Critical Incident

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Critical Incident

• First Responder Responsibilities Tactics

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Critical Incident First Responder
Responsibilities Tactics

• Never Forget Your Safety Comes First

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Critical Incident First Responder
Responsibilities Tactics

• Definitions

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First Responder Responsibilities Tactics

• Crisis Situation
• Any incident in which a person present on the
  scene has threatened to cause immediate harm to
  himself or others. This usually involves
  barricading or refusal to leave a location and /
  or hostage taking.
• Hostage Situation
• A crisis situation in which a person is held
  against their will to force fulfillment of
  demands.

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First Responder Responsibilities Tactics

• Hostage Situation
• A crisis situation in which a person is held
  against their will to force fulfillment of
  demands.
• Usually Involves
• Threat to harm a person if demands are not met.

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First Responder Responsibilities Tactics

• Hostage Situation continued
• Usually Involves
• Primary Goal
• Having demands met
• Gaining some type of advantage

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First Responder Responsibilities Tactics

• Defensive Threat
• Usually employed in non-hostage situations
• Threats are primarily to prevent police action
• If you come in here Ill hurt Joe!

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First Responder Responsibilities Tactics

• First Responders Duties
• Contain the threat.
• Isolate the threat.
• Engage the person in conversation

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First Responder Responsibilities Tactics

• Containment and Isolation accomplish
• Prevents the spread of the threat.
• Prevents the escape of the subject
• Prevents unauthorized persons to enter the crisis
  site.
• Applies pressure on the subject by isolating him
  from the outside world.

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First Responder Responsibilities Tactics

• Containing the subject to one specific location
  accomplishes
• Seals off the location or house from outside
  influence
• Disables or removes any means of escape for the
  person

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First Responder Responsibilities Tactics

• Quick Assessment
• What type of situation exists?
• Have hostages been taken?
• What type of weapons are involved?

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First Responder Responsibilities Tactics

• Request Additional resources
• Supervisor
• Back up officers.
• Ambulance
• Fire apparatus.
• SWAT
• CNT

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First Responder Responsibilities Tactics

• Evacuation considerations
• Persons in close proximity of the crisis incident
• Close off streets or neighborhoods if necessary
• Vehicular pedestrian traffic should be
  controlled .
• Establish an outer perimeter a safe distance from
  the site.

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First Responder Responsibilities Tactics

• Working through the crisis
• Most dangerous time
• First few minutes of crisis.
• Last few minutes during surrender.
• Subject is usually very unstable and irrational

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First Responder Responsibilities Tactics

• Most dangerous time continued
• Innocent police activity may be viewed as
  threatening.
• Negotiating may NOT be an option due to persons
  condition
• Use caution in attempting to contact the person.

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First Responder Responsibilities Tactics

• Recommended Techniques
• Circumstances may require the first responder to
  establish contact with the subject
• He may call you
• Hostage may call you
• 3rd party contact (prior)

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First Responder Responsibilities Tactics

• Using Non-threatening non-judgmental language
  will
• Promote Rational Thinking
• Allow for arrival of additional resources
• Can aid in intelligence gathering

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First Responder Responsibilities Tactics

• Negotiations Protocol
• Introduce yourself by name
• Exclude rank
• Identify the agency you work for
• Advise subject you are there to help
• Show concern for the subject
• Ask if he/she is O.K.
• Reassure him no one will come in / rush him

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First Responder Responsibilities Tactics

• Negotiations Protocol
• If hostages have been taken
• Dont call them hostages
• Talk of them as people
• Ask about their condition
• Ask their names
• Calling them by name will make the subject think
  of them as people not objects

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First Responder Responsibilities Tactics

• Negotiations Protocol
• Ask the subject what happened?
• Let the subject talk
• When he / she talks, they vent anger and
  frustration
• You gain intelligence

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First Responder Responsibilities Tactics

• Be a good listener and reassure the subject
• Speak in a calm voice at all times
• Do not get into a shouting match
• Do not debate with the subject
• Avoid setting deadlines
• Talk through any he sets
• Contact him prior to deadline or time of action
  talk past it

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First Responder Responsibilities Tactics

• Statements that are vague or indicate finality
• Could mean he / she is thinking about suicide
• It is O.K. to ask him / her if he / she is
  thinking about suicide

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First Responder Responsibilities Tactics

• Opening Exchange
• Hello my name is.. And I work for the Racine
  Police Department. Im here to help you.
• What is your name or what name can I call you?
• Are you O.K.
• Are the people in there with you, O.K.

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First Responder Responsibilities Tactics

• Allow the subject to talk
• Can you tell me what happened?
• A lot of incidents are emotionally driven
• Try to identify which emotion he subject is
  feeling

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First Responder Responsibilities Tactics

• Anger
• Frustration
• Fear
• Sadness
• Depression

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First Responder Responsibilities Tactics

• After the subject tells his story
• Encourage further conversation by labeling the
  emotion
• Jim, it sounds like you are very angry about .
• The subject will either confirm or correct you

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First Responder Responsibilities Tactics

• Tips for Safe First Responder Interaction
• Your safety comes first
• Do not negotiate face to face with potentially
  armed subjects
• Never exchange yourself for anyone else
• Do not allow non-police personnel to negotiate

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First Responder Responsibilities Tactics

• Plan Surrenders carefully
• This may mean the subject is planning an action
  that will force a suicide by Cop

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First Responder Responsibilities Tactics

• As a first responder you can
• Gather intelligence for SWAT CNT
• of subjects
• Type of weapons
• of hostages

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First Responder Responsibilities Tactics

• As a first responder you can
• Gather intelligence continued
• Location of hostages
• Evaluate subjects state of mind

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First Responder Responsibilities Tactics

• As a first responder you can
• Stall for time
• Time saves lives (Usually)
• Allows SWAT / CNT to get into place
• Has calming effect on everyone
• Dont agree to anything (need boss' approval)
• Create Diversions
• Keep subject talking
• Keep subject in problem solving mode

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First Responder Responsibilities Tactics

• You can provide Real Time Intelligence to SWAT
  /CNT
• Where is the subject NOW?
• Where are the hostages NOW?
• His / Her state of mind NOW?

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Critical Incident First Responder
Responsibilities Tactics

• Dont Forget our goal is to SAVE LIVES

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First Responder Responsibilities Tactics

• This information was provided by

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First Responder Responsibilities Tactics

• The Critical Incident First Responder Talk
  Tactics Guide is available from IAHN. Go to The
  negotiator store at
• www.hostagenegotiation.com