fire training?
Time and scheduling are the top training barrier, cited by 83% of respondents, followed by budget constraints at 57%.
How effective is training in public safety?
Less than half (45%) of respondents rate their agency’s training as very or extremely effective, and 34% do not consistently measure training effectiveness.
Policy
How often should fire and police departments update policies?
In Lexipol’s 2026 State of Readiness in Public Safety survey of 915 public safety professionals, 60% of respondents say they review their policies continuously or at least annually, and 59% rate their policies as mostly or fully current and aligned with laws/best practices.
Wellness
What percentage of public safety agencies offer strong wellness support?
Nearly half of respondents (48%) rate their agency’s support for personnel wellness as strong or comprehensive, while 22% rate it as limited or very poor.
Does wellness support affect retention in public safety?
In Lexipol’s 2026 State of Readiness in Public Safety survey of 915 public safety professionals, 44% of respondents at agencies with strong or comprehensive wellness support rate their agency’s ability to retain personnel as very or extremely effective, compared with just 10% at agencies with low wellness support.
Industry Sentiment
While 58% of respondents rate their agency’s readiness as stronger than two years ago, sentiment across the industry is mixed: 49% say they are concerned about the current state of public safety, while 44% say they are somewhat or very optimistic about the future of public safety over the next two to three years.
To access additional findings from Lexipol’s 2026 State of Readiness in Public Safety survey of 915 public safety professionals, download the 2026 State of Readiness in Public Safety white paper.
